Review from: Circusstad Festival, The Opticum, Shouwburgplein, Rotterdam; 3rd May 2025, 22.00
All the stops are pulled out for this edgy, rude, preposterous, skilled and very funny late-night cabaret in the circular Opticum tent, reminiscent of a Victorian operating centre with the packed audience sat in steeply rising tiers around the small stage.
Introducing the fun are Rotterdam’s own circus comedian Harvey (Cobb) and the inimitable Captain Frodo, and first up, to the tap-tap-tap of a metronome, is a mesmeric twitching and jerking corde lisse act by metronomic marvel Melinda Meijs.
The irreverent Laser Kiwi trio follow with a dramatic cardboard space rocket lift off, with exhaust smoke provided by a frantically vaping Degge Jarvie. Imogen Stone’s subsequent spacy corde lisse act is deemed too arty by Zane Jarvie, so Degge adapts his rocket vaping mechanism to a smoking fart machine that is made full use of as Stone is midair in full splits. Inspired, Frodo is wheeled in, precariously balanced on a tin with his feet wrapped behind his head, so he too can be made to fart, and then it’s the turn of the audience.
Appearing next, two-headed Lisa Chudalla demonstrates how to hammer a nail into a nose on the fake head and then into her real nose after which, following a decapitating demonstration of the sharpness of her swords, she swallows two swords at the same time.
Frodo fools us with lengths of rope whilst telling wonderful tales of his showman upbringing, before Laser Kiwi return with two great sketches. Up first, Zane and Degge Jarvie delight the audience as Degge holds a Kendama between his toes and catches the ball on it. Then Stone sets up a romantic scene with a volunteer. An audience member with an infectious laugh adds to the hilarity as mouth-to-mouth match striking is attempted, followed by Stone – in handstand – truly impressively striking a match held between the toes on one foot on a matchbox held between the toes on her other foot.
In the most gruesome part of the show, Chudalla, strikingly tattooed and wearing just a G-string, turns a bolt of cloth into a robe by stapling the fabric to her body. The conclusion of Chudalla’s act, The Seamstress – which cannot be repeated until her wounds have healed – sees her pulling needles out of her forehead and rivulets of blood running down her face.
Harvey lightens the atmosphere with preposterous play with pink wellies, balancing one open-end-down on his face and tossing another to land in balance foot to foot. Fun and tricky welly juggling builds up to a domino collapse of a mass of wellies.
Meijs closes the show in style with a banging hair-hanging homage to Rotterdam’s hardcore Gabber music scene.
You’d be hard pressed to find a higher skilled, funnier and freakier group of show people having fun on stage together, to the huge delight of the audience.
