An ‘idiom’ can mean a shared form of expression or a verbal assemblage that has an unexpected, often whimsical meaning. This latest season of Colossal Productions’ yearly format explores both of those meanings. MCs and circus comedians, Laser Kiwi, bill themselves as surrealists.

Some of the internal logic of the show is dreamlike, but not jarringly so. The surface level of the first few vignettes seems a little random, but it’s soon clear that many elements are being cannily interwoven to show the audience the points of common expression between diverse performance styles and ideas. It takes time to build sense out of the collage, so it’s better to clear your mind and go in without expectations for a good IDIOM experience.

Many variety show formats rely on swapping guests in and out of a modular format from night to night or short run to short run, which can disrupt the flow of a show and make it tough for all the performers in a lineup to shine equally. IDIOM really makes the most of what will be almost a full month’s residency at Te Auaha.

The crew has nested right into the space – the stage, sound and lighting professionals are deft collaborators, fluidly channeling the players to help create the illusion of chaos and build serene rest stops into the show’s cavalcade pacing. A dignified and versatile space like Te Auaha enables the production to take its time, bringing out its acts like courses in a fine dining experience rather than fast food orders.

We have performing artists from the traditional fine arts disciplines on the bill, whose mana could have been undermined by sandwiching them with livelier acts. Instead, they are free to hold space and deploy gravitas where it’s needed, while interleaving into collaborations with other artists so that they, too, can show off their adventurous and cheeky sides. It’s a struggle to suggest improvements to such a well-oiled setup, but perhaps some visual cue or building narrative would help to build up more hype for cellist Ingbal Megiddo’s impressive assault on Paganini’s 24 Caprices.

MC themes are topical, and goofy pitched to capture a younger, irreverent audience and keep them focused for the showcase acts. Don’t let that stop you from attending with more serious intent, because this show deploys some serious talent. Whether we are seeing circus, dance and gesture, music, comedy or performance sport, everyone here is at the apex of their game.

Most performers get enough repeat stage time to show the breadth of their skills, so that we see them in a more well-rounded context than in many variety show formats. Dancer Tabitha Dombroski shows the greatest technical breadth and makes a deep impression with her appearances.

The latter half of the programme delights in interweaving performers, playing in the overlaps and contrasts between their styles. It is particularly interesting to see IDIOM showcasing diverse acts within a common genre (again this idiomatic idea coming to the fore).

This year’s lineup gives us juggling as pure slapstick from Joel Salom, and juggling again with Zane Jarvie but this time as rhythmic exploration, in a bit that makes me think of Michael Davis and which is accompanied by brilliant drum fills by Thomas Friggens. Similarly we have two balance acts from Jair Ramirez and Matthias Goed, each of them relying on a different physical skill set and with different stakes in play.

Each performer gets their little ‘extra’ moment, a glimmer where they exceed the expectations of their genre and try out something a little daring, perhaps a little risky (though much of the ‘impending disaster’ vibe is in fact meticulously curated). It’s great to see the Laser Kiwi trio breaking the bounds of the usual MC role and putting their own physicality on the line in solidarity with the onstage action.

So, what sort of a night out is this? One well worth bringing a couple of generations along to see and engage with. A night out at this show will most likely teach you something new, and the sense of joyous communal bombast will linger all through your week to come.
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