The Sydney Opera House is more than a place for elderly classical music enthusiasts to snooze through concertos. In what appears to be a season of circus spectacular, the white sails are housing some of the most impressive productions touring the world. So much so, you will be forgiven if you mistake these shows as a part of the Sydney Festival.

Soap is billed as “Dazzling, daring and dangerous, eight acrobats will perform in, on and around a series of bathtubs in the Australian premiere of the late-night variety show.” And it absolutely delivers on it’s promises – I would love to meet the person who does not find their jaw-dropped, gut wrenched and heart stopped for the duration of this production.

On the tail end of a World tour – which has already included Edinburgh via London and Berlin – this stunning production is directed by Markus Pabst (Caesar Twins, La Clique) and Maximilian Rambaek (VibeZ). With a combination of contemporary music (Mika, Sia, Tool, Gnarls Barkley) and Operatic Arias, this is sophisticated circus like you have never seen it before. Memories of sawdust, leaky canvas tents, white-faced clowns and fat-thighed trapeze arists in shimmering leotards have given way to this very sexy demonstration of human strength and beauty – the neo-circus as I regard it – which has played to over 500,000 punters world wide. And why not? It’s truly amazing.

Each segment is housed within the theatre of bath time – an submerging cleansing experience. And for those who have struggled readjusting into the none to five of work during the summer months – this show will dunk you in the delights of the physical expertise, whether it be increbible acrobatic stunts, traditional circus stunts or the astounding phyical control of operatic singing. A true collision of high and low culture – clowning and opera, areial artistry and contortions, puppetry and juggling … this is the ultimate in flexible spectacle!

There are too many spectacular moments to mention… but I can’t help but be drawn to a sequence in a bathtub with the undercurrent of Tool’s song Schism… there is nothing dinky about this. It’s dark, sophisticated and it blew my mind – heart-poundingly intense and heart-stoppingly beautiful. Like wise with the entanglement of the petite aerial artist wrapped up and swinging from swathes of silk. Elegant, surprising and exquisite.

The whole evening is beautifully curated and crafted by the directors – the mix of circus/cabaret/acrobatics/music is perfectly tempered – nothing lasts too long – and the clowning segways are cute and quick and clever. Everyone will love something about it… it’s hard to be bored or cynical in the face of such joy, skill, strength… in fact, it’s impossible.

See it if you can. http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/highlights_soap.aspx