Le Noir promotes itself as "the dark side of Cirque" and although it has no official ties with the famous Cirque de Soleil, many of its acts are former Soleil performers.
Le Noir has shorter runs than Cirque and this is attractive to slightly older acrobats, who have families they don't want to be away from for years on end.
Painter is adamant that older does not mean slower.
"Like any great art form you get better with experience," he says, adding that older performers have their showmanship down pat, an aspect of circus just as important as physical ability.
Make no mistake, these performers are in no way past their prime.
"For something like the Wheel of Death, they've got to keep aerobically very fit ... they all condition like crazy; when I'm backstage as a reasonably unfit producer it makes me feel very jealous." The Wheel of Death is touted as the most dangerous circus act in the world.
Four acrobats stand inside four wheels attached to the end of two long bars (which look like two enormous spanners crossing over one another).
The bars begin to rotate around faster and faster as the performers climb on top of and around their circle, running on top and hanging inside the steel frames. Yep, you need to be pretty fit to keep up.
Painter's background was as a violinist in the hugely successful show Spirit of the Dance.
After years of playing in shows in Vegas and around the world he decided to pursue his passion for producing.
"I gave it a go, and I had a lot of failures early on," he says.
"But eventually we stumbled across Le Grande Cirque, which I produced more than 10 years ago now."
Le Grand Cirque smashed box office records at the Sydney Opera House selling more than 40,000 tickets in 10 days, and Painter's career as a major producer began.
Today, Le Noir is one of many so-called "sexy circuses" gaining popularity around the world.
Offering more intimate shows in smaller venues, these circuses offer acrobatic acts mixed with burlesque dancing and the occasional bit of nudity. Painter says what sets Le Noir apart is the quality of its acts - it's much more than just a burlesque show with a few twirls on the aerial silks, as the Wheel of Death attests to.
"In terms of danger and grandeur, it's very different from lots of other shows," Painter says.
Of course, the "hot people in their undies" appeal is still there with Le Noir, and Painter reckons this element of the show is a large part of why sexy circuses have taken off.
"Putting on circus acts wearing very little is good for everybody, right? I mean, do you want to see the world's most beautiful guy, rippling muscles, in a cat suit or a little tiny pair of shorts? Which would you prefer?" he asks, laughing.
"It's catering to what the public wants and it's also very fascinating seeing these people wearing next to nothing because you really see their muscles ... you're seeing the raw them. I think it makes a huge difference when you see a show."
Painter says Le Noir is an "overwhelming experience," because of its acts but also because of its size.
"It's very full on, and you're just so close to it. You're getting the most dangerous acts in the world and you're 5ft [1.5m] away from them."
"You can't believe they're doing what they're doing. It's an overwhelming evening."
Lowdown
What: Le Noir
Where: Civic
When: From Wednesday October 28
