Written and
directed by Michel Laprise
Artistic Direction by Rachel Lancaster
Set and
Costumes designed by Stephane Roy
Costumes designed by Philippe Guillotel
Musical
Director and composer –Raphael Beau
Entertainment
Quarter, Sydney, 2nd October to 24th November 2019
Reviewed by
Bill Stephens
When you go
to a Cirque Du Soleil show there is an expectation that you will be wowed by
the brilliant acrobatics, colourful costumes and superb presentation. With Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities, Cirque
have raised the bar to an astonishing level.
Visually
different from their previous shows, Kurios
– Cabinet of Curiosities transports its audience into an extraordinary
steam-punk future past world in which, according to the massive souvenir program,
“a Thomas-Edison-meets-Jules-Verne retro-future that is now or never”. Make of
that what you will, but it does provide an excuse for the designers to let
their imaginations run riot to create an amazing assortment of extraordinary
inventions to boggle the minds of their audiences.
 |
| Siamese Twins - Chercheur the Seeker and Klara |
The costumes
are no less extraordinary, including those for a group called Visitors from
Curiosistan, led by Chercheur the Seeker (Renald Laurin) a sort of Ringmaster
who controls the action with his band of exotic “Visitors” who include an impossibly stout gentlemen, Microcosmos, (Mathieu Hubuner) whose huge stomach is inhabited by a tiny soul
called Mini Lili (Australian artist Rima Hadchiti) who during the course of the
show leaves her abode to join Nico the Accordion Man (Nico Baixas), whose
costume appears to be made from accordion bellows, and Klara (Kazura Ikeda) who
wears a hoop skirt of suspended circles.
Throughout
the performance these characters lead a marvellous strolling band which
includes a glamorous chanteuse, Sophie Guay, and hordes of fantastically
costumed characters who provide an ever-changing kaleidoscope of mobile scenery
to cleverly disguise the set-ups for a series of seriously impressive feature acts.
 |
| Contortion Bodies Electric |
Some of these acts appear familiar, but draw gasps when
they are pushed beyond what seems humanly possible. A troupe of contortionists
resemble wriggling sea creatures as they perform tightly choreographed
contortions on a slippery mechanical hand. Muscular twins, Roman and Vitali
Romanov, gracefully swing out over the heads of the audience, before drawing
gasps as they narrowly avoid collisions as they swing through each other’s
straps.
 |
| Microcosmos and Mini Lili |
Trapeze
artist, Anne Weissbecker, performs breathtaking manoeuvres on a vintage bicycle
suspended high above the heads of the audience, and hand balancer, Andrii
Bondarenko, builds a mountain of chairs, only to be met by a mirror-image
version being constructed upside down from the ceiling.
A team of aerialist
decide to do away with trapezes and turn the safety net into a huge trampoline from
which they propel themselves to breathtaking heights as they perform
disciplined unison acrobatics.
Among the
more unusual acts is the invisible circus, “the greatest show you’ve never
seen”, in which invisible performers perform stunts on teeterboards, tightropes
and trapezes, before an intransigent lion gets out of control. True !..You have
to see that for yourself to fully appreciate it … and another in which
performer’s fingers are projected onto a huge balloon to create a romantic
story. At times there is so much going on that it is difficult to decide where
to look.
Certainly
one of the best Cirque du Soleil shows to visit Australia, Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities with its huge cast of superb
performers, extraordinary production values and inventive presentation is one
Cirque show you’ll kick yourself if you miss.
This review also appears in AUSTRALIAN ARTS REVIEW. www.artsreview.com.au
