Cirque - The Greatest Show is a show that brings acts from both dazzling circus and brilliant musical performances under one roof (tent). Produced by The Entertainers and co-produced by James Taylor and Max Fox, Cirque - The Greatest Show is embarking on a grand UK tour to bring the best of both worlds and delight audiences. However, in capturing both, Cirque - The Greatest Show is stretched thin and doesn't fully commit to either.
The show compromises of a number of varied acts from flame throwing, aerobatics, dance, skating and more. Silently, yet hilariously woven together by Christian Lee, a mime artist, who provides a beautiful message as the underlying tone - that it's time to shake things up and bring an explosion of colour, joy and wonder to the normalcy of your daily lives. Lee is wonderful, delighting the audience with brilliant magic tricks, illusions, cheeky audience participation moments, and using mime to help tell a story.
The dancers (Dione Hassell, Shonagh Leatherbarrow, Stephen Strain, Brogan Paris and Megan Dawson) perform beautifully, with impeccable and energetic choreography. The trio of contemporary dancers (Chris Travers, Rhys Richards and Liam Raven) are stunning, moving impossibly fast and with grace. The trio present some of the show's most striking moments, with choreography by Lynsey Brown.
Adam Boom is mesmerising as he wields fire, creating a fiery performance that is truly one of a kind. Audiences are left holding their breath as he tosses flaming sticks into the air and catches them, or spinning at incomprehensible speeds. Presented as the show's grand final act, his act is absolutely worth the wait. Billy George stuns the audience with his act using a Cyr Wheel. In a series of bold, visually stunning and thrilling rounds, George proves why he's one of the most exciting Cyr Wheel performers. An unusual, yet beautifully presented act was doubtlessly a highlight of the show. Duo Eclipse, made up of the two skaters Steve and Georgia, are given an anxiety-inducing, yet utterly exhilarating slot to perform some incredible skating. A thrilling watch that leaves the audience speechless, they're a testament to the show.
Jennifer Van Gool and Thomas Barrandon are the show's showstoppers, bringing an array of incredible talents and acts with them. Performing excellent and unbelievably good shooting (including ripping a single sheet of newspaper in one shot, or backwards shooting a target), quick changes that continue to amaze and impress, risky yet fantastic aerial performances (especially when set to the song "Roxanne" from Moulin Rouge), managing to juggle anywhere from four to seven balls all at once with a smile and just overwhelm you with their talent.
These acts are accompanied by vast musical talent, with live singers providing a powerful soundtrack. Max Fox, as the lead vocalist, has the markings of a great showman, with his strong vocals and great stage presence. Robbie Waugh, Wesley Bromley and Nikitha Coulon are also given the time to shine with their own musical numbers. There are an array of songs, showcasing hits from The Greatest Showman, La La Land, Moulin Rouge and more, and these lead to full company musical numbers or accompanying singular acts.
Despite the incredible individual performers, and feet tapping full company moments, the show occasionally feels lost. The first act places most of the singing and dance acts together, which doesn't quite deliver what the audience were promised, delightful as it is to watch. The show also relies quite heavily on the well beloved catchy showtunes to entertain audiences, rather than the impressive talent in the company. The acts are interspersed with moments of comedy with mime Lee, yet these do feel more like fillers than actual acts in themselves, and the structuring of the show feels slightly disjointed.
Cirque - The Greatest Show welcomes a new audience to the circus, providing excellent entertainment and leaves them with a smile. It is currently on a UK tour - for more information and tickets, you can follow the link here.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3*)
Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | photography provided by PR
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