Cirque du Soleil, the Canadian gods of circus, have been delighting audiences for over 40 years and Alegría, the jewel in its crown, has been around for at least 20 of those years, so there’s a worry that the wow factor may have worn thin. Yet this reimagined version, In A New Light directed by Jean-Guy Legault, feels refreshingly zany and sensational as if newly born.
There’s no expense spared on opulent designs and production values from fabulous, velvet-clad costumes, Olympian performers and nifty direction that carries the audience from astonishing feats to silly, endearing clowning in a flow of entertainment that never stops giving.
The evening is thin on narrative and, while there is no need for plot as this is essentially circus dressed in riches, Alegría, which means joy, prides itself on deep, mysterious meanings, so fledging signs of storytelling are there, but it's difficult to grasp meaning. Apparently it's about good versus evil and overturning an old order for the new, but it's hard to fathom.
There’s a fool on a throne called Mr Fleur (Bohdan Zavalishyn) who slightly resembles Willy Wonka, swathed in purple, waving about a golden staff that inexplicably brings about magic. Angels and nymphs perform for him, as do the Bronx strongmen who represent “forces of change,” according to the blurb. To be clear, they are not from the Bronx, New York, but mostly from Russia and Ukraine. No matter what it all actually means, because it is fabulously glittery entertainment and the younger audience are thrilled to see a Technicolor fairyland with no further explanation needed.
Clowns Pablo Bermejo Medina and Pablo Gomis Lopez are an entertaining duo, if at times overlong in their delivery of unintelligible banter and silliness. Their double-act is a genuine masterclass in the theatre of the absurd, and their strange, surreal interaction veering between friendship, falling out, then seeking true affection is oddly fetching.
Given the lack of a through storyline, as the circus acts unfold, the duo's presence bring another dynamic to the show, breaking up the string of spectacular circus feats offering welcome momentary breathers for the audience to process such gravity defying performances.
One of the most memorable clowning sketches ends in an artificial snowstorm that blasts white confetti into the audience from a blustery wind machine, cloaking us in darkness with bright white spotlights that sway then shine into the auditorium like a searchlight in a catastrophic storm.
In true Cirque Du Soleil style, acrobatic and circus skills are all mind-boggling and slightly nerve-wracking. There’s the toughened Maori fire knife dancer, Falaniko Solomona Penesa, defying the fear of fire and an absolute winning sequence where Yuila Makeeva and Alexey Turchenko’s soaring, sweeping pas de deux on the aerial straps literally float across the stage in what can only be described as astounding physical prowess. All the acts are admirable in strength and skill, but this duet is delicately choreographed and tender, right down to the kiss where both are hanging upside down.
Live music is beautifully delivered by two singers belting out their best with radiant voices, but the score sounds commercially upbeat with little dips in tone, more in line with background tracks to a theme park rather than music to transport audiences into a magical space.
The finale displays the incredible feats of aerialists that can only be described as superhuman. The stage is transformed into a giant trampoline elevated high up, catapulting performers into rafters of the Royal Albert Hall and bouncing them back, landing onto what looks like a flimsy safety net.
As I grab my daughter’s hand tight, our hearts are beating fast. It’s an anxious but beautiful moment as performers dart and swing across the stage, catching each other as they link legs and are thrown back upwards swinging body mass back and forth like human pendulums between the two elevated landing platforms. There's a palpable sigh of relief when everyone makes it back safely, no longer suspended mid-air.
Such a perfectly executed finale is a fitting end to a spectacular night at the circus, ensuring that Cirque Du Soleil remains a world class act.