MELBOURNE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL
SOAP ★★★★
Malthouse Theatre
Until April 22
German circus phenomenon Soap is a supremely entertaining variety show themed around the humble bathtub.
It features breathtaking acrobatics, of course, but also dance and cabaret, clowning and burlesque, even a spot of opera.
Perhaps the show's iconic image is the aerial straps routine, performed over a tub with muscles glistening in stage rain.
But you barely have time to think "Ooh! Glistening pecs!" before some other wonder commands your attention.
Thematic tumbling and object manipulation (the towel-spinning is a delight), bathroom buffoonery, a soapy soprano, and a juggler cum strip artist are just some of the marvels that await.
It's contemporary circus that's guaranteed to show you something you've never seen before, and is rather beautifully directed into a whimsical bathroom fantasy. Anyone who craves spectacle this comedy festival should relax and step into Soap's sudsy wonderland.