EVERYONE in this extravaganza presented by the French-Canadian circus troupe Cirque Eloize is moonstruck. As it begins, crimson curtains part to reveal a sky studded with stars, and a huge silvery moon hanging in the heavens. The lights come up to reveal a crude, tawdry backdrop of the same celestial scene, and two fast-talking clowns appear to tell us, amid gags and pratfalls, that the performance is a gift of love to a woman. Then the backdrop is whisked away, revealing the first of the evening’s stunning exhibitions of physical virtuosity. A young man swings and twines his body around a maypole, hanging at a dizzying height from the crook of an arm or knee, then suddenly sliding down at break-neck speed, hurtling towards the stage until, by some invisible flexing of muscles, he stops dead, seconds before impact. As declarations of love go, most women would find this difficult to resist.
The theme of ardour-induced lunacy is underlined throughout by the narrative thread of a peasant wedding. The bride, in a billowing white gauzy gown and veil, runs among the circus performers barefoot, and takes her turn tumbling and leaping, her petticoats an avalanche of snowy ruffles. Likewise, the troupe are both itinerant entertainers — the nomads of the show’s title — and the guests at her wedding.
A contortionist performs eye-watering feats as she bathes in the moonlight, a sponge held delicately between her toes, while her lover gazes admiringly on. A woman performs a kind of aerial ballet in a suspended hoop while a young man spins head over heels, his entire body inside a larger hoop that mirrors hers — a curious ritual of devotion. Best of all, after the wedding party, which culminates in dazzling acrobatics on the dining table, a couple performs a slow, sensual dance of intimacy under a shower of glittering raindrops.
Lucie Cauchon’s captivating music is performed live, and its blend of wild gypsy tunes, steamy tango and New Orleans jazz lends an eclectic spiciness to proceedings. The only problem with this show, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, is that everything is a little too elegant, too decorous, to capture the sweat and urgency of genuine passion. It’s a slightly bloodless, overly polished evening because, despite some thrilling stunts, it’s difficult to feel very much for these exotic, perfectly poised creatures.
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