Clockwork Butterfly

It's going to be very hard to write this review without sounding like a gushing fanboy. I'm not, but such was the calibre of the event that I'm forced to be giddy with hyperbole. A classic venue, stunning performances and of course the mind-blowing steampunk fashion that was the point of it all, combined to make this the highlight of the Fringe. 'Steampunk?' you may well ask. Allow me to explain.

Steampunk re-imagines an industrial revolution era gloriously divergent from reality. In this alternate history steam still drives everything, but innovations of modern complexity are possible and prevalent. Think Victorian era fashion, art and culture paired with prochronistic technology limited only by our imagination. Throw in some of the more fanciful creations of Jules Verne and H.G Wells and you're on the right track (steam train track of course!).

Around this sub-genre has grown a fandom whose fans like to not only read about this fantastical world, but to visit it, via the clothing and accessories, art and aesthetic they constructed about it. With entuhusiasts all around the world, specialty stores offering esoteric contraptions and a strong online presence, there are a surprising number of steampunks out there. And putting the 'punk' in steampunk is the DIY ethos that sees enthusiastic neo-Victorians constructing their own maniacal inventions, performing brilliant retro-futuristic mods, and even doing leather-work and home forging! As someone that has always had a great love and respect of craft, I'm deeply impressed with the renaissance in artisanship encouraged by this culture.

The world presented at Clockwork Butterfly was utterly new to me – in truth it was my first steampunk event – and this definitely contributed to the impression it made. Though I'm previously familiar with steampunk due to reading The Difference Engine years ago on a William Gibson binge, I was shamefully unaware of the existence of the steampunk community, busily bending their minds and hands to the task of turning fiction into reality. Until now, that is.

The event itself was conceived as a show of the fashions by the talented designer (and co-organiser) Alex Chambers. Held at the Thornbury Theatre, Clockwork Butterfly ball launched the fashion label of the same name so one of the main focuses of the evening was on showing off the products of her labour. We were treated to a sumptuous banquet of designs, and even the performers had been clad in habiliments designed and made in the steampunk mode specifically for the event.

I was surprised by just how much I enjoyed the fashion part of the event, which accounted for around half of the stage time. The attention to detail in some of the pieces was astounding, and I often wished I could have had a closer look. Whether it was the alchemist-meets-gentry look of Mad Uncle Cliff, the blunderbuss-wielding veteran Captain Rob Rickards replete with kilt, necktie, military jacket, and brass leg, there was a lot to look at. And that was just the men's range! We were also treated to beautiful lines, lace, corsetry and bustle of the exquisite women's range, with too many great outfits too mention. There was even a swimwear section, though the cut of this range diverged wildly from what I'd expect of that old prude Victoria.

It's worth pointing out that the best thing about anachronism is that it allows us to have the best of both worlds (or both times, to be more precise), so music, dancing, traditions and even morals (!) from many eras were freely mixed and matched throughout the night. There weren't a whole lot of burlesque shows around in the Victorian era, and there certainly weren't mini-skirts, yet we got to enjoy both at this show ;)

But the event did not exist simply as a vehicle for the fashion – we were treated to an outstanding succession of performances of music, dance, circus, burlesque and illusion. I doubt I can do justice to everyone individually but I will say this: at $33 a ticket this gig represented some of the best value at the Fringe. The quality of performance was very high, and I could imagine paying $10-$20 for the privilege of seeing any one of these performers at a separate Fringe show.

Performances included haunting music by Fildenstar, an artistic trapeze and tissue show, a shadow striptease, an illusionist duo, an umbrella-spinning dance routine, some jaw-droppingly good pole-dance burlesque, some opera and broadway numbers, a stylish exhibition of hula hooping, some very tasty belly dancing, and a golden clockwork burlesque dancer to close out the evening. That was not a sentence to attempt in a single breath; as you can see there's a lot there.

It was the illusion show, most of all, that blew my mind. Madotti and Vegas manage the seemingly impossible, defying logic, physics and some pretty basic common sense (such as “don't swallow razor blades”) to astound and delight. They also seemed very at home with the steampunk aesthetic – they too donned a range of garments from the CB range.

Other highlights were the 'vertical ballet' pole-dance burlesque, Celina's hula hooping, and the languid clockwork rhythms of the golden burlesque. And another great highlight of the night were the people – the Thornbury Theatre was packed out with people from all ages, walks of life, but with one thing in common – they were all very friendly. Seeing the costumes (around half the attendees dressed up) was great too. All in all a terrific night, and I'd recommend whatever the next steampunk event is to anyone who'll listen.