Cirque Du Soleil are back in town with their new show ‘Ovo’ and like previous productions from the touring troupe it’s theatrical perfection.
‘Ovo’ takes you into a world of insects, and within the big top your immersed into a world of encompassing sound and eye catching movement. Packed with juggling, flipping, acrobatics, contortion, tightrope walking and bodies flying through the air – this show is alive from the first moment to it’s climatic finish. While a myriad of bugs, beetles and grasshoppers swirl and spin around the stage it’s the comedy of a simple story between a ladybug and a fly that makes this show so much more than just a showcase of tricks and skill.
The show features a massive set that moves and changes at great speed, trapdoors continually open with characters popping up or disappearing, trees suddenly grow, flowers bloom and massive spider webs are spun. The costumes are bright and creative, clearly distinguishing the fleas, ants, scarabs and butterflies that populate this world. One character, the Creatura, is like an accordion with expanding and shrinking limbs that were reminiscent of the puppetry of Jim Henson. After the show you’ll keep wondering how they made his arms grow and shrink like magic.
On Sunday night’s opening performance there was a moment where one of the trapeze artists slipped and fell down into the safety nets below, rather than take away from the show, this very human moment reminded us all of just how amazing these performers skills are. Knowing that they sometimes do miss made us sit on the very edge of our seats.
A section of the show featuring trampolines saw the performers flying through the air, bouncing and pouncing across the stage like they were ricocheting bullets of energy, creating a moment where you weren’t sure where to look as there was so much going on. In another section a performer took to the tightrope displaying amazing balance skills, clearly thousands of hours of practice, a performance that culminated in an amazing display – balancing upside down on a unicycle, on the tightrope, cycling back and forth.
Cirque Du Soleil’s ‘Ovo’ is simply amazing.
‘Ovo’ is playing under the big top in Langley Park until June 9, tickets are available from Ticketek
Read our interview with performer Michelle Matlock who plays the Ladybug.
Graeme Watson
