By Nick Pilgrim
This reviewer can’t think of a better way to kick off the silly season.
Following extended sell-out stints in Brisbane and Sydney, Blanc de Blanc Encore has moved down south determined to give curious Melburnians the evening of their lives.
With the invitation’s directive to dress ‘blanc’ for the occasion, there was a buzz in the air akin to New York City’s Met Gala meeting Rio’s Mardi Gras. You sense that everyone was ready to party hard for a good time.
As a live entertainment critic for fifteen years, I have seen my fair share of the circus arts. Some of these more recent memories include:
- Circus De Licious
- Elixir Revived
- Le Noir
- Railed
- Shaun The Sheep’s Circus Show
- Velvet
Just to name a few.
Playing at the famed Spiegel Tent, Blanc de Blanc Encore puts the ‘I’ in immersive. With performers at times literally hanging from the rafters, never has an experience felt more up close and personal.
Cheeky and fun, the eight-strong cast poked fun at each other and especially the jam-packed opening night crowd. There are more than a few moments of in-your-face audience participation. So, if you’re sitting in the first few rows from the stage, be prepared to join in.
In short, this two-act display of burlesque-inspired acrobatics and cabaret combined is definitely for adults only. Fans of touring productions like Moulin Rouge: The Musical or Club Las Vegas – The Spectacle should have a reasonable idea in advance what to expect.
Glitzy and glamorous, this feel-good concept allows eager viewers to kick back and soak up what these expertly skilled performers have to offer.
Amongst the two-hour show’s many highlights, each artist is given ample moments to shine. Some of these standout opportunities include:
- Danielle Summers and her elegant aerial hoop ballet
- Felix Pouliot and his pole-vaulting antics
- Melanie Hawkins and her diva-licious vocal stylings
- Mykhailo Makarovoak and his double-jointed contortions. Without giving it away, there was one moment in his routine that had the audience gasping in total awe and disbelief. If you’ve seen the cult classic, The Exorcist, prepare yourself for the unspeakable.
- Emile Mathieu, with a grin wider that The Cheshire Cat, putting a certain bodily appendage to percussive use. Leaving little to the imagination, this is one act you need to see in person. Mathieu’s performance was so insanely ridiculous, I was truly about to fall out of my chair sick with laughter.
(How performers think up and pitch routines like this for entertainment purposes is surely a feature article for another day.)
The talented hand-picked cast from Australia and around the world is rounded out by Clara Fable and Flynn Miller.
Hosted by Mathieu and Pouliot, the duo shares legitimate comic chemistry. Together, they are equally at ease working the room or targeting victims to assist them up on stage. (Sprinkled throughout the show, keep in mind there are key random moments for audience participation. So again, you have been warned.)
How the group can also perform on such a postage stamp of a stage defies explanation. When everyone becomes a significant part of the action, no wonder the opening night audience left with the biggest smiles on their faces.
Special mention to the costume designers; their elaborate work superbly showcases the troupe’s toned and athletic bodies. These works of art are indeed a feast for the eyes.
A stunning throwback to a bygone era, the Spiegel Tent truly lends itself to this brand of entertainment. Tucked away from view off busy Lonsdale Street, you really get a sense of cabaret’s secretive and risqué origins.
Playing until February 2026, Blanc de Blanc Encore is uncomplicated yet grown-up fun for adults strictly eighteen and over.
Don’t miss out!
Image: Cameron Grant
