Arts review: Empire
EMPIRE
The Empire Spiegeltent, Crown Perth
Don't listen to a word they say. Empire is not, as its publicity implies, a burlesque, or a strip show. Rather it's a thrilling, agile, contemporary circus, immaculately staged and precariously gripping for every one of its 90 minutes.
It's also as fine a gathering of talent, both on its tiny stage and behind the scenes.
Director Terence O'Connell, choreographer John O'Connell, scenic designer Josh Zangen and lighting designer Martin Kinnane (all, bar Zangen, Australians) have credits ranging from Baz Lurhmann's The Great Gatsby to Macy's Christmas windows, from Circus Oz to lighting the Harbour Bridge. The result is a seamless entertainment from beginning (the Russian aerialist Elena Lev-Bakkar) to end (the Turkish balancer Memet Bilgin).
Empire is not a Cirque de Soleil imitator, although no doubt its Australian impresario Ross Mollison and producer David Foster would happily acknowledge their debt to that huge Canadian circus franchise.
Like it, Empire brings together artists from around the world (four are Cirque alumni) but it's a more traditionally structured and lively creation than others doing the rounds.
There is some raunchiness courtesy of engaging clowns Heidi Brucker and Matthew Morgan but it's all good, dirty fun in classic fringe festival style.
The core of the show's sexiness, though, is aesthetic. There are some very athletic, powerful bodies on display and seeing them in the close quarters of the Spiegeltent is an exhilarating pleasure.
The Ukranian acrobatic trio Ekaterina Rudenko, Alona Stekolinkova and Alina Ruetska, the French gymnasts Ludivine Furnon and Nicolas Besnard, the Russian roller-skaters Mariia Beisembetova and Denis Petaev, the Japanese wheel artist Yasuaki Yoshikawa and the Ethiopian body jugglers Tariku Degefa and Yonas Alemu are as good to look at as they are to watch in action.
The music, a combination of well-matched covers and wordless songs performed by American guitarist John Shannon and singer Casey Jamerson, give the show terrific drive.
Two acts in particular deliver that magic that lifts you out of your seat. Degefa spinning and throwing the diminutive, explosive Alemu with his feet was simply incredible, while the long, delicate performance by Bilgin of the hypnotic Sanddorn Balance act (13 palm fronds and a single feather), closes this humdinger of a show with audacious grace and impossible beauty.
