Cirque du Soliel Stuns Again
The latest production of the Cirque du Soliel troupe is called Amaluna.
Like every other CdS production, it is hard to find anyone not gasping in awe during the show and trying to preserve its memory in their minds as they leave.
Amaluna serves as a stunning reminder of why Cirque du Soliel has only imitators but no equals. They do that which everybody else does but better, while conjuring up something truly new.
In a second half segment called "Manipulation", Lara Jacobs has invented an act that is truly unique - and unmissable. She stands there among what appears to us to be a pile of whalebones randomly thrown on the floor around her. At the longest, each measures around six feet.
Jacobs begins to pick them up with her bare feet. She raises them to her hands and, mostly while standing on one leg, begins to connect them. Holding them in place with one hand, she picks up another and adds it to the increasingly intricate interconnection.
The jigsaw puzzle of massive whalebones is held tentatively above ground while she continues to use her toes to collect the remainder. It's baffling initially but as the audience begins to understand where the conclusion lies, it becomes mesmerising.
By the time Ms Jacobs balances the collation of bones on her skull, we know this is the moment we will never forget.
Finally, she adds the final bone and stands the entirety on that bone to stand upright. She walks away and views it from afar.
I won't spoil the climax of the act. For that, you'll just have to go and see Amaluna.
If that was the highlight, there was plenty else to entertain.
Ikhertstetseg Bayasaikhan controls parts of her body many of us don't even know we have!
However, it was her role surrounding the water bowl prop, both in and out of the water, that will be remembered for its grace.
Although Amaluna had an admirably strong female cast with 70% of the performers being women, juggler and part time lizard Viktor Kee should not be forgotten.
Kee juggled with hands, fingers and toes while commanding balls that dropped from thirty feet above him at pace.
These were just the highlights of an utterly absorbing evening. Let it absorb you.
Cirque remains a global brand associated with excellence for good good reason.
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