CityLife

Cirque Du Soleil's Quidam

THE M.E.N. Theatre award-winning Cirque is back in town with a new arena-tailored version of Quidam, a show they’ve played to more than nine million spectators in almost 20 countries over the last 13 years, including a memorable season at the Trafford Centre in their own Big Top.

It’s still a dazzling show, full of gravity-defying aerial displays, acrobats, contortionists, rope jumpers and genuinely funny clowns, all set to a musical score by a live band.

But I can’t help feeling that it loses some of its mystery and magic housed in the familiar surroundings of the Arena rather than its own unique environment.

Quidam, a Latin word for an anonymous passer-by, is loosely based on the story of a young girl embarking on a journey of discovery and meeting some strange, even disturbing, characters (including one reading a copy of the M.E.N!).

Strange and singular

As usual with Cirque, this supposed storyline is, as much as anything, a way of luring the audience into their strange and singular world – you’re not necessarily quite sure what’s happening but you know you’re enjoying yourself and in safe hands.

Some of the many highlights include the majestically graceful “contortion in silk” of Isabelle Vaudelle, the aerial hoops of Kristina Besschetnaya, Meghan Miller, and Oksana Pylypchuk, the German spinning wheel of Cory Sylvester and the statue acrobatics of Jerome Le Baut and Anna Vicente.

There’s also a clown, Toto Castineiras, who hauls more-or-less willing and impressively game spectators up on stage to take part in imaginary silent movies and to drive in an imaginary car.

It’s an ambitious and spectacular show without doubt, but, in this form at least, possibly not the ideal introduction to the magical world of Cirque du Soleil.

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