Theatre Review: Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular

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Run away to the circus with Come Alive – A high energy, dazzling spectacle that is a ‘must see’

Presented by: Showpath Entertainment
Reviewed: 1 November, 2026

Adelaide, it’s time to run away to the circus, Greatest Showman style. Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular has opened to thunderous applause. This is the ‘must see’ show of the year for the entire family.

Inspired by the 20th Century Fox Motion Picture, The Greatest Showman, this production follows Max (Ruby Clark) as she follows her boyfriend (played by Griffin Hooper) who is performing for the first time in a circus. As she waits for him to perform, the Showman (Des Flanagan) takes her under his wing and shows her what it takes to become a ring master and to be the greatest showman. 

The 100-minute (including intermission) main production is fast paced, high energy and incredibly engaging. It features mind-blowing circus routines, tight choreography and all of the epic songs featured in The Greatest Showman movie. This is family entertainment at its best.

The composers’—Benji Pasek and Justin Paul—original film soundtrack is brought to life through Matthew Brind’s exceptional musical production and the epic live four-piece band positioned above the stage. This group of fine musicians moves seamlessly through the show’s soundtrack, bringing another live element to this production. 

Des Flanagan is a showman through and through. From the moment we first lay eyes on him, he has the audience in the palm of his hand. He oozes the charismatic charm needed for this role and commands attention whenever on stage. Flanagan brings the same vocal tones as Hugh Jackman from the Greatest Showman film and has a wonderful story-telling approach to his singing. 

Ruby Clark as Max is a vocal treat. Her voice is exquisite to listen to, especially on the hits A Million Dreams and This Is Me, where she pulls out every vocal trick. Clark effectively portrays the character’s growth in confidence as the show progresses.

The gates to the venue open one hour prior to the advertised performance time, and it’s well worth arriving at early. In an adjoining tent to the main venue you are invited to watch several short performances from roving cast members. These included a fortune teller, a comical shadow puppet show, vocalists and an incredible magic act. There are also photo opportunities with several cast members and several circus themed displays to view. This is such a creative way to immerse yourself in the Come Alive world.

Supporting the lead vocals throughout the production were four equally impressive singers whose voices blended in the most magical way. Olivia Carniato (Eve the Snake Charmer), Jade Delmiguez (Saphire the Fortune Teller), Harrison Riley (Tex the Cowboy) and Charly Williams (Samson the Strongman) worked brilliantly against each other and at times took featured solos, showcasing each of their vocal skills. 

The first half saw Itzel Salvatierra with Laura Wells and Lucy Ridings, known as the Flying Zephyrs, amaze the audience with their hoop and strap routine, The Terrinis (Harley Timmermans, Nina Brown, Tim Simpson, Ewan Schell, and Julia Koneczny) defied gravity with their super-human routine that saw them flipping and throwing each other around the arena before Shaun Gregory and Ben van Overberghe used their momentum on a seesaw to reach extraordinary heights, leaving the crowd gasping for breath. Shona Morgan gave an emotive performance on the Cyr to the song Never Enough and Laura Wells stunned the audience as she was suspended by her hair and flew around the arena to the song A Million Dreams. The first half closed with a trapeze performance by Griffin Hooper to the incredible song Rewrite the Stars. 

The second half opened with Andrew Sumner showcasing their strength on the aerial straps suspended above the stage before Solomon Solicit performed a incredible tightrope routine. The last of the larger acts came from Lucy Ridings, Itzel Salvatierra, and Tim Simpson who turned up the temperature in the venue with a sizzling fire routine. 

Each act was supported by an entertaining and highly skilled troupe of dancers that featured Maisie Axton, Ally Bircher, Steve Costi, Diego Garcia Rendon, Samantha Goldie, Owen Jones, Liam Papanicolaou and Malena Searles.

Mixing audio in a circus tent is no easy feat; however, the audio team on this production brought us a theatrical show meets rock concert mix without losing clarity or becoming overbearing. The lighting design by Adam Bassett was impressive. The lighting at times became another character adding plenty of mood and atmosphere whilst keeping the action in focus.

Kudos must also go to the Adelaide-based front of house staff who bring huge amounts of energy to the production with their energetic ushering, crowd work and careful guidance in and out of the venue. They set the level of energy from the moment you step foot into the Hippodrome. 

Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular is running until December 6. This bold, modern circus showcases some of the best acts you will find anywhere in the world, set to an incredible live sound-track. As we head into the silly season, take some time out of the chaos of the world and run away to the circus.

Reviewed by Ben Stefanoff

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