QPAC’s summer show bares all

The cast are talented and don’t mind taking their clothes off but Blush Circus for Grown Ups belongs in a spiegeltent at a Fringe Festival rather than on a stage at QPAC.

The show has an amazing singer in Christine Ibrahim.

I’m always nervous when people prance around the stage in costumes akin to underwear because I’m afraid something might pop out. And - MAJOR SPOILER ALERT - in Blush Circus For Grown Ups, it did!

And I can’t unsee that penis ... nor can anyone else who was there on opening night at the Cremorne Theatre on Friday. Some people might be fine with that and it is a grown ups show - in fact the QPAC website warns that it is only for people 18 and older – but the flashing and the sexual innuendo that popped up (pardon the pun) later in the show was a tad unsavoury and juvenile.

Christine Ibrahim is an amazing singer and a hot circus performer too

I thought I may have been having a bad night but another experienced theatregoer I spoke to who has also seen the show felt the same and actually wondered if QPAC had seen the show before putting it on as their summer season in the Cremorne Theatre where it is playing for six weeks.

That’s a long haul for a rather slight show that should actually be in a Spiegeltent at a Fringe Festival rather than on a stage at QPAC.

“What were they thinking?” my theatre going friend asked. And I did wonder myself.

As entertaining as the show is at times - and I’m not denying it is - I felt that it really wasn’t QPAC standard and may not even have been ready to be staged yet. And if you’re paying $69 for a ticket you may not feel it is worth the money.

Paul Westbrook gets his Moulin Rouge on in Blush Circus for Grown Ups

Of course there was lots of hooting and hollering from the audience but a more discerning theatre goer would struggle considering it is 90 minutes and should have just been a short sharp hour at most.

But can I look at the positives? Well yes, I can. For a start the show has an amazing singer in Christine Ibrahim who could perform in any nightclub anywhere. She also does aerial work and has a strong stage presence and oh, that voice! In fact just have her and a jazz combo with some acrobats and there’s your show!

The other players all have talent and Paul Westbrook is a cheeky host with great energy. Christopher Carlos does amazing things with fire and Lyndon Johnson (not the American president) is good too. And then there’s Jessie McKibbin and Sophie Seccombe and those two are spectacular circus artists who are a highlight. What Jessie does in a giant hoop is amazing.

Sophie Seccombe is a real circus star in Blush Circus for Grown Ups

If they were so good why am I complaining about the Free Willy episode which, I should mention, featured no whales at all?

Because I think they went too far, that it was unnecessary to have a bloke exposing himself on stage just for some cheap laughs. It was a bit of a new age sexual mash up with some bondage and oral sex thrown in just to really shock us.

I have seen a lot of daring shows and loved them - the best of them by Stru & Fret. They can be rude too but in a cleverer way.

I think director Elena Kirschbaum and her team might rethink some aspects of the show and maybe tweak it a bit. I mean they have a whole six weeks to get it right.

qpac.com.au