I knew I wasn’t in for a standard Christmas show the second I walked up to the Augathella Spiegeltent. It has that slightly worn-in charm that immediately tells you something odd or brilliant is about to happen. Even with that in mind, Cirque Du Sleigh still caught me off guard.
This is not a gentle, mulled-wine-and-snowflakes sort of night, and it’s certainly not for anyone who shies away from a low-cut top or anyone who thinks the Nativity should remain unbothered by innuendo.
This is Christmas after someone took four shots of tequila, shook the snow globe too hard, and all the tiny elves got dizzy and decided to take their clothes off. Frankly, it’s wonderful.
Before the carnage began, though, I had one of those moments where you sit back and go, “Damn, Wynnum has come a long way!” Because thanks to Tom Oliver, Wynnum is quietly turning into a real arts pocket. Not the kind where someone paints a laneway, and suddenly everyone pretends it’s the next West End. Actual arts. Shows. A tent. A whole vibe.
Oliver has managed to install a Spiegel tent like it’s the most normal thing in the world to plonk near the bay in an empty lot, and now it’s hosting circus, cabaret, drag and whatever unholy hybrid this Christmas beast was. He is genuinely reshaping the area, and I don’t think we are fully appreciating just how crazy that is.
Our MC for the evening (Mrs Claus, that is) was the incomparable Tash York, who wandered onstage looking like a festive fever dream you’d happily follow into disaster. With her seductive red lingerie poking out of her Christmas suit, York looked as though Santa had run off with one of his elves and had created an OnlyFans to fill her now empty present sack. She is one of those performers who could read the instructions from a box of tampons and still make it feel like an event.
And of course, with Trigger Happy alongside her, it felt a little like the chaos and ensuing lawsuits of Shreklesue followed us in. If those two ever get a cease-and-desist framed, it should be sold as art.
One of the fun quirks of Cirque Du Sleigh is its rotating guest lineup. Our opening night tickets gave us Memphis Mae and Diesel Darling, two performers who could not be more different if they tried, which honestly kept the pace from ever settling.
Mae’s balloon routine was utterly ridiculous in the best way. Oversized balloon boobs wobbling everywhere, followed by a balloon swallowing trick that had both my partner, Georgia, and me laughing so hard I’m pretty sure the people behind me questioned their life choices.
Darling, though, came at the night from the complete opposite angle. Less comedy, more temptation. Her act was smooth, confident, almost hypnotic. Not the “what the hell is happening?” kind of fun, but the “I suddenly understand why sailors wrote poetry about strangers in windows” type of allure. She didn’t try to outdo Mae, thank God. She just carved out her own lane and left a trail of water in her wake.
AJ Salta, Tom Gorham and Liam Dummer were next in the mix. I swear every time I see these three in a show, I think I know what I’m in for… and then they pull something cheekier, or riskier, or just plain stupider.
They each did their own thing first, which was fun enough, but it was when they piled on together that the room really lost it. It wasn’t clean, it wasn’t pretty, and that was the charm. You could tell they were having an absolute blast, and the audience just rode the wave.
There were moments where I genuinely wasn’t sure if something was part of the act or if one of them had improvised out of sheer panic, but that unpredictability is half the joy of watching them. You don’t just get circus tricks; you get the personalities behind them leaking through.
Chelsea Angell’s routine basically reminded everyone that yes, you can be a phenomenal circus artist and yes, you can absolutely weaponise that at the same time. Her hoop work was fast and fierce, and her contortion… let’s just say I’m sure a lot of the men in the room were glad the bar was well-stocked with ice.
Jess Robins followed with the kind of aerial work that just feels comfortable in this setting now. She’s becoming one of those names that you see on a cabaret lineup and think, “Yep. Good. We’re in safe hands.” She floats. She drops. She spins. And the crowd loves her every time.
Cal Harris was the unexpected surprise of the night. A new name for me, and easily one of the strangest, funniest, most impressive single tricks I’ve seen in a cabaret this year. And I’ve seen close to thirty at this point, so the bar is not low. I refuse to spoil it.
Walking out of the tent afterwards, I had that strange feeling you get after a night that went off the rails in a good way. The kind of Christmas thing you definitely don’t mention to your boss on Monday. Bits of it were totally unhinged. Bits were ridiculously clever. And some of it had me laughing so hard I forgot I was supposed to be reviewing anything at all.
And look, don’t take your (adult) kids. Or your overly wholesome grandparents (like one of the girls sitting opposite us in the front row). Or anyone who still gets upset about bare ankles. This is very much for people who like their Christmas with a wink, a wine and maybe a questionable life choice or two. If that’s your vibe, then you’ll have a stupidly good time.
Cirque Du Sleigh isn’t the ‘sit quietly and clap politely’ sort of festive outing. It’s the chaotic, sparkly, slightly grubby one you talk about later with a grin.
Cirque Du Sleigh runs to 22 December as part of Wynnum Wonderland. The Augethella Spiegeltent, 166 Bay Terrace Wynnum Qld 4178.
Tickets are available here.
Website: https://wynnumwonderland.com/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/wynnumwonderland/
Images supplied.
