La Ronde: Saucy, Sequined, and Sizzling Hot. By Viola Ember
La Ronde is Strut and Fret’s latest spectacle to grace the Auckland Arts Festival - and packs a 90-minute punch (incl. interval).
The accordion of an old French cabaret song teases us into the glittering sphere of the Spiegeltent, its mirrored walls not dissimilar to the giant disco ball at the centre of the room. It has all the trappings of a classic cabaret - though what follows is anything but.
It’s astounding what the show delivers with a cast of only 7 - which is testament to the multitalented performers - some of whom make several appearances throughout the night.
Accompanied by a fast-paced soundtrack of party anthems (Stay’n Alive, I’m Sexy and I Know It, I’m Coming Out) and a dazzling light show with every act (Harry O’Meara) this show is saucy, sequined and sizzling hot. I particularly admired the use of lighting and sound to maximise the climax of each performance.
Set intimately in the round, La Ronde opens with an ensemble number masterfully sung by Geniris, throughout which we get glimpses into the alluring characters that will play host throughout the evening.
The booming invisible voice of an MC welcomes us to the show, but there’s not much ‘warm up’ time for the audience to settle - and the first act abruptly begins. Maybe this is why I initially felt more like a tourist in this world of spectacle, rather than a guest invited to join it.
This feeling shifts with the arrival of Nate Cooper, whose tap-dancing roller-skating cross-dressing clown (yes, you read that right!) easily disarms even the most reserved gentleman in the crowd - and soon we're primed for a Michelin star tasting menu of circus-cabaret.
And boy what a menu!
Serving raunchy, sassy, X-rated humour is Adam Malone, whose crowd-work is as admirable as the stilettoed hula hooping and aerial acts that follow. In a similar vein Felipe Rayes (hand balance, mouth hanging) is cheeky and charming, a true entertainer whose second performance is quite literally the hottest act of the night.
Keeping the crowd on the edge of their seats, Zoe Marshall’s hair hanging has her gliding over the front row of chairs while Maria Moncheva’s expert manipulation of aerial chains brings a delicious darkness and danger to the cabaret.
For the grand finale, the audience instantly falls in love with international sensation Svyatoslav Rasshivkin - a young aerialist who has the dreamy wonder-boy act down perfectly. Be warned - he’ll flick you a smouldering smile before effortlessly pulling off his death-defying stunts.
The night finishes with a final iconic song by Geniris atop the disco ball and a quick bows sequence leaves you hungry for more.
As a regular enjoyer of cabaret and circus - I can honestly say the individual acts themselves were fantastic. The overall structure of the show however did feel a little elusive. Transitions between major acts felt abrupt, and the pace of the show would lull as different backing tracks were faded in and out.
Still, as I looked around the room after that final applause, it was clear La Ronde had worked its magic. Laughing, animated, excited, curious - the audience that left the Spiegeltent was fizzing with the kind of je ne sais quoi only a truly spectacular show could have delivered.
And while La Ronde may not follow a tidy structure, perhaps that’s the point. Like the mirrored theatre it inhabits, it is a glittering collage of personalities, characters, bodies and music - and you’d be a fool to miss it.
Auckland Arts Festival performances of La Ronde are every Tuesday - Sunday, 5th - 22nd March at the Spiegeltent, Aotea Square.
About Viola Ember
Viola is a sponge. Rarely far from a theatre seat, she sees on average, one show a week, which fuels her discovery of a multi-faceted world and the many ways creativity can be explored. A 2025 graduate of The Actors’ Program, she recently pivoted from producing immersive visual art events (and writing the marketing copy to match) to acting. Since then, she’s been fully immersed in theatre life — performing in community productions, auditioning for screen, writing her own work, and showing up to any workshop that promises acting, devising, or movement. Currently in a happily exploratory stage, she’s soaking up as much as she can — both onstage and off.
