A Night of Fun, Friskiness and Frivolity by Amanda Woodbine
Wow! Just wow! Empire by Spiegelworld was a spectacular showcase of acrobatic feats, perfectly timed slapstick comedy and a soundtrack that complements each act to perfection. The intimate space in which the show is set allows you to get up close and personal with the show and see Empire for what it is: a raunchy, entertaining, talent packed evening that will make your jaw drop at many times.
Empire draws you in from the moment you enter the venue of the Spiegeltent with hammocks and scaffolding, complete with one the performers eyeballing you from atop of it, and hilarious voiceover announcements, most too crude to repeat here which set the scene for the evening to come. Once inside the tent you are greeted by the performers (who are incredible specimens of human perfection) and asked to take you seat. That’s when the show starts, and with a bang. Miss A in a Bubble delights audiences with her contortion and draws the crowd in perfectly for the opening act. It also helps that she is absolutely stunning, as are all of the other performers. Male and female alike make you question on how they find such attractive people with so much talent! They flip, fly and flirt while the audience is in constant awe of their acrobatics.
Definite standouts for the evening were Big Mac Boy and Black Flinstone (Yonas Alemu and Tariku Degefa) who perform Risley, the circus act of one person foot juggling another person, which urged the audience to cheer many times throughout their act – it is to be seen to be believed. Another highlight was 3D Graffiti Guy (Memet Bilgin Rigolo) with his balancing act that closed the show and brought the audience to their feet. You could hear a pin drop as he balanced branch after branch for a total of 15 minutes and kept everyone on the edge of their seats. Then there are the hosts, Oscar and Fanny (Jonathan Taylor and Anne Goldmann), who are worth the entire ticket price on their own in my opinion. Brash, inappropriate, hilarious are a few words I will use to describe them and at least two of their acts had me crying with laughter – they brought the whole production together with their comedic brilliance and audience interaction.
Overall, Empire is a sexy and spectacular evening and is a must see for fans of a good show. However, I would recommend that this is an adults only event as there is nudity and offensive language used.
EMPIRE is running in The Spiegeltent at The Entertainment Quarter in Moore Park until March 2 2014. Tickets range from $49-$149 (days dependant) with plenty of seating options available and can be purchased at http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/showNE.aspx?sh=empire13 or call (02) 8117 6700