Review: Cirque Du Soleil - OVO (Royal Albert Hall)

Review by Daz Gale

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To say Cirque du Soleil has left a distinct imprint on the world of theatre would be a serious understatement. For more than 40 years, their innovative shows have entertained millions all over the world, with many returning year on year to see their variety of shows. One regular fixture of theirs is their recurring London home of the Royal Albert Hall, which this year sees the return of OVO, their high-energy celebration of the insect world. Already extending their season before performances had even begun, would this fresh production create the right kind of buzz, or would it be crickets all around?

Originally created in 2009, OVO’s London return is a new take on the production. Now restaged with reimagined set design, new acrobatic acts, characters, costumes and reinvented music to ensure anyone who caught the show in its last London outing will be in for a series of pleasant surprises. Set in a bustling insect colony, their community is rocked when a fly shows up carrying a mysterious egg on his back (the word “OVO” means “egg” in Portuguese). As the insects try to crack the case of what could be inside the egg, the fly finds himself captivated by their world, falling in love with their community, and more specifically, a spirited ladybug. Would the course of true love run smooth this time, or would the fly end up with egg on his face?

It’s not eggsactly the most taxing of plots, understandably (though it still manages to have more than the Palladium pantomime), but who is honestly going to a Cirque du Soleil show for the plot? Audiences flock to their shows year on year for the spectacle, to immerse themselves in their weird and wonderful worlds full of vivid colour, and be wowed by the variety of acts. In that respect, OVO more than delivers, offering a feast for the senses at every turn in one of the most thrilling nights the Royal Albert Hall has ever seen.

It is the acts themselves that make any Cirque du Soleil show such a thrilling watch, and OVO is up there with the best. Attending one of their shows has become an annual tradition for me now, but they never risk feeling repetitive or as if you have seen it all before - each show has its trademark style and stunts, but the fact that they all have a certain flair and a different theme makes each one as exhilarating as the others.

Among the acts you will see at OVO are foot juggling (exactly what it sounds like - it makes juggling by hand seem easy by comparison, though I would still drop anything I attempted to juggle at the first throw), contortion, Chinese poles, and a particularly striking sequence involving neon diablos, with the venue plunged in darkness to create a stunning aesthetic. The standout sequences came at the end of each Act, with Act One ending on a stunning and jaw-dropping aerial cradle routine that had me gasping throughout. Act Two ended on a spectacle involving a trampoline wall and tumbling - the synchronicity of this was every bit as impressive as the gravity-defying act itself - a testament to the quality of any Cirque du Soleil show as well as the vision that goes behind realising this act and the faultless way each is executed on stage.

Cirque du Soleil has taken the world by storm, and that is reflected in its gloriously international cast with performers, acrobats and musicians from 30 countries among the 60-strong cast. All exceptional in their own field, they are led by a trio of performers who from the “clown” sections of the show, bringing a slight sense of cohesion (I say slight) to the narrative of the love story between the VOyager Fly (Robin Beer) and the Ladybug (Neiva Nascimento) under the watchful eye of the effervescent and hilarious Mateo Amieva as Master Flipo. The comedic element to OVO may surprise some who attend, but it all adds to the sense of fun. Any Cirque du Soleil show is designed to make you feel all sorts of things, and laughter is certainly among them.

What impresses every bit as much as the acts is the design aspect of OVO. Gringo Cardia’s new set design brilliantly creates the eccentric and exaggerated (eggsagerated?) world of the insect colony, with Liz Vandal’s costume design bursting with creativity and always a joy to watch. The stage is transformed through a great use of projections, designed by Johnny Ranger. This time around, I found myself more taken with the lighting than with previous Cirque du Soleil shows, with some gorgeous effects used throughout, meticulously designed by Eric Champoux. It feels like stating the obvious to describe this show as a feast for the senses, but that is what Cirque du Soleil pride themselves on, and the creatives responsible for realising this so effortlessly on stage deserve as much praise as the phenomenal performers who fill the stage with life.

Audiences go to Cirque du Soleil to immerse themselves in their weird and wonderful world, and discover that childlike wonder they likely don’t find in the mundane monotony of everyday life. OVO is the perfect example of what they do at their best and why nobody else is doing it as they do. Thrillingly creative, refreshingly different and stunning in every respect. OVO is a world-class show, delivered and performed by its ridiculously talented cast, crew and creative team from all over the world. Any trip to Cirque du Soleil blows my mind at what humans can achieve in terms of their talents and even flexibility, even when they are pretending to be insects.

Whether you have seen one of their shows, most of their shows or none at all, I really think that everybody needs to experience Cirque du Soleil at least once in their lives for an unrivalled and flawless theatrical experience, and OVO is the perfect show to serve both as an introduction to those who haven’t attended before, and further solidify the skills of all involved for anyone who has. Regardless of this, OVO ensures that if you haven’t already caught the Cirque du Soleil bug, you will this time.

Cirque du Soleil: OVO plays at Royal Albert Hall until 1st March. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/dance/cirque-du-soleil-ovo-tickets 

Photos by Anne-Marie Forker