Corteo - Review

Royal Albert Hall, London

****

Written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca 

Valentenya Paylevanyan

Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo has spectacularly arrived at London’s Royal Albert Hall for the company’s traditional Winter residence. The beauty of this particular show is that the festivities, joy and wonder commonly associated with the circus are combined with imagining what lies beyond life on Earth, as it follows the vivid imagination and dreams of a clown named Mauro.  What follows is a breathtaking display of skill, artistry, strength and story telling as only Cirque Du Soleil know how.

Much of the narrative takes place in a carnival like setting with the traverse stage full of jugglers, dazzling costumes and fabulous music. There are moments though, when the stage is more bare and the act more nuanced such that the show can feel a little lost in the huge auditorium.

Of course there are some standalone performances across the show. In the first act particularly, Ukrainian Valentenya Paylevanyan has the entire audience in the palm of her hand, or rather her in the palm of their hands as she floats and flies merely by the force of 4 giant helium balloons and bounced around the auditorium. 

The second half is a snappier affair, filled with some simply death-defying stunts. Ranging from Duo Straps, an aerial routine performed by Hitomi Kinokyuniya (Japan) & Oleksandr Kunytsky (Ukraine) to Roman Munim (Russia) and his Acro Ladder which at one point has the entire audience breathless and silent as he climbed to the top step the ladder. 

Corteo takes us from childhood memories such as bouncing on the bed and pillow flights or playing with puppets and dolls, right through to ex-lovers and partners in a form & style that is, as always, unique. Written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, there are so many aspects of growing up and life that are included within the show, with Pasca rarely missing a beat. 

Occasionally in the slapstick scenes - performed mostly in Italian - the storyline becomes a little blurred. That being said, some of the visual moments and concepts as Mauro, played by Stephane Gentilini (France), explores not only his funeral but also his journey to heaven is truly beautiful and even at times, dare one say, comforting.

At a time when the world can in so many ways feel divided, it is a pleasure to witness the 58 strong group of performers and musicians from across the globe come together to form this insanely talented company. While Corteo could do with some tightening up in places, as a spectacle it’s flawless and an opportunity to see some of the best in the world soaring to dizzy new heights!

Runs until 2nd March

Photo credit: Anne-Marie Forker

Alegria In A New Light - Review

Royal Albert Hall, London

*****

Flying Trapeze

In the revival and enhancement of one of Cirque du Soleil’s finest shows, Alegria In A New Light is perhaps the most beautiful of the company’s productions to have been staged in the capital. The evening’s skilled serenity is quite simply circus at its finest.

Unlike previous recent Cirque du Soleil shows, the music here is performed live with Vincent Cordel leading his 5-piece band, and ethereal backing vocals provided by Sarah Manesse and Cassia Raquel. In most of the recent years the soundtrack has been a (beautifully created) recording . Here , with the performers on stage, there is an added texture to the music with the sound perfectly balanced to the Royal Albert Hall’s challenging acoustics.

Of course the evening’s circus acts are just spectacular. Early on in the show there are impressive acts of human pyramids being formed while balancing on long scaffold poles. The timing, fitness and skill of the artistes proving, as always, stunning.

Alegria In A New Light is in some ways more traditional than the typical left-field Cirque du Soleil approach. The evening’s ethos feeling more utopian than dystopian - channelling beauty into every second of performance. There’s a pair of Spanish clowns who through mine and physical comedy, deliver a turn that’s sublime. And the transformation of the hall’s cavernous interior into a blizzard-swept landscape is breathtaking in its audacity.

The aerial work is typically magnificent in any circus show. What makes it even more so at the Royal Albert Hall are the lofty heights that the performers work from. The hoisting and stretching of the safety net signals the descent of the flying trapeze rigging - from which a cavalcade of 10 performers flop, whirl and somersault through the air, the view becoming a blur of bodies as the split-second synchronicity plays on high. A spectacular end to an exquisite evening.

Circus doesn’t get better than this.

