Rock Bang is the latest production from Melbourne’s Circus Oz. Rock Bang is the story of orphaned siblings Otto and Astrid, presented as a mix of Circus Performances and a Rock Opera Parody.
I love the Circus and it has been a very long time since I had seen a local production. I remember as a child going to the Circus with the family. Traveling to the local open reserve where a Big Top tent was waiting to entertain us. Rock Bang is far from your traditional Circus show. It is more of a theatre show with an interesting mix of Live Music, Comedy, Stage Play Narrative and Circus Entertainment.
This performance is not for everyone, especially those that are easily offended by innuendo. It is certainly not for children. The production recommends for 13 and over, however I would suggest 15 and over. A lot of families attended this show, most likely drawn by the Circus aspect of the show. But a lot of them didn’t return for the second act, probably realising it wasn’t appropriate for their kids.
Personally I didn’t find the show overly hilarious. It certainly had its moments where I was in stiches and other moments where I had a chuckle, but restrained my laughter due to how inappropriate the joke was. The music and lyrics were okay, but not great. Most of the songs felt like a spoken narrative rather than actual singing. It would have been great to have some epic vocals to accompany the Rock Opera feel of the show.
The Circus aspect of the show was lack lustre. I honestly expected more from a company with “Circus” in its name. There were a few acrobatic skills and some juggling and that was about it. But I suppose the show was more centred on the story of Otto and Astrid. It would have been cool to see some more acrobatic stunts.
Overall the show was enjoyable, however I left feeling there was something missing. It really lacks that punch and wow factor of a Circus show. And as a huge fan of live music, this show has lots of room for improvement.
Circus Oz Rock Bang is on at Melbourne’s Malthouse Theatre until Sunday November 25. Tickets are available from the venue website or box office.