John-Paul Zaccarini, Throat

Review in Issue 11-2 | Summer 1999

‘I am nothing but spectacle,’ Zaccarini announces toward the end of one of the most exhilarating and quixotic shows I've seen in a long time. And this multi-talented actor, aerialist, singer and all-round entertainer certainly gives it all he's got – posturing and preening like a peacock as he runs through his routines, seducing his audience with a charm that's a little bit louche, a tad neurotic, occasionally vulnerable, but consistently sexy (in a knowing sort of way).

Throat is all about the nature of performance and the impulses that drive the performer to the need for attention, the desire to be loved, the simple pleasure of showing off. Zaccarini plays with his audience – courting attention and then withdrawing – pulling out all the stops to prove just how good he can be. There's a crowd-pleasing comedy routine to begin, followed by a song and dance routine and some spectacular displays of aerial skill. Zaccarini is already well-known for his rope acts, and it is the corde lisse and strop routines that really provide the backbone to the show. In one spectacular, yet simple, sequence, Zaccarini performs on the corde lisse whilst a cloud of flourbillows around him. Later, a similar effect is achieved with a rope that's drenched in water, which cascades to the stage as he performs an aerial routine.

Throat has been superbly directed by Flick Ferdinando, who expertly demonstrates her keen eye for theatrical effect. Together Ferdinando and Zaccarini give an enticing glimpse of the potential of what can be achieved when circus and theatre arts are imaginatively combined.

Artforms
Presenting Artists
Presenting Venue
Date Seen
  1. Apr 1999

This article in the magazine

Issue 11-2
p. 22