Cirque du Soleil: Corteo at the O2 Arena

Can a funeral turn into a joyous procession? In a clown’s dream it can, and the fantasy goes even further. Cirque du Soleil returns to London, touring with Corteo. First created in 2005, the show tingles with imagination and the audience are in awe, their hearts and spirits lifted to the sky.

The clown, Mario, fantasises about what the company’s memorial would be like after his death. There aren’t many tears, rather a colourful carousel that we visualise together with him, with endearing memories of a young boy, moments of play with ethereal angelic figures and sharing in enjoying tributes from his friends. The confines of the dream are blurred and the illusion fades into reality. Or is it still a trick of the mind?

A journey between surreal and vivid fragments of the present, Corteo transports viewers into a fabulous world of acrobats and aerial performance. The stage is set right across the arena, hiding the other half of the seating behind a semi-transparent curtain. The musicians are scattered in the corners, and the artists play with the double fourth wall they are sandwiched between.

The show opens with the elegant Lustres as four women hang from chandeliers, moving in and out of the structures. Mid-air levitation is the fil rouge of Corteo, a recurring theme that echoes the half-in-heaven Mario as the clown rises to the sky. It’s again present in Lits Trampolines, where the performers bounce and somersault in child-like costumes, as well as in the fun Helium Dance, which is a delightful break that actively engages with the public. 

More breathtaking displays in the first act include the Planches Sautoir, with alternating rhythmic flips accentuated by percussion and voices. The second features memorable numbers, beginning with Paradis, where acrobats pirouette in the space between two Korean stations, and continuing with the swirling Duo Sangles, where the protagonist couple contort their bodies with stunning fluidity on aerial straps. It ends with Tournik, a gravity-defying, coordinated spectacle of artists crossing and exchanging places via opposite horizontal bars. 

The narrative frame is maintained throughout in fascinating fashion. The storytelling, especially in this thin, incorporeal limbo between heaven and earth, is somehow ever-present, allowing a free flow of the narrative that absorbs the viewer. The music plays an important supporting role here (featuring heartfelt vocals), alongside the well-curated costumes and props and a wisely measured dispersion of comedy. It could be the flying bike ride of Mario, surrounded angels, the passage of the corteo (procession) in the middle of a scene, or the attempted dialogue with the Artist Marionette – these moments make visible the bonds among the company members and accentuate the charm of this soaring production that aims for the stars.

Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Dominique Lemieux

Cirque du Soleil: Corteo is at the O2 Arena from 13^th July until 17^th July 2022. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.