Fringe World Perth: Carousel & Clothesline

Carousel & Clothesline is good old fashioned circus and clowning.  And the best bit is, it’s family friendly.  A glimpse around the audience saw children shrieking with laughter and staring in amazement with mouths open at the feats they were witnessing.

Originating in Canada the troupe of eight consists of Yannick Blackburn, Fanny Laneuville, Emmaline Paitt, Jan Oving, Jonathon Roitman, Phillippe Thibaudeau and two Aussie imports, Coen Clarke and Jason Fergusson.

Thibaudeau as MC and clown is reminiscent of Mr Bean as he struts around the ring.  Some of the funniest moments are when he juggles tennis racquets, interacts with the audience, and sings a love song to himself.

Emmaline Piatt brings back the rarely seen act of contortion.  The things she can do while bending her body into a pretzel needs to be seen to be believed, especially when she performs on the high rope some six metres above the audience.

Blackburn and Laneuville had the audience holding their breathe as they performed a trapeze duo that saw Blackburn flip, drop and balance Laneuville while catching her at the last minute as she somersaulted towards the ground.

Performed in the intimate setting of the Spiegeltent the audience is close enough to witness the death defying ariel acts and appreciate the precision required to successfully complete them.

Even the trapeze and ropes are rigged in with humour as Roitman, dressed in a black morph suit, creeps into the ring to un-rig and turns to the audience to say “You have seen nothing” before leaving.

Carousel & Clothesline is a fun family night out that re-acquaints audiences with acts from the past that will have you laughing and at times holding your breath.