Eclipse

Published Wednesday 15 August 2007 at 12:35 by Duska Radosavljevic

At the first glance, Adam Read’s high definition musculature, a smoke-filled stage and harnesses hanging off the ceiling usher in a promise of a mesmerising display and technical skill.

This expectation is enhanced by his career history featuring the likes of Cirque du Soleil and the sight of his body in a loin-cloth poised for some sort of an athletic masterclass. Those who have seen Derevo over the years will also recognise their legacy from the first few minutes in.

Even though it features a few masterfully executed and highly inspired routines leading to a poignant finale, Read’s offering as a whole unfortunately comes across as a catalogue of derivative and flimsily assembled ideas stretching on for a bit too long. The key make-it-or-break-it moment for me arrives when Read projects his abundantly lit butt into the auditorium. However meaningful the intent of this gesture might have been, it only serves to raise the question as to where the show is.