DUCKPOND [AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL] (2026)

The world’s most romantic ballet is reimagined as a circus spectacular, bursting with Circa’s signature physicality, cheeky humour and infectious energy.

Duck Pond does not ease you in. It grabs you by the hand like an overexcited friend and drags you straight into a world where fairy tales have been cracked open, shaken around, and rebuilt with circus bodies, glitter, and a wicked sense of humour. The whole thing feels alive in a way that is hard to fake. There is a youthful spark running through every moment, the kind of energy that makes you lean forward without realising you have done it. You can feel the performers enjoying themselves, and that joy becomes contagious.

The story is a playful mash of The Ugly Duckling and Swan Lake, but it never pretends to be a faithful retelling. Instead, it treats the narrative like a trampoline. A prince wanders around in a crown that looks like it came from a fast-food birthday party. A cupid in a black and white tutu flits around stirring trouble. The ugly duckling glows with hints of gold as she tries to figure out who she is. The black swan struts in with burlesque confidence, all smirks and red stilettos. The plot is simple enough to follow, especially with the synopsis handed out beforehand, but the show is not really about the story. It is about the feeling of watching these characters collide, flirt, fight, and eventually find something that looks like freedom.

The acrobatics are where the show becomes breathtaking. Human towers rise with a steadiness that seems impossible. You watch the porters at the base, muscles locked, faces calm, and you realise how much trust is being exchanged in every second. Flyers arc through the air with a grace that feels almost reckless. When two towers stand side by side, four bodies high, the audience goes silent in that instinctive way that happens when everyone is holding their breath at once. The balancing acts are equally mesmerising. One arm handstands, bodies stacked in improbable shapes, toes hooked onto hips and shoulders. It is the kind of skill that makes you forget to blink.

What makes these feats land so powerfully is the performers’ attitude. They are not solemn about their abilities. They grin at each other. They tease. They celebrate tiny victories mid‑routine. The athleticism is extraordinary, but the humanity is what makes it beautiful. You feel like you are watching a group of people who genuinely love what they do, and that warmth radiates outward.

The aerial sequences add another layer of magic. Silks unfurl like waterfalls. Ropes twist and spiral. Rings spin with a hypnotic rhythm. Each aerial moment feels like a breath being held in midair. The choreography moves between intimate duets and full ensemble patterns with quick, playful shifts. There is a looseness to the movement that keeps everything feeling spontaneous, even though the precision is razor sharp.

Humour is everywhere. The duck army is a highlight, waddling in with yellow flippers and oversized clown trousers to comfort the heartbroken duckling. Their mop routine is pure slapstick, and the audience laughs with the kind of delight that comes from being genuinely surprised. The cupid character darts around causing chaos. Even the more provocative moments, like the black swan stepping over a nearly naked performer in her red heels, are delivered with such cheek that they land as bold comic punctuation rather than tonal shocks. The show revels in contrast. Sweetness sits next to absurdity. Innocence brushes up against flirtation. Elegance shares the stage with silliness.

The design elements support this playful spirit. Costumes lean into black and white, with glittering unitards, tiny tutus, and flashes of gold. The ducklings’ yellow outfits pop against the pale strips of fabric hanging around the stage. The set is simple, almost bare, which gives the performers room to fill the space with their bodies and personalities. The soundtrack blends shards of Tchaikovsky with looping, suspenseful arrangements that stretch out the feeling of suspension. The music becomes a kind of invisible partner, nudging the action forward.

The choreography is full of clever details. Group sequences ripple across the stage with fast paced shifts in formation. Duets melt into trios, which then expand into full ensemble moments. Swan motifs appear in subtle gestures, in the curve of a neck or the sweep of an arm. The movement language blends circus technique with dance inspired phrasing, creating a hybrid style that feels fresh and playful.

Late in the show, the tone shifts. The performers begin stripping the stage bare. They roll up the floor, remove costumes, and dismantle the set in full view of the audience. The Swan Lake storyline has already resolved, so what follows feels like a series of bonus acts. A hoop routine. A Cyr wheel sequence. A few other tricks that feel like they belong to a different show. The shift is abrupt, but the performers’ charm carries it. Even when the cohesion wobbles, the entertainment never falters. The audience stays with them, buoyed by the cast’s enthusiasm.

What lingers after the show is not just the skill, although the skill is extraordinary. It is the feeling of being invited into a world where playfulness is taken seriously. Where strength and silliness coexist. Where a fairy tale can be retold with feathers, glitter, and human towers. Circa’s performers are astonishing athletes, but they never hide behind technique. They let the audience see the camaraderie, the trust, the shared mischief. The result is a production that feels warm, generous, and full of life.

Duck Pond is breathtaking in places, wildly creative throughout, and above all, infused with a youthful spirit that makes the whole experience feel fresh. It is a reminder that circus can be both technically brilliant and irresistibly fun. The performers soar, tumble, flirt, and laugh their way through a world that feels familiar and entirely new at the same time. You leave the theatre buzzing, feathers still floating somewhere in your imagination.

