Review:
LA RONDE
Wednesday 18 February 2026
The Spiegeltent, Garden of Unearthly Delights
With productions like Blanc de Blanc and LIMBO already under their very sparkly belts, the producers of La Ronde have once again proven they know exactly how to turn up the heat inside the iconic The Spiegeltent — and possibly fog up the mirrors while they’re at it.

Pre-drinks at the beautiful Glass House (where Adelaide’s finest came to see and be seen) set the tone perfectly. A buzz of anticipation floated through the Adelaide Fringe hub, helped along by music, flowing beverages and more than a few fabulous outfits. 
By the time we stepped into the Spiegeltent — in the round and always delivering great sightlines — the audience was primed, polished and ready.

Opening night was a full house. And when I say full, I mean not-a-seat-to-spare, elbows-tucked-in, disco-ball-reflecting-off-sequins full. Cast members prowled the crowd pre-show, whipping the audience into a delighted frenzy before a single aerialist left the ground.

A giant mirror ball — straight out of Studio 54’s greatest hits — hovered centre stage, while Gigi, our Barcelona-born Afro disco diva, delivered powerhouse vocals between acts. Draped in glamour and attitude, she looked like she’d fallen out of a 1970s disco film clip and decided to stay. With crowd favourites like “I Feel Love” and “I’m Coming Out”thumping through the tent, it was less “sit politely” and more “try not to chair-dance too enthusiastically.

How is this physically possible?

Diana Bondarenko mesmerised on the pyramid trapeze, combining grace with the kind of death-defying confidence that makes you question your own life choices. I can barely reach the top shelf of the pantry at home — she’s up there redefining gravity.
Sergiy Mishchurenko made the unusual aerial pole look effortless. (It is not. I repeat: it is not.)
Jenny Zavadskaia delivered both strength and sultry elegance on the aerial rope — proving once again that core strength is something most of us only talk about when we are renewing our gym membership in January.
LJ Marles on straps twisted himself into shapes that seemed to defy anatomy. At one point I’m fairly certain half the audience instinctively checked their own shoulders just to make sure they were still in place.
Enter Swedish ringmaster David Eriksson, who provided comedic relief between acts. And not the gentle kind. Armed with ping pong balls, darts and balloons, he demonstrated frightening levels of precision while keeping the audience in stitches. Crowd participation included dancing with Gigi and enthusiastically hurling apples toward Eriksson’s spiky groin apparatus — which is not something I thought I would write this year, but here we are.

I left this artist until last as he was a standout and highlight of the show. 
Danik Avishev delivered a masterclass in strength and control. Sculpted like something Michelangelo might have chiseled during a particularly inspired week, Avishev’s hand-balancing act was jaw-dropping. Just when we thought it couldn’t escalate further, he set fire to a balancing ladder and climbed it while teetering across the stage. Who comes up with these near impossible feats.

La Ronde returns to the Garden of Unearthly Delights with elegance, sensuality and just enough cheek to keep things playful rather than overdone. Yes, there were a couple of slightly stilted transitions between acts — opening night jitters perhaps — and I wouldn’t have minded one or more non-aerial acts. But these are small things in a production bursting with polish and confidence.

The costumes are daring yet tasteful — sheer, but always artful. The soundtrack pulses. The talent is extraordinary.
If the Olympics awarded medals for cabaret circus, this ensemble would sweep the gold.
La Ronde is elegant, sensual, cheeky and powerful — a guaranteed hit at Adelaide Fringe 2026. Audiences adored it, and word-of-mouth alone will ensure packed houses so book early.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5 Stars
Stephen Foenander
For Adelaide Review Team
Friday 20 February – Sunday 22 March
The Spiegeltent at the Garden of Unearthly Delights
@sergiy_mishcurenko
Diana Bondarenko
@dianaaboondareneko
@danikavishev
@gigmcfarlane
@jenny.zawa  
Baldwithballs
@ljmarles
The Garden of Unearthly Delights
Adelaide Fringe