Melbourne Fringe: No Punchline

No Punchline is a circus show about female boxers that celebrates athleticism while also looking at the roles of women in society.

I think there’s an inherent disconnect in a circus show about boxing; circus is life-affirming to me and boxing is brutal. Boxing may sometimes be called “the sweet science”, forgetting that the term originated from the phrase “the sweet science of bruising”. But there’s a sweet science (no bruising) in how No Punchline comes together through its high flying acrobatics, evocative monologues, accompanied by beautiful sound and lighting designs.

I always find watching circus to be thrilling and heart stopping. I felt my jaw drop open several times in awe. With No Punchline’s feminist meditation, the show is lifted above the ring and flies through the air.