Lash Out: All-Female Circus Thrills With Raunchy, High-Flying Feats

The circus is in town and it’s never looked better: if chains, whips, and unforgettable feats excite you, these are your monkeys and Lash Out is your show.

Making its Australian debut at Sydney Fringe Festival, this all-female circus-cabaret from the internationally acclaimed Head First Acrobats doesn’t politely ask for your attention; it seizes it with aerials, burlesque, fire breathing and Burlesque Hall of Famer Memphis Mae as the hilariously inappropriate MC.

Lash Out is raunchy fun at every turn. The spectacle that lets you forget safe, sanitised programming and revel in the glory of talented, hilarious, awe-inspiring women. Thanks to Mae’s sharp tongue, cheeky emceeing, and shockingly fun balloon gags, the show moves seamlessly from acrobatics to fire.

A modern ringmaster and the beating heart of the show, Mae smoothly shepherds the audience from act to act. She keeps sides aching with laughter whether she’s sneaking into another routine or roasting the crowd. With perfect timing and a refusal to take herself too seriously (I mean it’s a circus, after all), she keeps the energy buoyant and the room in the palm of her hand.

But this isn’t just comedy. From Head First Acrobats, Jessica Robbins embodies inhuman strength and improbable grace, twisting seamlessly between double links of steel in a breathtaking aerial ‘rope’ routine.

If Robbins is the picture of grace, burlesque star Jacqueline Fury is controlled chaos incarnate. A fire-breathing bombshell with a wicked smile, she had the audience hooting with a whip-cracking sketch that saw rose buds sliced off inches from volunteer, equal parts hilarious and nail-biting.

Then, in a sultry second act that left the house gasping, she literally set herself on fire, owning every second.

Kim Wainer followed with jaw-clenching balancing and flawless handstands on wooden stilts before moving to a captivating sequence on a suspended Chinese pole. These acts are just a few examples of the many displays brimming with danger, sensuality and comic timing, that keep your eyes glued to the stage.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by 𝘑𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢 𝘙𝘰𝘣𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘴 (@jess_circus_)

The jaw-dropping acts also leave you questioning the limits of the human body at every turn, paired with tongue-in-cheek humour for pure fun, a sturdy helping of danger, and undeniable sass.

High-octane, packed with everything from dance to high-impact acrobatics, Lash Out is sensory overload at its best with thumping pop anthems and flashing lights

And while the Vault provides great front-row views, much of the floor work is obscured from other seats, making the ring-side experience up the best.

Still, the raw power of women and athleticism is undeniable and runs through every act. In a world that often relegates women to decoration, Lash Out puts them front and centre on their own terms, flaunting skill, strength and sexual liberation.

While it’s an 18+ show, it’s far more than raunchy humour and daring stunts. It’s a celebration of female talent, wit, and unapologetic attitude. Lash Out is a wickedly fun spectacle and statement.

Bold, bawdy, and brimming with talent it’s a circus for everyone (though maybe leave your more prudish friends home). In the current climate, Lash Out is a riotous Fringe highlight and empowering antidote that will leave you exhilarated and utterly entertained.

Lash Out runs till 12 October at The Vault (Entertainment Quarter) in Moore Park. For more info, visit Sydney Fringe Festival.