CityLife

Cirque de Glace

WHAT perfect timing for an ice show – they could almost have performed on the frozen lake of the Pavilion Gardens. Not dancing on ice, but somersaulting, acrobatting, spinning, flame-throwing and dangerously dangling over it.

This is not so much a circus as an ambitious attempt to tell the story of life, from the creation to civilisation and back, in 18 flowing scenes against a backdrop of large video projections, from primeval forest to high-speed city traffic.

It is sub-titled “an ice show beyond imagination”. It isn’t quite that, but under Julian Deplidge’s creative direction it is imaginative, if somewhat pretentious in the disembodied narration of the evolution of mankind.

Olympic-standard

It is a fast-moving musical spectacular, providing something new in which to show off the Olympic-standard Russian ice stars, although the breathtaking individual displays we are accustomed to somehow play second fiddle to the story and the  ensemble work.

The narrative is punctuated with circus-type turns, justifying the title.

Top of the bill are two men propelled skywards from a narrow bamboo bar, making the audience gasp.

Weightless-skating

Man’s moon landing is neatly celebrated by weightless-skating astronauts, and I particularly enjoyed the original and witty skit on the financial world by 17 besuited city traders.

The choreography is again in the hands of Cavalieri Giuseppe Arena (Turin Winter Olympics closing ceremony), and the lighting design by Tim Routledge (Beijing Olympics Closing Ceremony).

I found the show enjoyable if uninvolving, but the Buxton audience gave it a standing ovation.

Cirque de Glace is at The Lowry from Feb 18 - 22. Call 0870 787 5780.
 

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