Velvet – Fringe Show
The Garden of Unearthly Delights
February 12th – March 13th 2016

A dark stage, disco lights and like a time warp taking you to a 70s, “Saturday Night Fever” inspired Disco Delirium; Velvet made you want to get up and “Shake Your Groove Thing”.

Velvet transmitted Studio 54 in its glory days, with the legendary Queen of Pop, Marcia Hines and Brendan Maclean, (from the Baz Luhrmann adaptation of “The Great Gatsby”)at the helm.

The ensemble worked together with their own unique, individual skills to bring you a cross between a 70s Discotheque and a modernised Daft Punk simulated dance party that incorporated disco dancing, soulful singing divas, acrobatics and “The Incredible Hula Boy” (Craig Reid) to provide the comical component of the evening with a slapstick hula hoop routine.

From the moment Hines enters the stage, her silhouette illuminated by the backdrop of wall to wall flashing lights, which emulate a disco mirror ball it is evident who the Queen of disco is.

Maclean’s hauntingly beautiful acoustic breakdown of “Staying Alive” further reiterated the versatility of the show and its performers.

The female backing vocalists, Rechelle Mansour and Chaska Halliday showcased their powerful vocals, ‘Beyonce hair flicks’ and “Bootylicious” booty shaking ability that exuded soul and class.

The DJ (Joe Accaria) was what Mark Ronson is to Bruno Mars, (like a hype-man) provided the groove and rhythmic percussion solos which transported the audience to a Brazilian Carnival.

Director of Velvet, Craig Llott has put together a fantastic cast that emanate all things disco, leaving you with an incurable dance-provoking sickness…..the ability to boogie.

Words by Jaymi Humpreys