Joy, Colour and Jaw-Dropping Skill

When Cirque du Soleil, the ground-breaking Canadian performance troupe, first performed in 1984, they showed the world what circus could look like without the use of animals.

In this year’s production, Ovo, showing at London’s Royal Albert Hall until Sunday March 1, the tables are well and truly turned.

All the humans play insects in this stunning treat for the senses. Ovo was devised to celebrate Cirque’s 25th anniversary in 2009, and has toured the world since then.

But every part of this performance feels as fresh as the daisy the beautiful ladybird carries with her as part of her charming love story with the two insect clowns, taken straight from the circus’ commedia dell’arte traditions.

Ovo embraces traditional circus at its heart, with high wire, high flying and high jumping performances. The Cirque company is said to employ more than 70 former Olympic athletes as part of its performance troupe, worldwide, and it’s this level of athleticism that left the audience gasping with amazement at very regular intervals throughout the 125-minute long show.

The sublime choreography means there’s always something to enjoy on every inch of the stage, whether it’s bees floating in flower heads or leafcutter ants being the very definition of cute, nodding their tiny antennae to the music.

Every inch of the show is aesthetically and physically inventive: ants juggle kiwi fruits and corn, a sinuous spider redefines the way you think a human can move and a phosphorescent bug defies gravity with multiple diabolo in the dark.

Ovo’s soundtrack is joyous, with nods to South American rhythms. But the show really does save the best until last, with an utterly astounding routine featuring crickets, trampolines, climbing walls and tumbling that had the crowd at the Royal Albert Hall going wild.

Watch how the performers train at Cirque’s own Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gWIzpxgo9rc.

If you’re looking for a show that’s suitable for family and friends of all ages, Ovo is absolutely perfect.

Its home, at the Royal Albert Hall, means the show’s in a venue that’s accessible, with really friendly staff on hand at all times to make sure you have the best possible experience.

The venue has a new access guide, and full details on how you can plan to make the best of your visit https://www.royalalberthall.com/visit/accessibility-at-the-hall.