Under a kaleidoscope of colour and light, Cirque Bon Bon bursts onto the stage like champagne. Effervescent, cheeky, and impossible to look away from.

As part of the Reimagine Festival, this energetic international production turns circus into couture, blending high-end acrobatics with a wink of cabaret, a dollop of comedy and a splash of burlesque.

Led by the charming and cheeky Mario, Queen of the Circus, Cirque Bon Bon is a collision of high-skill acrobatics, cabaret flair, and nightclub attitude that is slick, polished and often astonishing.

The Brisbane-based company delivers physical artistry that will blow your mind. The aerial and balance acts in particular are breathtaking. We gasp as bodies twist, lift, and catch mid-air with a precision that leaves no room for error. There’s an undeniable thrill in watching performers push the limits of strength and grace, and even their own bodies.

World record holding contortionist Shannen Michaela pulls the audience into a swirl of both awe and disbelief. She seems to bend like a candy snake and have bones made of plasticine. It’s a thrilling cocktail to watch her toy with physics, and one can’t help but feel a mix of wonder, shock, magic, and also a touch of worry for her joints in old age.

The ensemble is equally enchanting, each performer radiating confidence and control. Throughout the 75-minute spectacle we are treated to a repertoire of breathtaking ballet, turbocharged tap, jaw-dropping juggling and even artistic skating.

Director Ash Jacks and choreographer Nate Cochrane have created a show that’s part spectacle, part tease. Think Cirque du Soleil after dark: all the skill, a touch more sass, and a wink to the grown-ups in the crowd.

The transitions between acts are fluid, the lighting is sharp and cinematic, and the soundtrack pulses with nightclub verve. Design-wise, it’s an impressive feast. The jewel-toned lighting is deliciously ambient, while sculptural costumes and attention to rhythm and silhouette keeps the eye engaged.

There’s real craftsmanship here, and there’s no denying the show’s appeal to the masses. It’s a confident, modern circus with pop sensibility and cheeky flair. But where Cirque Bon Bon shines brightest is in its quieter artistry, in the trust between partners mid-air, in the subtle humour of a contortionist’s grin, and in the moments where risk feels almost tender.

In a festival built on reimagining art and form, Cirque Bon Bon reminds us that spectacle and substance don’t have to be opposites. When they meet, it’s magic.

Cirque Bon Bon is on at the TSB Showplace until Sunday October 12, as part of TAFT’s Reimagine Festival. Tickets from reimaginefestival.co.nz

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