Beautiful, amazing show with stunning acrobatics
MESMERISING, beautiful, aweinspiring .... just some of the words that come to mind when describing Cirque du Soleil’s latest show.
Their brand new UK arena tour with OVO arrives in Nottingham this week - and it really is a magical treat.
On entering the Motorpoint Arena, visitors may be surprised to see most of the venue blocked off, with the stage set up at one end of the venue, making for a more intimate experience.
And sat in front of you is a giant egg - or OVO, as the show is called.
One thing you will soon realise is that it is quite an interactive show, as performers head out into the audience before the show starts to get people in the mood and provide plenty of laughs.
Then once the lights go down, the show begins.
OVO, meaning ‘egg’ in Portuguese, is a headlong rush into a colourful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement.
The story begins when a mysterious egg appears in their midst. The insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives. It is love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye – and the feeling is mutual.
What you have is a seamless show featuring 50 performing artists from 17 countries specialising in many acrobatic acts.
There is dancing, comedy, a woman swinging on a rope performing beautiful acrobatics, a strange tubular creature which seems to grow and contract as it moves - there is plenty to keep viewers rooted to their seats.
Highlights of the show were definitely the high aerobatics, where a large team of performers flung each other about in the air all without a trapeze. This was jaw-dropping stuff, and the strength and technic of the performers cannot be praised enough.
The contortionist was amazing, performing their own solo ballet of movement with a body that moved into positions that seemed impossible.
The tightrope walker was impressive, even performing rolls on a tiny rope, balancing on top of a structure and even rolling on a wheel on the rope.
And the big showpiece of the night was a large team of acrobats using a giant climbing wall - from which they also jumped from the top onto trampolines below performing fantastic stunts, as well as some really impressive floor work.
This is all done in an amazing, ever-changing set, with video projecting the changing scenes on the background, and set changes taking place cleverly in the dark while other scenes unfold elsewhere on the stage.
And a special mention has to go to the costume designer, as there are some beautiful creations that really do bring the characters to life.
All in all, this is truly an unmissable show. I have visited travelling circuses and performing groups on stage before, but this really did blow me away with the huge scale of the performances.
• Cirque du Soleil is at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena from October 3-7. Tickets on sale now via the Cirque du Soleil website or at www.livenation. co.uk