La Ronde is one of the headline acts at the Garden of Unearthly Delights this year and I was fortunate enough to see it on opening night. Blending the exquisite with the utterly unexpected, it offers a whirlwind of jaw-dropping acts from across the globe. Featuring performers like aerial pole sensation Sergiy Mishchurenko from Ukraine, hair-hanging virtuoso Polina from Belarus, and trapeze master Diana Bondarenko – sultrily tied together by vocal sensation Gigi McFarlane, the show is packed with incredible feats of strength, skill, and gravity-defying artistry. The performances are a visual feast, and each act builds on the last with ever more mesmerising heights.
Felipe Reyes’ mouth-hanging aerial stunts will leave yours hanging open, and the trapeze work from Adam Malone is nothing short of spectacular. But it’s the comedic relief from Sam Goodburn - the daredevil from the UK - where the show really shines in terms of personality. His humour and participation-dependent acts inject a much-needed sense of playfulness that balances the more intense moments of the show.
If you’re a seasoned Fringe-goer and have seen previous headline shows like Velvet or even Blanc de Blanc, you might find that La Ronde lacks a certain cohesiveness. It doesn't have a central narrative or theme that progresses the performance, it’s more of a variety showcase. While each act is individually mesmerizing, by comparison, it might not feel quite as fulfilling. That said, if you’re looking for an electric atmosphere and truly breathtaking skills that defy the laws of physics, you’ll be more than pleased after its 90-minutes are up.
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