FRINGE WORLD REVIEW: Le Carousel Bleu by The West Australian
Published January 31st 2016
Reviewer: James Burnside
Le Carousel Bleu is a wildly energetic and raunchy rollercoaster ride. It starts strong with a classic strip tease and ends literally heating up the stage with a red-hot finale. It’s stellar example of how to do a Fringe Festival staple justice and the only major complaint is that it’s over too soon.
Miss Gail Force, photography by David Woolley
Burlesque is a difficult style to straddle, since what’s considered ‘sexy’ varies wildly from person to person.
What we look for is substance between the titillation, and thankfully Le Carousel Bleu understands that there is a lot more to burlesque then just seeing beautiful women — and men for that matter — disrobe.
Those looking for bold displays of flesh will not be left wanting, but it is perhaps the spectacle of acrobatics, juggling, gymnastics, dance and even fire twirling that truly make this show stand out.
There are four main performers in Le Carousel Bleu, and each is given two slots in which to perform over the course of the show.
There’s plenty of variety, too. Alongside raunchy Perth artist Agatha Frisky is the remarkable Miss Gail Force who spins more than a dozen hula-hoops on her petite frame.
Audiences seeking to ogle male flesh are served a suave and handsome man who blurs lines between Magic Mike and vaudeville slapstick, earning both whoops and sniggers from the crowd.
While everyone brings his or her own unique flavor to the stage, the undeniable star is popular UK performer Aurora Galore.
Her second act in particular blurred the line between cabaret and dark art, and was so awe-inspiring that it warranted gasps and riotous applause. It was a perfect choice to end the night.
Aurora Galore, photography by Tigz Rice
Sadly, as is always the case with live performance, it seems like it’s over before it even begins.
What Le Carousel Bleu lacks in quantity it makes up for with acts that are remarkable enough to keep the audience enthralled for its duration.
Whether or not you’ll like Le Carousel Bleu depends on your stance on burlesque.
Veterans of the genre will be entranced, and for those who have never experienced burlesque before but are curious, this show comes highly recommended as an entry point to how exciting this style of performance can be.
There will undoubtedly be many great examples of burlesque over the next couple of weeks at Fringe World Perth, but Le Carousel Bleu has set a high standard.
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