Limbo

It garnered rave reviews and sold out its run at the Adelaide Festival, and no wonder. The show is a wild conglomeration of traditional circus, acrobatics, gymnastics, dance, illusion and music all presented with utmost grace, skill and humour on the small circular stage.

Designed specifically for a 1920s Spiegeltent, Limbo brings the audience into the heart of the action, creating the perfect fusion of venue and performance. It feels like standing in the middle of the Olympic Stadium during Super Saturday with the Opening Ceremony being performed at the same time.

Limbo is a celebration of the ultimate the human body can achieve, presented with great strength and grace. All the performers take on a variety of skills beyond their specialism, with everyone singing, dancing or playing an instrument. They are superb. The whole production has a wonderful coherence that might seem at the time not to make any sense but which still creates an overwhelming excitement in the sheer joy of the performance.

The music that counterpoints the show is every bit as eclectic as the performance, a bit bonkers and off-centre. Led by New York musician Sxip Shirey, the band use everything from traditional instruments to toys and bowls and the rare polymba to back the action.  It’s jazzy and ethereal, with styles from dub-step to bluegrass.

At times dangerous, often breathtaking, always skilful and beautiful, Limbo is no less than sensational. Don’t miss it.

–Carole Gordon