Roll Up, Roll Up - Cirque Éloize C’est Magnifique!

No words are spoken and yet Cirque Éloize’s ‘crew’ have the audience whooping, jeering and clapping along as thumping rap and heavy beats bring a modern-day West Side Story to the stage…..with a magnifique difference.

A driving force in Quebec’s cultural influence for 30 years, this incredible company is a hybrid of contemporary dance, street attitude, acrobatics, showmanship, bravado and heart stopping circus stunts.

But, unlike traditional Big Top, Jeannot Painchaud’s company, born in 1993, is innovative and almost leaves tradition at the door – but not quite!

At the outset two street gangs line up against each other, that’s the Leonard Bernstein West Side Story twist, only this time the 1962 film’s original cop - Officer Krupke for those in the know - is a trick cyclist whose stunts leave you wondering how his wheels end up atop ceiling high scaffolding, but somehow, they do!

Who are these talented artistes? It is a question you find yourself asking throughout. Did they train as actors, acrobats, circus performers or street dancers!

Having read the programme it is hardly surprising to learn that not only do they come from all corners of the globe – as circus performers often do – but many of them are graduates of circus schools and have plied their trade internationally.

And, thanks to Dance Consortium, which exists to tour the best contemporary dance from across the world to audiences in UK and Ireland, Bradford’s Alhambra has benefitted from seeing this exceptional, world-class company, which has played to audiences from Moscow to LA, Japan to Sydney’s Opera House.

Its original creations have been acclaimed by more than six million spectators and have accumulated over 7,000 performances in 650 cities around the world.

Somehow ‘counting my calories’ are not three words that are likely to pass the lips of any individual strutting their story telling stuff, for they give their all across 80 minutes of unbroken performance.

But, despite their edgy delivery, the old favourites are still in there: juggling, a huge skipping rope insert, only these participants back flip and tumble as they make their way through the rope, and, of course, a magnificent trampolining finale.

This is one of the more unusual shows to grace the Alhambra stage but if you are twiddling your thumbs tonight (Wednesday October 15th), then get yourself along to witness a show that will leave you breathless in your seat!

Cirque Éloize: iD Reloaded
Alhambra, Bradford
Tonight Only
15th October 7.30pm

Hull New Theatre
Fri & Sat Oct 17/18