Performances of Duck Pond run from March 12-15 at Auckland's Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre. For show information & tickets head to Auckland Arts Festival

Review written by Alex Moulton

HAUS OF YOLO (2025)

Join renowned fashion label HAUS of YOLO for a cabaret where designer Welt Couture creates their ‘Hastings’ collection live on stage, blending circus, acrobatics, and comedy in a fast-paced, fun-filled fashion fantasy. Presented by The Dust Palace.

What do you get when you mix live sewing, gravity-defying circus acts, and a heavy dose of cheeky fun? The answer is HAUS of YOLO – a dazzlingly chaotic fashion-meets-acrobatics party from Aotearoa’s own circus-theatre masterminds, The Dust Palace.

Performing at their new home in the Ellerslie Arts Centre, HAUS of YOLO throws out the runway rulebook and invites audiences into the fictional, fabulously dysfunctional fashion house of designer Welt Couture – a character shared between all four performers. On paper, it's about a fast-paced fashion label racing to complete a new collection. In reality, it’s a fever dream of fabulous fabric, frantic sewing, and flesh.

Let’s be clear: this is not high fashion – it’s high energy. The kind of show where a sequinned jacket becomes the holy grail of identity, where garments are stitched in real time as pop anthems blare, and where acrobatics happen not just in costumes, but often because of them.

For 75 glorious minutes, the stage becomes a multi-level playground where pasties and performance art collide. It’s part party, part cabaret, and entirely unhinged in the best possible way. Whether dangling from silks, balancing on chairs, or threading fabric under pressure, the performers show off more than just physical skill – they exhibit sharp comic timing, razor-fast reactions, and a knack for keeping a deliberately shambolic storyline buzzing with purpose.

Each act begins with a challenge: a single song’s length to create a fashion piece live on stage, while also participating in acrobatic feats and group choreography. Some outfits come out surprisingly sleek; others are trainwrecks – but that’s the point. It's a bold send-up of ‘fast fashion’ culture, where speed trumps quality and spectacle wins over substance.

But don’t expect a lecture. This show isn’t here to moralise – it’s here to party. With music that swerves wildly from Lady Gaga to Die Antwoord, and fashion pieces ranging from asymmetrical glam to glorious mankinis, the atmosphere is electric. Each tune fuels the next round of chaos, while fabric flies, needles hum, and half-dressed performers strut like runway gods.

The energy is frenetic and chaotic, but never messy. Every sequence, no matter how wild, is polished in its performance. The technical prowess is undeniable – rope routines, aerial tricks, balancing acts, hoop work, even a bit of glass walking – all delivered with a smirk and a sparkle.

At the centre of this mayhem is the transformation sequence. Each performer slips into the character of Welt Couture by donning a distinctive green sequinned jacket – think of it as the crown in a very queer kingdom. Once worn, they switch from near-nude acrobatic eye candy to manic designer, frantically stitching up the next look.

Watching the jacket change hands is almost a dance in itself – a well-choreographed moment of ceremony that signals the next round of creation. The show toys with the idea of identity and control, turning each performer into both puppet and puppeteer, model and maker, fashion victim and fashion overlord. And while the concept may feel light, it’s smartly used. This simple narrative device allows the cast to move in and out of roles seamlessly, keeping things dynamic and unpredictable.

If you're coming for a deep plot – don’t. HAUS of YOLO knows exactly what it is: a raunchy, rowdy ride through the absurd. It feels more like a high school theatre production after four espresso martinis than a traditional play. That’s not a dig – that’s the charm.

The show proudly flaunts its R18 rating. Expect nudity (of the tastefully hilarious kind), sexual innuendo, BDSM jokes, and props used in ways your nan wouldn’t approve of. From whip-cracks to pelvic thrusts, there’s no shortage of saucy gags. It’s joyfully risqué without ever tipping into crude – just enough to raise eyebrows and lower inhibitions.

The costuming – such as it is – is as much part of the gag as the performance. Some pieces are genuinely clever, others gloriously hideous. But whether it’s a well-fitted corset or a lopsided tunic falling off mid-hoop spin, it all adds to the delight. Nothing is sacred, everything is fabulous.

The physical layout of the Ellerslie venue adds to the immersive fun. The runway stretches down from the stage into the audience, which means there’s no hiding from the action. Performers spin and flip just metres from the crowd, sometimes right above them. The proximity heightens the thrill – and the risk. There’s an exhilarating unpredictability. At any moment, you might be splashed with sequins, winked at mid-act, or become the focus of a cheeky joke. It’s a show that doesn’t just break the fourth wall – it rips it down and reuses it as a costume.

Despite its irreverence, HAUS of YOLO is a technically impressive work. It showcases the full range of The Dust Palace’s circus skills, from strength-based balance work to silky aerial grace. Every lift, hold and twist is delivered with precision, often while one hand holds a needle or a hem.

HAUS of YOLO isn’t here to make a statement – though it could if it wanted to. It’s here to let loose. To remind you that art can be silly, sexy, spontaneous. That a night out at the circus can leave you hoarse from laughing and gasping in equal measure.

