‘Le Noir: The Dark Side of Cirque’ is currently gracing the stage at The Crown Theatre. For its residency, the Crown Theatre has been furnished with a custom-built circular stage with 360 degree seating. This means that much of the audience is sitting on what is usually used as a performance space, and if you’re lucky enough to get a front row ticket, you can see every sequin and flexed muscle.
And there are many, many flexed muscles. There is not an ounce of excess flesh on these people. They are all toned-down machines of human strength and flexibility, which is hardly surprising given the ensemble is made up of award-winning athletes and former Cirque Du Soleil performers.
And the performers are truly incredible. They leave the audience with astonishment at what the human body is capable of and a nagging sensation that it’s probably time to hit the gym. There’s also a true sense of danger and adrenaline given the type of high-risk performances in a space where if something went wrong, they could potentially land on the audience. Of course the performers are expert enough not to do so, but are also capable of exploiting this sense of suspense and excitement.
‘Le Noir”s aim is to explore the darker, sexier, more intimate side of circus, and it does so by allowing the audience to enjoy the impeccable physiques of its performers not just for their incredible skills, but aesthetically as well. ‘Le Noir’ does not skimp on skimpy costumes, many of which have a sexed-up Vegas wedding feel.
It seems as if the producers of ‘Le Noir’ decided to exploit the outrageous physical attractiveness of their cast, and given the amount of work which goes into the bodies of the performers, they may as well be shown off. However, I did have a nagging feeling that the female performers were objectified in a different way than the male performers. In one act a group of lingerie clad women gyrated in the background during a male performer’s balancing act, and held props for him. It was a relationship reminiscent of a magician and his lovely assistants.
While there were shirtless male torsos aplenty, the male performers never danced backup in the same way as the female performers, and rather than dressing in glittery hot pants wore skinny jeans and leather. I couldn’t shake the feeling that these choices in costume and performance conformed to gender roles in a way that made me a little uncomfortable. But then again, I’m always one to campaign for dudes wearing glittery hot pants in the name of equality.
‘Le Noir’ featured injections of ‘sexiness’ wherever possible. In transitions between acts, performers embrace, stroke and occasionally kiss one another. In some instances this felt a little jarring, but in some acts, such as the hand-to-hand and aerial performance, the choice was quite suitable. Without getting too Carrie Bradshaw, physical and emotional intimacy and gymnastic performance several metres above the around are a natural combination: both require a great deal of trust between partners, feature moments of genuine fear and relief and require serious risk-taking.
‘Le Noir’ is a spectacular show. If you make it through the whole thing without putting your hands to your mouth and gasping, then you probably aren’t alive. The show features astonishing acts of daring, some of which are performed on rollerskates, and all of which are genuinely engaging and impressive. If you’re hoping to see a woman backbend so far she touches her big toe to her nose all while 6 metres in the air, (and really, who isn’t?), then this is the show for you.
Sophie Joske
