Cirque du Soleil, Kurios

Cirque du Soleil present, KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities, at the Entertainment Quarter, Moore Park, Sydney. 3rd October - 24th November.

KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities, is a work from the juggernaut that is Cirque Du Soleil, a Canadian Company that has an astonishing network of creations performing all around the world.This work has been Created and Directed by Michel Laprise.

KURIOS, is a return to form for this company. The show before last was not so hot - the speciality acts great, the story fluffing it up, boring. Kurios is set in the late Nineteenth century (one supposes) and all the Design elements are of an extraordinary standard - a s steam-punk visual influence. Set (Stephane Roy) and Costume (Phillipe Guillotel). Amazing detail enhanced by Lighting of extraordinary effect. All this serving a fanciful story of an incredible Seeker, in search of wonders of this Victorian industrial world of invention, which he curates and stores in his cabinet of curiosities.

This story-line is simply decoration to help distract us during the huge Design changes that are carried out to permit the stunning virtuosity of a troupe of International artists to be shown off to maximum effect. In the case of KURIOS, the thematic fibres of the staging of this work, works. It is a brilliant conceit integrated flawlessly throughout the night masked by an incredible Sound Design from a live orchestra, timed to perfection to initiate the cueing for the actions of the speciality artists. The music is by Raphael Beau, Guy Dubuc and Marc Lessard, a kind of electro-swing fuzz with a jazz smother led by Marc Sohler and Singer Sophie Guay.

It is the calibre of the specialist artists that are always astonishing that one goes to Cirque du Soliel for. And with Kurios there is no let down. Fun percussionists and jugglers, a plastic and pliant foursome troupe of acrobats with bodies that do things that do not seem possible to be done, a chair balancing act mirrored in duplication from above, a duo of men swinging about us in a daring, flying ribbon act, a bouncing net act that has the participants flying about the levels of the stratosphere, a solo yo-yo artist that will leave you with your mouth agape. It is all so physically stirring - dare I say sexy! This is a show of two one hour halves and not a minute ought to be missed. Much more than what I have said happens, I hope you will be surprised and tantalised to a state of excitement and disbelief, not only with what I have 'spoiled' but, too, by what I have left out.

The show, Kurios, is the Full Deal. It is an entertainment for all generations and, truly, you are guaranteed a blast of a night. The Cirque Du Soliel aesthetic and it's design organisational skills for enchantment and wonder begins the moment you step into the huge tent that covers it all.

Do go. You will have an unforgettable time.