Runs until 3rd March

Cirque du Soleil - Kurios - Review

Royal Albert Hall, London

*****

Kurios at the Royal Albert Hall sees the inspirational Cirque du Soleil company make a welcome return to an evening built around the quirks of life, demonstrated through the excellence of human talent. In a show first presented in 2014 there’s no environmental homily or sanctimonious preaching  on offer here. Kurios - The Cabinet of Curiosities is a montage of unashamedly gritty Victoriana.

Strip away the steampunk however and the traditional circus skills on display are breathtaking. The Banquine troupe offer up a jaw- dropping construct of human pyramids the strengths and heights of which are just a joy to behold. Studying the cast list one learns that the troupe all hail from the former Soviet Union, including Russian and Ukrainian athletes. In this show these men are trusting each other with their lives. One can but weep at the beauty that this act represents. 

Also from Ukraine, Andrii Bondarenko handbalances his way from the stage to the ceiling - leaving a dinner party down below and encountering a mirror image ensemble suspended upside down from the Royal Albert Hall’s acoustic flying saucers! The act has to be seen to be believed.

Of course there are acts of juggling and contortion that defy our sense of belief with moments of comedy thrown in - almost all through mime - that provide the foundation for a fabulous family show.

Some of the theming may be a tad obscure for the little ones - but they’ll still be stunned by the human wizardry on display here. The ropes and pulleys may be sophisticated and state of the art - but the talent that uses them to soar around the hall’s cavernous interior is traditional human genius at its best.

Runs until 5th March

Luzia - Review

Royal Albert Hall, London

****

Written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca

After a Covid-induced interregnum exceeding 600 days, Cirque du Soleil’s Luzia returns to the Royal Albert Hall, reprising its Mexican themed extravaganza of human skills and water-based artistry.

As is nearly always the case in touring circuses that pitch up in the capital, the physical talent on display is stunning. The power, stamina, precision, courage and sheer human genius of the aerialists, pole artistes, trapeze performers and many more defies our understanding and we rightly gasp in awe at the skills on display before us. What is not the case for most touring shows however is the price tag. At Luzia most adult tickets sold at less than £100 will deliver a restricted view, while for the best seats in the house, the cost edges closer to £300 each. 

Is it worth it? Well for 2 ½ hours – including a 25 minute interval – the circus craft on display is world class. Combining mime, physical theatre and music – with supreme physical agility, Mexican culture ranging from the Aztecs through to the nation’s renowned talents with a football are cleverly interweaved. There is some gorgeous animal work too, including a horse and a big cat, cleverly brought to life by their human puppeteers.

Rain and water form a large part of the evening’s imagery, with a fiendishly smart spray arm sitting above the revolving stage and a centre pool. From here, sheets of water not only offer an enchanting backdrop to some acts, they also deliver up some clever images captured in the rhythm of the cascading drops. Ingenious? For sure. But these waterworks display the talent of designers and technicians, supported by state of the art technology. For decades, the essence of Cirque du Soleil's magic has been drawn from its displays of human talent, wowing audiences with unimaginable feats of strength and style that are live, vibrant and risky. By contrast, this aquatic display of digital wizardry could arguably be better presented around the corner at London’s Science Museum.

With a cast of 50 and a backstage crew of at least equal numbers, Luzia is lavish and, for the most part, great fun. For sure this is a feast for the eyes, including the eye-watering skills of Russian contortionist Aleksei Goloborodko who shows his body to be far more serpentine than the famous pond that’s just across the road. But at the risk of sounding churlish, alongside the show's unquestioned beauty and talent, more death-defying acts wouldn’t have gone amiss. From Holland, the appropriately named Fool Koller delivers occasional clown routines that are at times more subtle than hilarious.

In Hamlet, Gertrude asks for “more matter with less art” and there are moments in Luzia when that sentiment rings true. But where a family of four will need to spend close to a grand for ringside seats with a view, one cannot help but recall the words of Phineas T. Barnum...

Runs until 27 February 2022

Luzia - Review

Royal Albert Hall, London

*****

Written and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca

A moment in Luzia

Cirque du Soleil’s latest show Luzia is currently playing in the company’s seasonal London home of the Royal Albert Hall. Drawn from Mexican inspirations, the show provides a homage to this Latin American nation that reflects much of the country’s culture.

