With its new touring show Cirkopolis, Canadian troupe Cirque Éloize is making a statement through acrobatics and poetry.
Appearing at Yas Island’s du Forum from Thursday to Saturday, the 90-minute production features a 10-member cast of dancers and artists.
Artistic director Jeannot Painchaud told The National that the aim of the show is to provoke audiences to break free from an increasingly mechanised world.
What’s the central concept of Cirkopolis?
This show is mainly a reflection on identity, and on our existence in hugely populated cities where you have to look within yourself to personalise the hostile surroundings. Think about an office worker who dreams only of escaping everyday life. From a dark and grey office, his boredom will explode into bursts of colours as different characters enter his dreams. Cirkopolis is also a city. You’ll enter Cirkopolis at the beginning of the show and follow us on our journey through the city. As our main character Ashley’s dream unfolds, the action will take you to different parts of this imaginary city.
Tell us about the cast of the show.
There are 10 performers in Cirkopolis and every one of them is a star to us at Cirque Éloize. The performers are multidisciplinary and each performer is a character who gets to express his or her personality on stage.
What about the circus apparatus that will be used in the show?
The German wheel is the most impressive apparatus in the show. The gymnastic wheel is a sport discipline that the Germans first practised in 1925, and still use. The discipline is starting to spread more and more around the world. Even the Americans and Canadians have their own national team now. I like to represent the German wheel as a giant hamster wheel. It’s an act that requires lots of precision and a great dose of strength. The artist performing the German wheel also performs an aerial act involving a cube made of multiple bars. This one is very unique and it is the first time that it has been incorporated in one of our shows.
What kind of sets and projection are used in this production?
Multimedia and video projections are integrated into our productions as a way to support the action on stage and create the universe we explore. Think Fritz Lang's Metropolis or Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times. We've also created an original musical score to accompany the performers throughout their journey.
Does this theme appeal to an audience of all ages?
We think it does. Young kids may not understand some of the themes or images in the show, but they surely react to the amazing feats the artists can accomplish. The show also has a great dose of poetry and humour that will definitely touch everyone.
• Cirkopolis will be staged at the du Forum from Thursday to Saturday. Tickets are from Dh150 on www.tixbox.com
aahmed@thenational.ae