CircusFeaturedLondonReview

Alegría: In a New Light – The Royal Albert Hall, London

Reviewer: Sonny Waheed

Creative Team: Daniel Ross, Jean-Guy Legault, Lucie Janvier

Composer: René Dupéré

It’s mid-winter in London, so that can only mean one thing. The Royal Albert Hall is again transformed into a mystical, magical wonderland that plays home to the entertainment marvel that is Cirque Du Soleil. Since their headlining debut in 1999, this has been an annual pilgrimage for this outstanding circus troupe.

In 1999, the show that brought this phenomenon to these shores was Alegría. It has since been performed over 5,000 times, across over 250 cities and been seen by over 14 million people. Now, on the 25th anniversary of its first UK staging, Alegría: In a New Light is a reimagining and updating of the original show.

Set around the Spanish word for joy, Alegría is the tale of a kingdom gone astray by its power-crazed king and his entourage of arrogant aristocrats. A wind of change emerges to bring light and harmony into this fallen land.

If you’ve ever experienced Cirque du Soleil, you’ll be aware of their fantastical tales of strange lands and good vs evil. They’re as fantastical and as abstract as one can imagine and have an almost impenetrable narrative, but they do provide a framework with which to drive the show. In a New Light is a blend of Alice In Wonderland, Lord of the Rings and a touch of Willy Wonka delivering an absurdist take on the tale.

But that’s by the by. This is all puffery to the main course, the circus performers. As you’d expect, they deliver the goods and deliver it with bells on. It’s not an exaggeration to say that each act is, in its own way, jaw-dropping. What’s on display is humankind in its physical, emotional and creative best. The physical performers show us what our bodies are capable of whilst the musicians and singers help reach into our hearts and give life to our feelings.

There are contortionists and trapezists, fire dancers and aerial acrobats, and even clowns, in what feels like a never-ending cast of beauty and brilliance. Unlike latter Cirque du Soleil shows, in Alegría: In a New Light, the clowns tend to dominate the show. Whilst delivering amazing mime work and some rather funny set pieces, there’s a niggling wish that there’d be more of the action performers.

The music that accompanies the show is wonderfully empathetic. Performed in a variety of languages it drives the emotional narrative and, through well-placed silences and crescendos, adds a dramatic lift to the physical performances. But the real showstopper has to be the multi-functional stage design. The backdrop is designed as some sort of glamping yurt from which the stage flows out into the main floor of the Albert Hall. Built into the floor are nets, trampolines, lights, and all manner of supporting accoutrements that magically enable bouncing, swinging, flying, and tumbling with effortless ease.

Alegría: In a New Light is a fitting celebration of Cirque du Soleil’s remarkable transformation of this genre. It’s an exciting and breathtaking display that never fails to engage. Compared to other Cirque productions it does play to a slightly younger audience, with more focus on the clowns and whilst that may feel a bit frustrating at times, it does little to dampen the joy of this show.

This is a delightful show that will satisfy fans and entice newbies.

Runs until 17 March 2024

The Reviews Hub Score

Jaw-dropping family fun

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The Reviews Hub - London

The Reviews Hub London is under the editorship of Richard Maguire. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

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