Cirque de Sabotage is deliciously unrefined in its marrying of comedy duo Bates and Emerson with ringmaster Catriona Knox to create a cleverly kooky spectacular.

With a terrifying energy, Catriona Knox acts as compere introducing sketches, and puts the girls through various circus-style tasks among more traditional scenes.

These flashes of carnival inject pace and expectation intermittently,

while excusing the colourful and lurid costumes worn by Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson.

The material of Cirque de Sabotage is varied in style and humour, from the Tudor dating agency for Henry VIII, to biblical parody and modern satire. Jokes come in the form of bubbling wordplay and in Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson's quaintly absurd interpretation of familiar themes. For instance, their three wise men arriving in Bethlehem with gold, frankincense and mustard is inspired, and the gay ending of Harry Potter dazzles - JK Rowling is confounded that no-one saw it coming, despite the fact 'they were always getting their wands out!'

Although the phoney circus sections of the show wilt in comparison to the sketches, there is a certain joy in never knowing where the performers will be coming from next.

There are moments of terrific audience interation as the performers chat up and sell things to people and Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson are comfortable acting both in and out of character.

Many of the finest scenes are memorable for their softly barbed execution as well as the material.

Under the direction of Gemma Arrowsmith, dialogue is snappy and well-timed, with jokes never over-exploited. Saying this, some of the sketches should have been shorter, as several ran way past their punch line.

The circus formula allows Cirque de Sabotage to have a bawdy and energetic freak-show ending.

The absurd aspect disintegrates into hysteria as the freaks came thick and fast ('donkey for an eye' is followed by 'mugs for hands') - creating a graphic and satisfying finale.

Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson are an amiable and attractive double act, serving up a show with mirth and mystery in equal portions.

Cast Credits: (alpha order): Lizzie Bates. Anna Emerson. Catriona Knox.

Company Credits: Director - Gemma Arrowsmith. Sound/Lighting - Underbelly staff. Producers - Lizzie Bates and Anna Emerson.

END

(c) Sara Pascoe 2007

Reviewed August 07 / Underbelly

Subeditor - Bo Wilson

Fringe Report (c) Fringe Report 2002-2012

www.fringereport.com