Pec. flexing, hip thrusting, ball tucking, butt polishing... funny men. GODZ is a ribald and engaging deep dive into the hedonistic and homoerotic playground of the gods. With a very self-aware gaze, this four-man crew put as much effort into their comedic stagecraft as they do into their tricks. Trapeze, straps, tumbling, acro-balance, whip-cracking, break dancing and diablo are just some of the art forms you’ll see, seamlessly integrated into narrative storytelling about three Greek gods and a demigod, Hercules, hair-tossing his way to ascension.
Building upon Sydney’s longstanding tradition of adult circus, running from former gymnast turned adult circus performer David “bath boy” O’Mer to the English Gents from Brett Haylock’s La Clique (2007), Head First Acrobatics are the funniest crew I’ve seen. To a killer soundtrack running from Du Hast by Rammstein to New Drop. New York by Sbtrkt, this four-man crew had the tough opening night crowd whooping and hollering, and not just when they all got nekkid.
Part of the Sydney Fringe Festival, Godz is running until 1 October ($43–$45/person) in The Vault, a white dome-like structure on the edge of the Sydney Spiegeltent in The Entertainment Quarter. I accidentally called it The Dome, which prompted a series of Inquisition flashbacks. This show lived up to quite a few of them. It’s so good, it’ll make you forget you are perched—heart in your mouth—on very uncomfortable seats.
