Under the big top at Festival Park’s the Vault, it’s easy to feel nostalgic for childhood trips to the circus where you sat in awe of soaring acrobats and aerialists.
However, once the action in Matador kicks off, it becomes clear that although there’s no shortage of performers hanging high, this spectacle is much spicier than your typical circus. Instead, we enter an alternate dimension where love (and sex) reign supreme and wearing red is pretty much compulsory.
The performance begins with strict instructions for the audience: the more we cheer, the better the show. As a talented performer soars sky-high, hanging from a platform equal parts cage and bed, the roar that erupts proves us all obedient listeners.
What follows is an ambitious mix of dance, circus and burlesque that’s as fiery as it is fast-paced. The cast (including Tayla Lemon in the titular role of the Matador) is at the top of their respective games, moving through raunchy and rueful moments with graceful ease and flair. The dancers are often expected to be able to traverse extremely diverse genres in today’s industry, but this cast takes that to the extreme. It’s not often you see choreography spanning commercial jazz, contemporary ballet, voguing, salsa, burlesque and (some admittedly slightly strained) pointe work. Yet somehow, it all comes together for a cohesive and ultimately seductive experience.
Matador – sabor de amor is the latest version of an acclaimed show written by Melbourne-based theatre maker Bass G Fam, who also directed the show alongside Josephine Magliolo. The Bass Fam Collective has toured previous iterations of Matador far and wide, including sold-out runs at Melba Spiegeltent and Sydney Opera House. This new edition feels up-to-date, from the song choices (A Nelly Furtado club remix, anyone?) to the impressive number of red-hot costumes.
‘Sabor de amor’ translates to ‘a taste of love’, and this thrilling show certainly fits the bill. Through a series of steamy vignettes, Matador muses on love, passion, heartbreak and friendship through a markedly inclusive lens. Performers couple together in all sorts of ways beyond hetero conventions, but if there’s a moral of this story, it’s one of self-love coming before the rest.
Matador will give you everything you want out of a Melbourne Fringe show: sexy shenanigans, subverted expectations and feats that give you a renewed appreciation for the capabilities of the human body. Don’t be surprised if you suddenly realise your jaw has been hanging open for quite some time. Your time under this big top will leave you feeling warm and fuzzy, and probably a few other things too.