This show is not for everyone – and that’s exactly the point. It’s proudly queer, cheekily crass, and joyously over-the-top. It’s theatre that lets its sequins show and isn’t afraid to trip on its own train. It’s not about being perfect – it’s about being fabulous.

So grab your besties, dress a little outrageous, and prepare for a night of camp couture chaos. HAUS of YOLO is not just a show – it’s a whole vibe. Because in this house, darling, you only live once – and hopefully in a mankini.

HAUS of YOLO runs from 15 - 18 May 2025 at Ellerslie Arts

Tickets can be purchased here

SMASHED - THE NIGHTCAP [TE AHUREI TOI O TĀMAKI AUCKLAND ARTS FESTIVAL 2025]

Get ready for a wild night as Australia's hottest cabaret troupe brings a fast, frisky, and fiercely entertaining Spiegeltent season. Led by the sensational Victoria Falconer, this late-summer spectacle blends drag, burlesque, aerial artistry, and live rock ‘n’ roll for an unforgettable, anything-goes variety show.

If you’re in the mood for a night of unrestrained entertainment, SMASHED – The Nightcap is the show you’ve been waiting for. This late-night spectacle blends circus, cabaret, and live music into an intoxicating mix of high-energy performances, cheeky humour, and dazzling talent. Hosted by the effervescent Victoria Falconer, the show is a non-stop parade of drag, burlesque, acrobatics, and music that refuses to let the audience sit still.

Performing in a stunning Spiegeltent, a mirrored tent that adds a nostalgic touch to the atmosphere, the show feels like a throwback to old-school cabaret with a modern, unapologetic edge. The venue, set up in Aotea Square for the duration of the festival, provides the perfect intimate setting—warm, a little gritty, and designed to let audiences let their hair down and get involved.

From the moment Falconer takes the stage, it’s clear that she isn’t just a host—she’s the heartbeat of the show. A charismatic performer, she keeps the energy high with witty banter, playful teasing, and an array of musical talents, effortlessly switching between violin, accordion, and keyboard. She knows exactly how to warm up the crowd, weaving through the audience with flirtatious charm and well-placed sass, making sure that no one feels like a passive observer.

As each act takes the stage, the show builds into a kaleidoscope of talent. Tynga Williams, making her international cirque debut, is a commanding presence with her fluid movements and magnetic stage charisma. Elektra Shock, a standout drag performer, injects high energy into the night, at one point leading a hilariously over-the-top Britney Spears-inspired aerobics routine. Karlee Misi turns up the heat with a provocative burlesque performance, exuding confidence and playfulness in equal measure.

One of the night’s most mesmerising moments comes from Eva, whose aerial rope performance—set against a backdrop of simulated rain—is nothing short of breathtaking. The combination of strength, elegance, and sheer theatricality makes it a highlight of the night. Meanwhile, Malia Walsh delivers two show-stopping moments: first with a wildly energetic hula hoop routine involving an audience member and a pile of marshmallows, then later with a fire performance set to Burning Down the House—a perfect blend of danger and spectacle.

The show thrives on audience participation, ensuring that everyone is part of the fun. Falconer is an expert at drawing people in, coaxing volunteers on stage, playfully poking fun, and encouraging the crowd to sing, dance, and cheer along. Even those hesitant to engage at first find themselves caught up in the contagious energy of the night.

A particularly fun and unexpected moment comes in the form of a musical pub quiz, led by a local kiwi act. This clever addition allows the audience to play along, adding a sense of unpredictability to the night’s lineup.

But beyond the impressive stunts, seductive burlesque, and powerhouse vocals, SMASHED – The Nightcap is about celebration—of self-expression, diversity, potential and the joy of live performance. It’s a menagerie of queer artistry, filled with bold, unapologetic performances that flood the senses. With the live band delivering a rock ‘n’ roll edge to the evening, the atmosphere remains electric from start to finish.

What makes the show truly special is its ability to appeal to a wide audience. Whether you’re a cabaret aficionado or a newcomer to the world of circus-style variety shows, there is something here for everyone. The carefully curated lineup ensures that no two acts feel the same, providing a rich tapestry of entertainment that keeps audiences engaged.

By the time the night draws to a close, the crowd is buzzing—cheering, clapping, and some even dancing in their seats. SMASHED – The Nightcap isn’t just a performance; it’s an experience. It’s immersive, audacious, and impossible to resist. If you’re looking for a show that will lift your spirits, get your heart racing, and leave you grinning long after the final bow, this is the ticket you need.

In terms of seating, the booths are comfortable, but the supports for the Spiegeltent can obscure the stage, so we definitely recommend picking GA and getting in early to pick the best seats.

Verdict: A wildly entertaining, intoxicating night out. Don’t miss it.

SMASHED - The Nightcap runs from 11-23 March, 2025

Venue: Spiegeltent, Aotea Centre

Duration: 1 hour 15 mins, no interval

Tickets can be purchased here