There’s an elephant in the room when it comes to a particular sub-genre of modern circus and it’s called the male gaze. So many of today’s circus/cabaret hybrids lean into gender norms: the women do the set-ups with a little bump-and-grind nod-and-wink filler, maybe with a bit of hooping here and there, and are then criminally sidelined when the boys (or the pairs) get on with the really thrilling stuff.   

So get ready for a breath of fresh air with La Ronde, a new circus show that puts those gender stereotypes in its crosshairs and does not miss. From the moment Polina Karvovskaya takes to the stage to hang from her hair in a jaw-dropping aerial display, the cast pull off a combination of skills, jeopardy and comedy (with more than a dash of sex appeal) to keep the audience on the edge of their seat. Rather than a traditional MC, vocalist Gigi McFarlane holds everything together through song and there are plenty of laughs: Sam Goodburn’s unicycle reverse-strip, biscuit-juggling and completely adorable audience participation almost steals the show, and that’s pretty hard with skills like this on display. Felipe Reyes’ mouth-hanging, Adam Malone’s hooping and heeling and Diana Bondarenko’s stunning triangular trapeze routine are all on point, with a mirror ball finale that’s as magical as anything you’ll see anywhere. It’s early days in Adelaide and, as always, there’s brilliant circus programmed over the next four weeks, but this world premiere sets the bar high. 

La Ronde, The Garden Of Unearthly Delights, until Sunday 23 March, 8.45pm.