Melbourne Fringe has returned, and I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off this year’s festival than a show about Greek Mythology and death-defying acrobatics with a sexy twist!
From creative powerhouse Head First Acrobats, comes a unique take on Greek Mythology as we follow Cupid (the God of Love), Hercules (the God of Strength), Dionysus (the God of Wine), and Apollo (the God of Sun, Light and Archery). Each of these characters are portrayed by four extremely talented acrobats consisting of Liam Drummer as Cupid, Jordan Twartz as Dionysus, Thomas Gorham as Apollo, and Cal Harris as Hercules. There is also an appearance of Zeus by the way of voice over.
GODZ is unlike anything I have ever seen and aside from the aforementioned voice over, it is completely void of dialogue. At its core, GODZ is a 60-minute, high flying, death defying, acrobatic performance that will blow you away. But it is also absolutely hilarious and raunchy! The quartet have mastered the art of physical comedy. Whether it be a cheeky gaze towards the audience, a mischievous wink, a sexy pose, or even poking fun at their own act, this troupe really know how to get an audience keeling over with laughter.
The show kicked off with some classic acrobatic balancing. From hand-to-hand formations to stacking on top each other three high, I was completely blown away by their strength and ability to hold these incredible poses. Each time they successfully completed a trick, they would strike a classic Greek-god style pose that had me in hysterics.
It wasn’t long before the tricks kicked into overdrive when Liam Drummer as Cupid was perched high above a stack of chairs. The music was dramatic and had me on the edge of my seat. It appears I was not the only one feeling the anxiety of the music as Drummer comically told the sound desk it was too dramatic.
Thomas Gorham played into the Archery side of Apollo with a diablo performance unlike anything I have ever experienced. The crazy speed and accuracy of Gorham’s performance completely blew me away! Gorham is easily the best performer I’ve ever seen with the diabolo, my jaw was on the floor the entire time. Gorham executed his performance flawlessly and I am still shook by how good it was.
You never would think that a ladder could be entertaining, but Cal Harris does things with a ladder that I never thought possible. Not only is this segment physically impressive but it’s also really funny. Harris’ incredible skill had him atop of a ladder that appeared to be about 10ft high, sitting almost perfectly still. Harris also climbs up and down this ladder with incredible speed and balances in ways I never thought possible. Harris has not only mastered his craft as an acrobatic performer, but also has some of the most amazing and hilarious crowd work I have seen and all without dialogue. Bravo Harris, bravo!
It wouldn’t be a complete acrobatic spectacular without some high-flying goodness. This comes at the hands of Thomas Gorham. Via the use of a trapeze swing, Gorham balances on his head, swinging above the stage floor. I can barely balance to put on my socks, yet Gorham can masterfully swing upside-down, on his head! Later in the show, Drummer returns as a surprise character and puts on a sexy, high-flying performance in a of pair stilettos so tall, they would make your knees weak.
As GODZ progressed, it became more and more unhinged but in the best way possible. Think underworld meets dominatrix nuns crossed with a dance rave and burlesque show, all mixed in with some flying rope work and whips. It is just as wild as it sounds and felt as if the whole show was leading up to this point where ‘mild’ was cranked up into ‘spicy’. But the thing is though, the show was already spicy to begin with! Yet somehow, the quartet were able to make it even raunchier!
Just as the audience started to cool off, the show was over. But oh, my GODZ did I have an absolute blast. All four of these incredibly talented humans are sexy, spicy, funny and achieve feats of strength and balance that will leave you speechless. I honestly cannot recommend this show enough and I am glad I finally got the chance to see it.
GODZ has won several awards in the last year, including the 2022 People’s Choice Award at Melbourne Fringe. And it is easy to see why! GODZ is phenomenal!
With performances right up until October 29, 2023, there are plenty of opportunities to catch Head First Acrobats’ jaw-dropping, side-splitting, spicy trip to Olympus. You really have no excuse not to go.
For more information and ticketing, visit:
https://melbournefringe.com.au/event/godz
https://www.headfirstacrobats.com
https://www.instagram.com/headfirstacrobats
