The Leaping Lillies presents the joy of a traditional circus experience with a kid-friendly twist and the team at Fliptease deliver with flare. From the sparkling costumes to the popular music soundtrack there is a lot to see, hear, and enjoy in this show.

As you might expect from an audience teeming with small children there was a sense of restlessness in the theatre before the show began but this weight evaporated in seconds when the performers took the stage. It takes time for kids to adjust to new environments and experiences and the team from Fliptease expertly pace the show so that by the half way point it felt like everyone was on board and comfortable. The show is billed as suitable for 3 years and up and I heartily agree.

With three larger than life personas that are friendly and unashamed the cast of The Leaping Lillies empower their audience to eagerly anticipate and enthusiastically celebrate every trick and success. Filled to the brim with familiar physical gaffs and punctuated with well practiced and effective audience engagement this is a great show for a younger audience (and their indentured chaperones). 

Popcorn features heavily in the promotional material and in the show itself and is a good metaphor for The Leaping Lillies experience. This show is classically styled with a format to suit most tastes, it’s exuberant, joyous, and at times chaotic. While not all the kernels pop the over all experience is exciting and uplifting.

There are an abundance of clever transitions and smooth routines in The Leaping Lillies. When performing for a young audience keeping them engaged is half the battle and in this show the performers did an outstanding job of keeping the setups fun and interesting. There were a couple of moments of audience participation and these were carried out with professionalism and wisdom.

The grace and patience afforded the children on stage was striking, there was no pressure on the kids for the outcome because the performers pushed themselves to find success in whatever was offered with a sense of sincere delight.