Melbourne Reviews

Velvet Rewired is disco with a circus twist. Or circus with a disco soundtrack. Any way you describe it, it’s heaps of fun, with nostalgic hit after hit and sprays of multi-coloured lighting, disco balls and all the expected bells and whistles (design by Matt Marshall) turning the relatively staid environs of the Athenaeum Theatre into a nightclub vibe. 

Velvet Rewired has been evolving since 2015, continually re-inventing with different acts, design and venues through the years. It hasn't yet lasted as long as disco, but who knows... Melbourne is part of an extended national tour. 

Sadly, Saturday night’s performance was without lead dancer Marc “Full Out” Royale (due to illness), but the nine-strong cast still filled the stage with all the exuberance and joy requisite for a 75-minute show devoted purely to disco.  

Musical director and DJ Joe Accaria is the ringmaster of sorts. From a mezzanine in the gods of the stage, surrounded by brightly blinking neon circles of light, he’s a non-stop presence in this Boogie Wonderland. From warming up the audience to keeping them dancing after the final bows, he threads his supportive magic through every act and supplies the most direct connection to the crowd.   

Over the years, Marcia Hines has been the main drawcard to Velvet Rewired. As “The Diva” she makes cool and collected cameo appearances in key numbers, rocking some amazing sparkly jumpsuits and a bellowing white frock. But it’s The Sirens – Jacinta Guilsano and Sasha Lee Saunders – who shimmy-shake with abandon, going hell for leather in nearly every number, in shiny mini dresses and heels, never letting up with high-voltage physicality. Tom Sharah – the lead male – is an equally big presence, with strong vocals and a classic stage presence.  

The circus sits alongside the music, peppering the numbers with visual dazzle like Harley Timmermans and Danny Golding’s super sensual doubles aerial work in It’s Raining Man. As soloists, on straps and lyra respectively, their individual acts are superbly fluid and virtuosic.  

Acrobatic roller skaters Sven and Jan are a total wild card act that you definitely would not try at home– you have to see it to believe it. 

“Born to Be Alive,” “Turn the Beat Around,” “No More Tears (Enough is Enough)”… the hits keep flowing, lag-free, at the hands of director Craig Illott and choreographer Amy Campbell. It took until the finale to get most of the subdued crowd to its feet – even the most stoic couldn't resist the infectious joy by the end.

Testament to both the everlasting potency of disco and the calibre of Hines and the crew.