It ends with Tournik, a gravity-defying, coordinated spectacle of artists crossing and exchanging places via opposite horizontal bars. 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.

More breathtaking displays in the first act include the Planches Sautoir, with alternating rhythmic flips accentuated by percussion and voices. 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. 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. The show opens with the elegant Lustres as four women hang from chandeliers, moving in and out of the structures. The musicians are scattered in the corners, and the artists play with the double fourth wall they are sandwiched between. The stage is set right across the arena, hiding the other half of the seating behind a semi-transparent curtain.

Or is it still a trick of the mind?Ī journey between surreal and vivid fragments of the present, Corteo transports viewers into a fabulous world of acrobats and aerial performance. The confines of the dream are blurred and the illusion fades into reality. 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 clown, Mario, fantasises about what the company’s memorial would be like after his death. First created in 2005, the show tingles with imagination and the audience are in awe, their hearts and spirits lifted to the sky. Cirque du Soleil returns to London, touring with Corteo. Can a funeral turn into a joyous procession? In a clown’s dream it can, and the fantasy goes even further.

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