Fringe review: YOAH
YOAH offers a simple yet mesmerising circus experience that lets the talent do the talking. ★★★★1/2
The Moa venue inside Gluttony goes pitch black and a range of eery jingles softly grow louder from the crowd’s direction as YOAH begins. A single piano note begins to play repeatedly – it’s jarringly reminiscent of the start of Kanye West’s ‘Runaway’ – and a stark light harshly shines on a person dressed in beige running on stage.
This performer climbs on a rope in the centre of the stage, then dramatically falls from the rope and hangs there, resembling death. More cast members dressed in all black emerge from the crowd and then circle this person. We would later find out that the rest of the show has no dialogue or strong narrative, but this very moment plays an impactful role in how YOAH’s storyline progresses.
The segment of YOAH that had us on the edge of our seats was when one performer began to balance atop stacked chairs – an act every circus showgoer has seen before. But not every performer takes it to this impressive a height, stacking upwards of seven chairs on top of an already tall podium. As the stack grew taller – with a cast member feeding it to the performer one by one – the chairs began to shake and the crowd grew with anticipation. Some audience members placed their hands in front of their eyes as the performer defied the odds and lifted his entire body on top of the stacked chairs to do a handstand.
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The show brought a refreshingly clean aesthetic; there were no distractions, and with each new segment minimal, stark white lighting was used to highlight the individual performance at play. They certainly earned their moment in the spotlight, putting their bodies under immense amounts of stress.
The show saves another surprise for the end, subverting expectations while offering a life-affirming, delicate and spectacular finale – and a full-circle moment for the character and storyline.
Although a show with no dialogue can sometimes be hard to follow and engage with – Yoah features no words or songs with lyrics at all – its simplicity and ability let the talent do the talking, to mesmerising effect.
Read more 2025 Adelaide Fringe coverage here on InReview