High art met popular culture when Australian internet superstars of the classical and comedic world landed on Australian stages for their Sacrilegious Games World Tour.

TwoSet Violin, as one would expect, know how to work a crowd, and their Sydney show was no exception. The Concert Hall was full, with a younger and more diverse crowd than one would typically find at a classical music concert. It was also a much rowdier group; there was chatter, laughter and banter throughout the evening, creating a sense of camaraderie among the audience.

It was an evening of live performance that delivered perhaps slightly more to those already familiar with TwoSet’s humour. That aside, the performance had many moments that were both accessible and relatable to newcomers, making it entertaining and easy to enjoy on multiple levels.

TwoSet Violin, conductor Sarah-Grace Williams and the Metropolitan Orchestra. Photo © Ravyna Jassani/Sydney Opera House

As the concert opens, Brett Yang and Eddy Chen are missing; they have not shown up for the performance. This allows The Metropolitan Orchestra, conducted by Sarah-Grace Williams, to open the evening, because after all, the show must go on and TMO is certainly deserving of a place on the Concert Hall stage.

Finally, Williams manages to call the pair. They had forgotten they were performing. Not to worry – they are on the way. The orchestra plays on until the pair burst onto the stage.

The evening kicks off with a Sydney edition of the well-loved Violin Charades segment familiar to followers of TwoSet’s YouTube channel, providing Yang and Chen with an opportunity to demonstrate music’s ability to communicate ideas and evoke the imagination. Each is, at times, flummoxed as they attempt to guess what the other is playing. Hugh Jackman proves easier than expected, while Emu, Bondi Beach and Cathy Freeman leave a bewildered Yang scratching his head.

Riffing on their viral fame, the audience watches the pair participate in a nod to Netflix’s Squid Game. Their version, The Sacrilegious Games, sees them compete in a series of challenges for the ultimate prize: gaining followers. The Ling Ling Workout prompts them to play pieces in increasingly absurd ways, from traditional technique to playing their violins like cellos, two players sharing one instrument, playing with toilet paper and performing one-handed while playing ping pong.

There is even a rendition of Flight of the Bumblebee performed lying down. The challenge of producing a sound with toilet paper inspires a nearby audience member to remark: “At least it made a sound, even if it was like a saw.” And on it goes.

TwoSet Violin and the Metropolitan Orchestra. Photo © Ravyna Jassani/Sydney Opera House

It is a fast-paced concert, well rehearsed and, one suspects, tightly scripted, as there is a unique skill set required to deliver laughs and classical music concurrently. The performance is peppered with opportunities for the audience to admire the technical skill and physical stamina required to play Bach’s Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor while hula-hooping.

The answer, it turns out, is yes – it is difficult to play the entire work and maintain a straight face. Sly smiles peek through in a fine demonstration of showmanship that also highlights the pair’s rapport.

The audience is perhaps most vocal during the challenge in which the pair perform Paganini’s La Campanella in six different styles: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th-century, jazz and an improvised version, which, as it is pointed out, is as much about what it is not as what it is. The final variation is the one that truly captures the audience. K-pop mode delights the crowd with a laugh-out-loud moment as Yang appears in a luscious wig and hams it up.

Yang and Chen have ample opportunity to showcase their skills and musicianship, supported by strong playing from the orchestra. Chen’s performance of Sibelius’s Violin Concerto in D Minor, with its gentle opening steadily building momentum, is enthralling, while Yang’s performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto allows the pair’s clear talent to shine without the jokes and banter.

The duo’s performance of Johan Halvorsen’s Passacaglia for Two Violins is a particular highlight, showcasing the warmth the two have for each other and the joy they find in playing together.

TwoSet Violin and the Metropolitan Orchestra. Photo © Ravyna Jassani/Sydney Opera House

As the performance reaches its climax, the pair ponder how to tackle the scourge of devices, second-screening and, horror of horrors, the brain rot that supposedly plagues today’s youth. The answer, of course, is classical music, and so the audience is presented with the Anti-Brainrot Concerto, cleverly executed and encompassing the entire orchestra in a battle between classical music and internet memes. Some references may elude older audience members, but they provoke squeals of delight from younger patrons. Unsurprisingly, classical music emerges victorious.

Despite the playful atmosphere, the level of musicianship from TwoSet Violin and The Metropolitan Orchestra is evident throughout the evening. It is a fresh, comedic take on the classical concert and a convincing argument for its continued relevance to new and younger audiences.

TwoSet Violin play the Palais Theatre, Melbourne on 19 June, the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre on 21 June and the Festival Theatre, Adelaide on 24 June. For information and tickets, visit this link.