Show reviewed: 21/02/26

Star rating: A kaleidoscopic, chaotic and unexpected adventure in Japanese circus, a celestial 5 stars.

Following the successfully award winning Japanese circus production, YOAH,CIRQUEWORK presents GASHA at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in 2026. From the moment you enter The Moa at Gluttony, there is definitely a mood of entering an oriental otherworld created by Japanese themed digital artwork and an original score that is a fusion of traditional Japanese sounds and Western modern electronic sounds. A picture is worth a thousand words and this piece of circus is an arresting masterpiece of spectacle.

GASHA is a play upon the idea of gashapon capsule-toy machines (celebrating Japanese modernity) and well recognised geisha aesthetics (like kimono), creating an avant-garde fusion of the past, present and future of Japanese culture. I’ve said it in many reviews in the first week of the 2026 Adelaide Fringe, it is a year of very strong circus, acrobatics, dance and physical theatre. GASHA is at the very top of my festival must sees.

The limits of time and space between ancient and modern Japan are transcended by the performers creating a sumptuous feast for the eyes matched by an equally rich, rhythmic soundtrack that includes shamisen, electric guitar, a drum machine that echoes the power of Japanese drumming mixed with electronic dance sounds. The music is paired with visual special effects as a sort of poetry that enhance the performance of the circus, acrobatics and aerial acts, with the performers working at death defying heights while making it look effortless. The company is artistically acclaimed within in the fringe festival scene and the show has been performed internationally.

It had me question my life decisions as a performing artist and that perhaps I should have chosen to be a different sort of creative…writing seems a little tame when you see GASHA. This show is suitable for those culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, those without a special knowledge of Japan and has a PG rating suitable for families.

[An accessibility note for audience members with sensory issues, this show features light effects such as strobing/flashing and a soundtrack heavy in bass and electronic instrumentation.]