CIRQUE DU SOLEIL Out Of this wOrld The circus is coming to town! Sarah Riches gets set to be amazed by Cirque du Soleil’s wonderful new show, Amaluna
“AMALUNA HAS UNIQUE ACTS. THERE’S A 5FT 5IN WATER BOWL USED FOR A HAND-BALANCING AND CONTORTION ROUTINE ” – RACHEL LANCASTER, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR MAIN IMAGE COURTESY OF CIRQUE DU SOLEIL. FACING PAGE, FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: TEETERBOARD © WWW.CHARLESWILLIAMPHOTOGRAPHY.COM; JUGGLERS © JEAN-FRANCOIS GRATTON/SHOOT STUDIO; MOON GODDESS © WWW.CHARLESWILLIAMPHOTOGRAPHY.COM; HOOP DIVING © JEAN-FRANCOIS GRATTON/SHOOT STUDIO The mission of the contemporary circus Cirque du Soleil is to stimulate its audience’s imagination, emotions and senses – and it’s fair to say that its latest production does just that. To celebrate its 20th anniversary at the Royal Albert Hall, the French-Canadian company is performing Amaluna. While the world premiere was in Montreal, Canada, in April 2012, this is the first time the show has been performed in the UK. Amaluna is a fusion of ama – which means ‘mother’ in many languages – and luna, or moon. It’s also the name of the magical island where the show’s story unfolds. Inspired by Greek mythology, Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Mozart’s fairytale opera The Magic Flute, Amaluna is set on a mysterious island governed by a goddess named Prospera. To guide a boat of young men to the island, Prospera conjures up a storm. Her cunning plan works, and one of the men falls for her daughter, Miranda. But can their love survive being put to the test by a jealous rival? The story is brought alive by a 46-strong cast that includes an all-female eight-piece band, a professional stilt walker, a fire eater, a trampolinist and a stunt man. BEHIND THE SCENES If you think that when you’ve seen one Cirque du Soleil show, you’ve seen them all, then you’re very much mistaken. As well as jugglers, silk climbers and trapeze artists flying over the audience, this time round you can expect a teeterboard routine, a balancing act, ‘lizards’ jumping through hoops and performers flipping each other like pancakes – using just their feet. The show is directed by Diane Paulus, who won a Tony Award for Best Director of a Musical for Pippin in 2013, although this is Paulus’ first collaboration with Cirque du Soleil. But if Paulus is the brains behind the show, then director of creation Fernand Rainville is the brawn, as he oversees the logistics and brings Paulus’ vision to life. Artistic director Rachel Lancaster, meanwhile, is touring with the cast to ensure it JANUARY 2016 | 13
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