Velvet Inferno is the latest event on the Sydney Opera House calendar, featuring a star-studded lineup including Marcia Hines and Brendan Maclean. Set in a New York-inspired disco nightclub ambiance, the production blends live vocals, circus acts and classic disco hits into a fast-paced 75-minute spectacle in a manner very similar to La Ronde, which is also currently playing in Sydney. The atmosphere was buzzing for opening night as the audience were treated to a night of wonderful disco vocals, dancing and entertainment.

Immediately, the audience were drawn to the death-defying stunts from roller-skating duo Duo Stardust, with Yevhenii and Vlada moving around the stage with grace and remarkable technical skill,leaving the audience flabbergasted by their performances. Among the highlights was also aerialist Oleg Tatarynov, who wowed the audience with a bathtub routine that saw water cascade over the stage with audience members around me purring with delight. 

Interestingly, it was the acrobatics that proved to be the highlight of the performance, with Hines struggling a little with the vocals throughout the set and the sound mixing not feeling quite right as many of the vocalists were drowned out and at times it was unclear whether the backing vocals were pre-recorded, which detracted slightly from the ambience of the show. There were some great tracks including “Play That Funky Music”, “Enough Is Enough”, “I’m Every Woman” and, of course “Disco Inferno” to close the show but there just was not quite enough heart and soul put into the numbers to really make them soar, which was a shame given that it was the vocals of Hines which is a real selling point fort he show.

Although the show runs for only 75 minutes and began with plenty of energy, it did become a little repetitive at times and lost some focus. In similar shows like La Ronde, there has been fire, even more spectacular acrobatics and additional stunts to keep the audience’s interest but it seemed as though a lot of the budget was spent bringing in the star power of Marcia Hines when it perhaps could have gone into elevating the acrobatics even further. James Browne’s set was cleverly constructed and successfully captured the New York aesthetic it was aiming for and the production quality of the show was generally high (sound issues aside). The 6:30pm start time was also a big plus as was the runtime although it did feel that the show could have been even tighter. 

Overall, this is a solid show and definitely something that will appeal to those wanting to experience the Sydney Opera House while also seeing an Australian legend at work and some amazing acrobatics. While some parts of the show perhaps lacked the energy that could have been desired, it was still a fun night and an enjoyable experience for all.

Rating: ★★★1/2

Velvet Inferno plays at the Sydney Opera House until 13 September 2026. For more information, click here. 

All photo credits: Ken Leanfore