Soap – bath time will never be the same

A visit to the St James Theatre this afternoon had us spellbound, laughing, amazed, amused, and wondering “how did they do that?” in quick succession.  We were attending the Matinee performance of “Soap”, (click on this link to watch U-Tube performances) here in Wellington for a short season after sell out performances at the Sydney Opera House, and the 2010 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

St James Theatre, Wellington

The bathtub in the foyer set the scene of what we could expect.  Rubber ducks balanced on the edge and the bubble machine pumped out a continuing stream of bubbles, to the delight of the youngsters.

  Bathtub in the foyer

The show opened to the music of “Splish Splash” with legs appearing from the bathtubs on the stage.  The eight young acrobats  performed in, on and around a series of bathtubs.  From Chinese pole and straps to trapeze and aerial silk, and with a healthy dose of comedy thrown in, the show had us captivated the whole time.

The cast performed in water, had water raining down on them, and even squirted some at the audience occasionally, all to the sounds of the suitably loud and energetic soundtrack, aided by strong voice of the attractive diva, Patricia Holtzmann,   Billed as a “slash filled cirque styled spectacle” it was like nothing we had seen before.  And we loved it.   Several of the skits were priceless.  Can you imagine a tall, dark, handsome man doing a strip tease while juggling balls?  Or three hunky guys clad only in towels dancing their version of Swan Lake?  But these light hearted skits certainly did not detract from the power and strength of the more physical acrobatic performances. 

Our seats at this show were gifted to the Cancer Society from St James Theatre and the Soap producers, and forwarded on to local Cancer Society Volunteers and spouses.  We really appreciate the opportunity to attend the show and thank the donors for their kind gesture.