Grand Chapiteau Big Top, Docklands Drive
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: **** 1/2
NB: This is NOT a Herald Sun review. KH.
Cirque du Soleil shows
are always gobsmacking because of the exceptional skills of the artists, the
visual feast of the set and costumes, and the sensurround of the live music. Ovo
is no exception with its parade of thrilling acts.
The Flying Scarabs, a
high-flying trapeze act, left me gaping like a lunatic and in fear for their
lives as they flew overhead incorporating complex balances into the flying
routine. Thank God for the net in this act.
A major the highlight for
the audience in this opening night program was Spiderman (Julaiti Ailati), who
stood on his head on a slack wire then sent the crowd wild when he followed up
by riding a tiny unicycle upside down – also on the slack wire.
The Crickets also had the
crowd cheering with their trampo-wall act involving extraordinary acrobatics on
long trampolines that send them flying up a climbing wall that becomes littered
with creatures clinging by their fingers and toes.
Another high point was Ants,
six tiny girls foot-juggling, hilariously, giant slices of kiwi fruit – and then juggling each other in a
novelty Risley act.
The Diabolo can often be
the poor cousin in a circus show but Tony Frebourg’s manipulation of four,
high-flying diabolos with his acrobatic skills, was a new take on this form.
There was plenty more
including the Lady Bug clown (Michelle Matlock) and the Foreigner (Bartholemey
Glumineau), a fly whose giant egg, the Ovo of the title, is stolen by bugs at
the start and returned to him in the finale.
The clown routines
between Master Flipo (Simon Bradbury), Foreigner and Lady Bug are not as
physical or as funny as those of previous Cirque clowns.
The insects and murky, jungle
like environment, with its Amazonian flora sprouting from the rigging is echoed
in the South American flavour of the music.
Ovo has all the elements
of the earlier Cirque shows such as Saltimbanco, Varekai, and perhaps this
leaves one feeling that we have seen it all before. The design, music,
structure, skills, clowns and choreography all look a bit too familiar.
Cirque broke the mould
for circus 20 + years ago. Perhaps it is time for them to do it again.
It is amazing how blasé
we can become looking at virtuoso circus skill. It’s a bit like looking at
fireworks – there is only so much gasping, oohing and aahing that we can
handle.
NB: This is NOT a Herald Sun review. KH.
By Kate Herbert
RUNNING
ORDER – MELBOURNE PREMIERE
Thursday,
January 17, 2013
Dragonfly of Orvalho (Hand
Balancing)
Volodymyr HRYNCHENKO
Ants (Foot juggling and Icarian
games)
CHENG Jinna, DONG Mimi, HAN Jing, SU Shan, WANG Shaohua, ZHU
Bayou
Cocoon (Aerial Silk)
Nadine LOUIS
Butterflies
(Straps Duo)
Svitlana KASHEVAROVA, Dmytro OREL
Firefly (Diabolo)
Tony FREBOURG
Creatura
Lee BREARLEY
Flying Scarabs (Flying Act)
Artem BURNUKIN, Alexander GROL, Nina KARTSEVA, Roman
KHAYRULLIN, Konstantin KOLBIN,
Maxim KOMLEV, Aleksandr MISCHENKO, Evgeny MITIN, Andrey
SHAPIN, Valeri TOMANOV, Sarfabek
ZARDAKOV
- INTERMISSION -
Web-Spiders
(Contortion)
Svetlana BELOVA, Robyn HOUPT, Nadine LOUIS
Fleas
(Acrosport)
Khrystsina MARAZIUK, Elena NEPYTAYEVA, Katherine SMITH, Olga
VARCHUK
Spiderman (Slackwire)
JULAITI Ailati
Secret Love
Simon BRADBURY, Barthelemy GLUMINEAU, Michelle MATLOCK
Crickets (Trampo-wall)
Michel BOILLET, Lee BREARLEY, Kasper FALKESGAARD, Shaun
GREGORY, Laura HOUSON, Yahia
ICHEBOUDENE,
Roman KARPOVICH, Sébastien LAIFA, Karl L’ECUYER, Ludovic
MARTIN, Gary SMITH
____________________________________________________________________________________
Characters
Ladybug: Michelle MATLOCK
Master Flipo: Simon BRADBURY
Foreigner: Barthélémy GLUMINEAU
Musicians ( Cockroaches):
Bandleader, bass, double-bass: Jean-François BEDARD
Drums: Daniel BAEDER
Guitar: Robson CERQUEIRA
Percussions: Cesar FARIAS DA SILVA
Accordion: Amaia IRAOLA JUBURA
Oboe, Flute: Caroline LEMAY
Violin, Guitar: Sébastien SAVARD
Keyboards: Roberto SCHILLING
Singer: Marie-Claude MARCHAND
CREATORS: Guide - Guy Laliberté;
Writer,
Director and Choreographer - Deborah Colker;
Director of Creation - Chantal Tremblay;
Set and props Designer - Gringo Cardia; Costume
Designer - Liz Vandal;
Composer and Musical Director - Berna Ceppas;
Lighting Designer -
Éric Champoux; Sound Designer - Jonathan Deans;
Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging
Designer - Fred Gérard;
Acrobatic Performance Designer - Philippe Aubertin;
Makeup
Designer - Julie Bégin.
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