2011: Smoke and Mirrors by Craig Ilott and iOTA

Smoke and Mirrors by Craig Ilott and iOTA.  Directed by Craig Ilott for the Sydney Festival at The Famous Spiegeltent, January 6 – February 6, 2011

Reviewed by Frank McKone
January 19

This is the second time around for Smoke and Mirrors at the Sydney Festival.  It is definitely worth a return visit.  Refreshments served at the open-air bar from 5pm for a 9.30pm start, and queueing to get the best GA seats (be there by 8.45pm), ensures that the whole of Hyde Park buzzes with anticipation even while the band inside tunes up and rehearses.  It feels exactly like a Festival – just as it should. 

The mix of circus and song is held together in the story of a surreal dreamer – SS – whose fantasies of escape – running away to the circus – become smoke and mirrors, hiding reality as much as revealing, reflecting the mask that is ‘slipping from your face’.

The musicians, led by Tina Harris, are outstanding as composers and performers – not surprising when you see their training, qualifications and experience in theatre and film productions.  iOTA, playing SS, brings a certain Rocky Horror Show style to the character in his ringmaster role, but never in an imitative way.  Smoke and Mirrors is original work.  The tumbling, balancing and trapeze episodes are often surprising, even at times startling.

I think two women performers were the standouts of the night – Queenie van de Zandt as an ultimately sad seducer and Kali Retallack on the trapeze. 

By developing a character and using timing and mood, working closely with the band, Kali turned what otherwise might have seemed the usual kind of solo trapeze act into an expression of the show’s theme.  Her work was not fantasy – there was no safety net – but would we all imagine we would dare to emulate her skills?

Queenie’s final appearance, and especially the quality of her singing, was absolutely stunning.  Her last long note actually silenced the Spiegeltent briefly before a great outburst of spontaneous cheering and applause.

And yet, at the end of the night as we walked across a balmy Hyde Park, my wife and I recalled La Clique at the Sydney Festival in 2007.  It was more surreal, more original in concepts, the circus acts were more sophisticated, and Mikelangelo brought a greater ironic humour to the same basic idea – running away to the circus – than iOTA.  But of course it’s only critics like me that worry about such things.  Just enjoy!

If you haven’t got tickets yet, The Tix for Next to Nix booth is located at the bottom of Martin Place, near George Street.
When is it open?
January 9-30
Daily from 8am to 12 noon.
The booth will close early if tickets sell out before closing times.
www.sydneyfestival.org.au/2010/Plan-Your-Festival/Tix-for-Next-to-Nix/

© Frank McKone, Canberra