Fringe World review: Dream State Entertainment, Fuego Carnal ·
Empyrean, The Ice Cream Factory, 25 January ·
Review by Jenny Scott ·
Celebrating the power of the flame, fire is alternately juggled, twirled, thrown, whip-cracked, breathed, grasped and swallowed (and more!) by the international performers of Fuego Carnal.
The stunts in this show seem to offer an extra level of flamboyance over regular sideshow acts – see Aerial Manx backflipping across the stage with a swallowed sword still in his throat, or Orissa Kelly performing sensational contortionist foot archery while her arrows are aflame.
Such hardcore feats are paired with the antics of the personable host Sophie McGrath, the fire-spewing bagpipes of Fremantle local The Badpiper, and some cheeky innuendo-filled cabaret (the success of which depends on the nature of the audience participant – introverts should think twice about sitting in the front row).
The truly nail-biting stunts of knife thrower Alfredo Silva are also not for the faint-hearted, with a distinct sense of relief felt in the Empyrean tent after everyone escaped intact from his increasingly elaborate weapons.
But rest assured, these daredevil acts are performed by seriously skilled professionals – Silva most recently appeared on America’s Got Talent, while Manx achieved the Guinness World Record for “Most backflips whilst swallowing a sword in under one minute” (20 backflips).
A recent winner of the 2019 FRINGE WORLD Circus Weekly Award, the classic circus thrills of Fuego Carnal will prompt you to gasp, clap your hands, and sometimes shield your eyes.
Fuego Carnal plays Empyrean at the Ice Cream Factory until February 17.
Pictured: The Badpiper and his fire-spewing bagpipes in “Fuego Carnal”.
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