Mexican history, its climate, its art and its dance are all woven into Cirque du Soleil’s imaginative interpretation. Daniele Finzi Pasca has written and directed the spectacle with the programme including a touching tribute to Julie Hamelin who co-concieved Luzia with Finzi Pasca in 2016 but sadly died before this premiere. Much of the visual majesty of the show is also due to Patricia Ruel, its director of creation.

As is to be expected with Cirque du Soleil the skills on display are breathtaking – the aerial work on ropes and trapezes defies gravity almost heart-stoppingly, while the animal puppetry completely convinced in its depictions of horses and leopards – the talents of course extending to the clowning, achieving a hilarious performance solely through the use of outstanding physical theatre.

Moments of exquisite beauty arose in a balletic performance in which the ballerina was so perfectly poised she could have resembled a music-box figurine, matched only by a reptilian performer who displayed a snake-like ability to contort his frame that shocked and enthralled simultaneously.

And throughout, the live music and vocals alongside the design of the show - that include torrential Mexican rains pouring down inside the Royal Albert Hall - never ceases to amaze.

It is barely possible to capture the detailed, magical excellence of a Cirque du Soleil performance. Luzia maintains the company’s exceptional standards, and offers an unmissable evening of world class entertainment.

Runs until 1st March

Photo credit: Matt Beard

Guest reviewer: Kirsty Herrington

Paramour - Review

Lyric Theatre, New York


*****

Directed and conceived by Philippe Decoufle

Samuel William Charlton, Myriam Deraiche and Martin Charrat

With Paramour, Cirque du Soleil widen their scope venturing into musical theatre and incorporating dialogue and songs sung live alongside their signature circus wizardry.

Set in the Golden Age of Hollywood (and Broadway) and dripping in Art Deco themes, the plot is faux film-noir. Indigo (Ruby Lewis) is an actress, a small town stunner who is new to LA and looking for her break in the movies. A.J. (Jeremy Kushnier) is the mogul director who not only casts her as his new found star, but also wants her for his wife. Throw in Joey (Ryan Voner) a humble studio composer on the picture who falls hopelessly in love with Indigo as she does for him and the scene is set for a classic, corny love-triangle.

Before purists of the genre dismiss the plot as predictably shallow, remember that corny de-rigueur in noir-based musicals. Consider City Of Angels and Sunset Boulevard, both shows that offered the potential for stylish song and dance numbers, but only when set against a backdrop of cliché-riddled plot. 

Visually of course, the show is hallmark Cirque. Clever use of live action projection (black & white of course) emphasises the cinematic theme, whilst a beautifully choreographed ensemble break into tap routines at the drop of a (top) hat.

For the skimpiest of reasons the plot shifts around the studios' backlot, from sound stages filming a Cleopatra themed routine (outstanding aerial strap work from Andrew and Kevin Atherton) to a Wild West hoedown and, after the break, a nightmarish zombie invasion. The story's creakiness however is matched only by the Cirque troupe's excellence, a high spot of the second half being the hand-to-trapeze act of Samuel William Charlton and Myriam Deraiche with Martin Charrat on the ground, depicting the passions of the ill-fated trio.  

It may be the actors who top the bill, but it is the Cirque artistes that are Paramour's stars. The closing routine, played out across New York rooftops as the bad guys, clad in vividly coloured suits (think of Batman's Joker and Riddler) chase the heroes, is jaw-dropping in its impossible simplicity. Using discreetly positioned trampolines and their world class artistry, the performers literally fly themselves across the stage and up its walls. There are no wires or ropes at this point, just exceptionally choreographed human endeavor. In a modern movie the scene would be a green screen CGI creation, here it's for real.

Back in the Golden Age, audiences flocked to musicals to be wowed by spectacular routines, perfectly performed. Bravo to Cirque du Soleil for restoring that magic to Broadway.


Booking until February 2017
Photo credit: Richard Termine