Infamous: Adelaide Fringe 2025 Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 5 Stars for an electrifying (adults-only) fusion of circus, cabaret and burlesque
Review by Carla Caruso
Okay, this is not a circus you’d take the kids to. But it is a rollicking good time for a date night or mums’ night out!
Infamous is an adults-only, cabaret cirque show from Australia’s Ashton family dynasty, which has a 175-year circus legacy. Find it at Ellis Park/Tampawardli.
The show’s an intriguing blend of death-defying stunts, cheeky humour, and seductive performances – with a thumping soundtrack. If the gasp-worthy acts don’t get your heart going, the music will, from Eminem to Leonard Cohen (with some ditties performed by a singer live onstage).
The show kicked into high gear from the opening act, with performers testing their balancing skills on a double-headed, rotating contraption, known as the Wheel of Death.
With fast paced and non-stop action both inside and on top of the moving wheels, they thrilled with incredible tricks – sometimes even while blindfolded … all without a safety net! My hands were sweating throughout the entire performance!
Other acts had a side of sauciness. Two women, in barely-there, nude-coloured costumes, performed a ‘love dance’ on aerial silks to Paloma Faith’s Never Tear Us Apart. These are obviously seasoned artists as they showed spectacular skills in the air, making their fluid motions look so effortless. This was mesmerising to watch.
Meanwhile, the show’s male tightrope walker began his act fully clothed but got down to gold hot-pants à la Kylie Minogue by the end.
There was also some sultry shadowy puppetry to Silk’s Freak Me, plus female audience members were pulled onstage for a performance, which started out imitating Magic Mike but ended up more like Eyes Wide Shut. G-strings and nipple pasties were de rigueur throughout the show too.
In between the big numbers, there were dance troupe performances, including a chair dance to Sam Sparro’s Black and Gold, and comic relief from a clown and Marilyn Monroe imitator.
There was never a dull moment. A clever take on Miley Cyrus’s Wrecking Ball had us in stitches – you need to go see it to get the idea.
The two-hour show is broken up with a 15-minute intermission.
The final act was the flying trapeze, which had us on the edge of our seats. At our show, for the pièce de résistance, trapezist Rikki Ashton attempted an insane quadruple twist and was meant to be caught by his cousin swinging upside down nearby.
Instead, Rikki wound up falling onto the safety net. While he didn’t manage to successfully pull off the trick entirely, it was a good lesson in ‘getting back on the horse’, even when you fall from a massive height.
The misstep didn’t in any way take away from the entire high-energy performance. If anything, it made the super-talented performers seem a titch more human. The crowd was enthusiastic in encouragement which made for a fun time.
If you really want to make a night of it at Infamous, you can also upgrade to a premium experience, which includes VIP tables for two, a dessert platter, and sparkling wine.
Buckle up ringside for a wild ride, which breaks all the rules and brings an atmosphere charged with excitement. Infamous is not for the faint of heart!
Parking: The organisers recommend attendees arrive early. The closest parking is at Adelaide High School (we found plenty of parking there) and on Sir Donald Bradman Drive and Grote Street.
Main image thanks to Infamous. All other photos by reviewer Carla Caruso for Play & Go.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO & TICKETS
For more information, please visit the Adelaide Fringe website.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post. The Play & Go team review via media accreditation and when kindly invited.
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