Review – Lords of Strut
Famous Seamus and his brother Sean-Tastic, together with their barely-there hot pants and highly expressive facial muscles, have brought to the Adelaide Fringe a show unlike any other. These boys can move, they can lift, and they can make you laugh.
The show itself tells the tale of two Irish brothers who wish for nothing more than to be famous dancers. Bringing their impressive wardrobe and their own line of male beauty products to Adelaide, the Lords of Strut make you laugh, make you cry (with laughter), and make you laugh some more as their tumultuous sibling relationship collides with their acrobatic dance routines to create a show with heart and muscle. Performed in an intimate setting in the Garden of Unearthly Delights, their act begins with some funky dance moves to funky music. However, as the boys get deeper into their routines, the precision of their dance and acrobatic skill begins to shine through. With a small performance space, the Lords of Strut have very little room for error, and with the stunts they perform this makes their act all the more impressive. But the boys also use their small stage to their advantage, as they involve many audience members in their riotous performance. Ping pong balls, a keytar, and frequent infomercials for the Lords of Strut male beauty line are hilarious interludes to the opening dance sequences, which feature some enthusiastic pelvic thrusting and somewhat unnerving eye contact with the audience.
As it continues, the show delves deeper into the impassioned sibling rivalry between these two young dancers. Talk of responsibility for their absent father and distant mother drives a divide between the two brothers, and it appears no amount of dance will be able to bring them back together. Sean, the younger, and more timid of the brothers, finds himself at the mercy of his older brother’s taunts and the audience, so close to the action on stage, can see that every word out of Seamus’ mouth sting his younger brother. However, just as they were close to being torn apart by their intense rivalry and thirst for fame, Bonnie Tyler comes to the rescue and the song “Total Eclipse of the Heart” blasts from the speakers. Hearing this the brothers perform a daring acrobatic dance number to reaffirm their friendship and, bearing their hearts (and some rather private parts of their bodies), Lords of Strut win over their audience with a humour that hits close to home.
All in all this act is an emotional, semi-nude, roller coaster ride incorporating very committed acting performances by two incredibly talented men. It is a must see for the Fringe this year!
