Let’s face it. We’ve all attended an acrobatic style Fringe show where we’ve wished we booked into something else. The tricks and the banter are the same old same old, and you are left feeling uncomfortable with the performance…Then there is Primal. It is bold, it is raw, it is an incredible celebration of the human body and drives a strong message of body positivity, inclusion and acceptance. This is a Fringe show that will linger on your mind for a long time.

Highwire Entertainment is known for producing top quality Fringe shows and Primal has exceeded any already high expectation this reviewer had. Each act has been carefully constructed. One minute you are picking your jaw off the ground in amazement at one act, and the next you are left wiping a tear from your eye after an incredibly moving aerial display. 

There are too many highlights in Primal to name them all, but special mention must go to Ciara Thorburn’s comical routines scattered throughout the performance, Kat O’Keeffe’s moving, gravity defying aerial routines and Emily Loe’s phenomenal acrobatic, strength and juggling work.

Tying the whole show together is the sensational Leather Lungs. As MC and vocalist for Primal, their performance is worth the ticket price alone. Vocally, they are exquisite to listen to. It was hard to not listen to their mind-blowing vocal work and range and not be transported to hearing the likes of Freddie Mercury or Adam Lambert. A proud Ngāi Tahu, one could not get swept away with emotion during the song performed in Māori. It still is sending shivers down my spine. 

Primal is playing through to the end of the Adelaide Fringe and is highly recommended to be part of your Fringe night out. Take a risk and support this thrilling, sexy, funny and inspiring production.