Home » Reviews » Cabaret » Blunderland, The Octagon at Gluttony, Rymill Park (Adelaide Fringe) – Review

Blunderland, The Octagon at Gluttony, Rymill Park (Adelaide Fringe) – Review

Straight from the underground New York scene, and for the first time in Adelaide is this powerhouse of cherry-picked talent. Burlesque, circus, live music and dance come together for an hour of extraordinary entertainment that ticks all the boxes for the perfect cabaret. Colourful and unpredictable, Blunderland is an acid trip down the rabbit hole, under the guidance of artistic director-cum-compere Eric Schmalenberger. Different from any MC we’ve seen in the past, he replaces the high-octane character we are used to with a much more subdued persona. His jokes rely less on punchlines and more on subtle play on…

Summary

Rating

Unmissable!

Raunchy, show-stopping, extraordinary from beginning to end, Blunderland is all you need from a cabaret!

Straight from the underground New York scene, and for the first time in Adelaide is this powerhouse of cherry-picked talent. Burlesque, circus, live music and dance come together for an hour of extraordinary entertainment that ticks all the boxes for the perfect cabaret.

Colourful and unpredictable, Blunderland is an acid trip down the rabbit hole, under the guidance of artistic director-cum-compere Eric Schmalenberger. Different from any MC we’ve seen in the past, he replaces the high-octane character we are used to with a much more subdued persona. His jokes rely less on punchlines and more on subtle play on words, with a unique sense of humour.  A bit clumsy, rather quiet and even apprehensive, he’s like a housewife looking after a mischievous family… or perhaps just an eccentric ringmaster on LSD – we are given the benefit of the doubt!

Celebrating the triumph of performing skills, this is an ode to sexy bodies of all shapes and sizes. A glorious array of weird and wonderful queer creatures engage in flawless routines. Amongst the many highlights of the evening, the weightless Lola Carter is considered one of the best lyra (aerial hoop) acrobats in the world. Goth, non-binary singer Ruby Wednesday is definitely another act to watch. Gorgeous burlesque artist Piper Marie delights the audience with a pristine act. Whereas the voluptuous Blaine Petrovia wraps around the aerial pole like a human snake.

Keeping everything together is a trio of clowns. Irreverent, genderless jesters committed to scare the audience, as well as annoy their fellow artists. To use producer Will Spartalis’s own words, “they’re clowns, but you definitely wanna fuck all of them. And they’re terrifying. Not in the classic terrifying clown way, but you think that these ones might clean out your bank account when you’re not looking”.

Blunderland’s Brooklyn residency at the House of Yes involves a much higher number of artists, rotating to make every evening unforgettable. Presenting in Adelaide only the best of the best, this show is indeed a plethora of headliners. The outcome is unforgettable and the only blemish in a perfect show is to see it coming to an end.

Creative Director: Eric Schmalenberger
Produced by: Blunderland
Booking Link: https://adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/blunderland-af2020
Booking Until: 15 March 2020

About Marianna Meloni

Marianna, being Italian, has an opinion on just about everything and believes that anything deserves an honest review. Her dream has always been to become an arts critic and, after collecting a few degrees, she realised that it was easier to start writing in a foreign language than finding a job in her home country. In the UK, she tried the route of grown-up employment but soon understood that the arts and live events are highly addictive.

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