A Zen gardener, a stripper turned renovator and an interior designer take you on an Ikea style step-by-step lesson in how to create a contemporary circus show. Reminiscent of Play School, but for adults, the trio will have you laughing, gasping and maybe even learning a thing or two about occupational health and safety when it comes to contemporary circus.
Knock Off involves amazing aerobatics that will make you hold your breath whilst trying to calm the tummy-butterflies that appear at the certain idea that somebody is going to fall. The men work seamlessly as a team; back-flipping from see-saws, leaping through the rungs of a ladder, and balancing upside down on each other’s shoulders. The show is more than that though, with major highlights including a boy band performance that will have you in uncontrollable bouts of laughter as you re-live the musical atrocity that was the ‘90’s. A burley man dancing with a broom quickly turns into a stunning display of graceful body movement, as he keeps the broom spinning and twirling in perfect motion on the back of his neck. The Japanese Zen gardener combines culture with occupation as he takes his watering cans, joined together by a rope, and skillfully flicks them around in the air like a gnome’s version of nunchucks.
One of the things that makes Knock Off so seamless is its careful use of music, teaming the tunes and lyrics to match the action, such as combining Hammer Time with clever and swift hammer throwing. A smooth, sexy track is played as the stripper turned renovator dons a pair of tight track pants and scales a rope, twisting and turning mid-air, graceful as a spider spinning a web. Despite these flawless acts, funky dance moves and surprisingly beautiful singing, the trio reassure you that their manliness is not compromised by taking their voices a few octaves lower and giving their manly parts a scratch as they talk about man topics – boobs, beer, Top Gear.
Knock Off is a hilarious, inspiring and highly impressive performance. The men are friendly and their charisma will have you forever wanting the show to go on. A traditional Aussie humour encapsulates the show; almost anybody will love it. One I could return to over and over, Knock Off gets two manly thumbs up.
