The name is a synthesis of 'Dragon' (representing the East) and 'Lion' (representing the Western influences in the show). So, I was intrigued to see how they've developed since I saw them last.Įast meets west in the new Cirque show, Dralion, which opened in London last night. Fantastic light shows, brilliantly original music, amazing and highly skilful acts changed our views about what 'circus' should be. To say we were stunned and over-awed by what we saw would be an understatement. I first saw Cirque du Soleil (reluctantly) with some friends in London in the early 1990s. So, you may well bump into them during your holiday travels. They've come a long way since then, and now employ over 600 artists and have a number of different shows touring all over the world, as well as residencies in Las Vegas and Walt Disney World in Florida. This is circus with comfort, and much more besides.Ĭirque began in Quebec in the mid 1980s when a number of street-performers joined forces. And the 'big top' (at least for this production) has been abandoned in favour of the more salubrious surroundings of the Royal Albert Hall.
Because this is a different kind of 'circus 'altogether. If you share my negative recollections, put them to the back of your mind when thinking about a visit to Cirque du Soleil. Little wonder then that some of my childhood contemporaries were drawn to escape their parents or the boredom of their daily lives by running off to join a circus. Yet it still seemed to embody romance tinged with mystery and the exotic. My childhood recollections of circuses feature draughty big tops, bum-numbing seats, the gut-wrenching smell of sawdust mixed liberally with animal dung, wading ankle deep through mud and straw to get to the big top, and, even at a tender age, the realisation that this was not the place where animals were meant to be.
0 kommentar(er)
