Vintage vaudeville that’s mixed with a new era of sexual empowerment turns a regular Friday night crowd into a flirty one, whatever your attraction or desires.

As we clamber to our seats, ringmaster Paul Westbrook instructs us to remain seated for our own safety. We were advised Blush would be intimate, and indeed it is: witness the performers’ sweat dripping down like raindrops on the audience.

Act One consists of awe-inspiring vignettes of circus mastery. From the lofty heights of aerial acrobatics to the dirty depths of fill-in comedy, it’s a roller coaster of wonder. With fire eating to opera singing and silk dancing in the mix, surely there’s an act for everyone.

This production has no smoke and mirrors; its design elements are stripped back in order to better showcase the performers’ talent. Blush operates as a traditional vaudeville-style circus, with a series of separate acts linked together, shaken up and garnished with a modern twist of lights and sound. Music jumps from Jessie J, Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj’s ‘Bang Bang’ to Handel’s ‘Ah, mio cor!’ sung by the formidable Christine Ibrahim.

Performers move through the air as gracefully as birds in flight. Their sexy costumes reveal not just bare skin, but the athleticism in terms of the toned and sculptured bodies required to execute the marvels on stage. … link to full length article at the Arts Hub.