Elixir Revived

Click here if you liked this article 7

https://sydneyfringe.com/events/elixir-revived/

Date Reviewed: 28/09/2025

Elixir Revived is a strange mixture of acrobatics and absurdity.

An eclectic display of knife-throwing routines, aerial acrobatics and calisthenics show a display of fearlessness, strength and control that is carried throughout the performance; ultimately uncovering the show's unequivocal strength - its physical skill.

The physical stunts are nestled in an experimental, scientific sub-plot which is playful, unpredictable and campish. From the beginning of the performance the audience becomes complicit in a laboratory test in which in the ingestion of higher quantities of a special elixir leads to increasingly more daring physical feats from the cast.

Through analysing the “height”, “weight”, “flexibility” and “depth” of the performers on stage it shines a light on our entertainment culture and perhaps our appetite as audience members for perfection and polished performances.

The plays self-reflexivity delivers just enough daring stunts and exhibitionism to satisfy the audience's desire, with its ironic subplot making us wonder about our suitability as audience members to oversee this experiment and consequently the lens through which we view art and culture.

Elixir Revived subverts our high-brow culture towards the arts. It takes audience members out of their comfort zone in terms of what is “acceptable”, subverting expectations and providing a fun, strange and unusual performance that is even elegant at times.

The performance remains true to the spirit of the Fringe Festival in delivering a show that is in equal parts chaos, oddity and spectacle inviting its audience to suspend their disbelief as they enter into the fictitious, scientific realm in which the daring acrobatic stunts will leave you wanting more.

The performance’s combination of slapstick comedy, awe and sweat is what makes the production so engaging. Its whirlwind of knife throwing, circus and comedy make it unpredictable and wild in the best possible way.

It is a performance that is simultaneously, messy, raw and alive, with its impressive acrobatic feats only coming from years of training and experience. The comedic relief and genuine improvisation further provide a touch of freshness which leave you feeling that no two performances are exactly the same.

Instead of pretending to be high-art, Elixir Revived provides a show that is at once deeply impressive, sweaty and unrefined.

It is must-see for those who love to be surprised and delighted by the enduring power of live performance.

Reviewed by Samantha Mackenzie