The Party, by Strut & Fret, The Spiegeltent, Newcastle. March 30
The weather was perfect, mostly warm with mischievous chill to the twilight air. Opening night at The Spiegletent in Civic Park, the sun went down and The Party started under an impressive vaudeville tent that pops up out of nowhere every autumn.
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This is not their first rodeo in Newcastle. The Melbourne-based travelling circus producers and theatre company Strut & Fret have seasonally graced our town for many years now, bringing their world class performers from across the world.
My second year at Spiegletent, this time I came champagned up with a fabulous plus-one, Beth Anastasiou, who was prepared to embrace the theme as much as physically possible while still having to work Friday. We hurried into the tent just after the show started, distracted in the neon party yard, photo ops and people we knew and the bar.
A happy man in G-string with a sparkling party hat on his crotch welcomed us and dressed himself. Beth and I giggled as he pulled audience members from the crowd to take off their clothes to create his own outfit.
"Do you think this is staged?" I whispered to Beth, but my worries were clearly ill founded as I then watched local identity Matt Field come on the stage and take off his pants.
"Nope, those are real Novocastrians taking their clothes off on stage, amazing!"
We realised that another audience member sitting close to the stage was Newcastle-based artist Rachel Milne, so it was clearly going to be a night of who's who, see and be seen.
Garments were an ongoing theme of the evening. We witnessed plenty of nudity, gimp suits, balloons on boobs and phallus tassels, but a few acts featured performers fully clad in animal-themed onesies, reminding us there's no wrong way to dressed for the party.
As was the case last year, I immediately fell in love with all the performers, but Swedish sweetheart and goofball Amanda Lindgren had me laughing the most with her hilarious facial expressions and dramatic simulations. I loved the way she gleefully threw pair after pair of panties from her tutu to the cheering audience.
We were strategically seated to watch the not-so-squeaky-clean shower scene, and also perfectly placed to watch with great appreciation the skilled and graceful pole dancer Jesse Harris. His strength and poise was stunning. He had us transfixed and squealing.
For my second year, Spiegletent has not disappointed. Compared to last year they've upped the toilet humour (there is actually a singing toilet) and increased the number of dildos, a few which were remarkably believable. The night might sound sleazy, but several friends were there on date nights or with their adult children and parents.
The Party is a perfect way to do something a little naughty with your mates, and everyone can still face each other at brunch the next morning. I'll be back again I'm sure.
