Review: Saltimbanco, Cirque du Soleil, Metro Radio Arena

Jul 2 2010 by Lynsey Elliott, The Journal

BEFORE the lights went down at the Arena, a man in front of me looked at his partner, rolled his eyes, and said: “You owe me for this.”

Oh, how he changed his tune once Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco hit the stage. Literally sitting on the edge of his seat, he seemed awe-struck by the talent and visual excellence. He and the rest of the audience, as they ooh-ed, aah-ed, and whooped their way through the performance.

Once you get past the strange, but very creative, costumes, and characters with pot bellies, oversized noses and wacky wigs, you learn to appreciate the sheer brilliance of this show.

This is not your average circus show – as the name may suggest – but a breathtaking display of human strength and flexibility, humour, music and dance.

The floor seats surrounding the stage gave an amazing view but could be a little up close for some, as audience members are ushered out of their seats by the clown-like characters and encouraged to perform dance moves and acrobatics – simple moves, that is. Slightly humiliating, I felt.

Audience participation continued during the mime act which had me crying with laughter as the performer carried out a High Noon-style gun duel using imaginary pistols, facing off with an unsuspecting punter.

The Chinese poles act was a sight to behold as no fewer than 15 acrobats jumped from pole to pole, twisting and turning and even free-falling head first.

The women’s trapeze act, much of it seemingly without a safety harness, included a series of impressive poses, while the men’s routine showed great strength and control.

There was so much to marvel at. I have never seen anyone juggle so fast, let alone with eight balls, while the Russian swing had me mesmerised as cast members flew through the air for about 12m (40ft), landing on the shoulders of their colleagues.

Weird and wonderful, bizarre yet brilliant. That is Cirque du Soleil’s Saltimbanco.

At Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, until Sunday