Improbably, last night’s performance of OVO by Cirque du Soleil was the first time I have ever seen the company live. In the cavernous Royal Albert Hall, with many seats removed, the show feels both intimate and spectacular.
OVO isn’t new. It was first performed in Montreal in 2009 and was last seen in London, in slightly revised form, in 2018. The music is inspired by Brazil, the costumes and set by insects.
A brief story linking the acts concerns a strange insect (Robin Beer), who arrives with a large egg (OVO means egg in Portuguese) on his back, and a flirty ladybird (Neiva Nascimento). These two, together with a more traditional clown (Mateo Amoeva), form the conduit with the audience.
Cirque du Soleil are known for spectacle rather than story. Although some acts (balancing, contortionists (Nyamgerel Gankhuyag), cyr wheel (Emir Erdogan), aerial silks) are now commonplace across circus, it is still possible to enjoy them.
It is the daring acts that impress the most: the Russian aerial cradle (trapeze and catching in numbers) and the trampowall of leaping and tumbling.
Everything is at scale while keeping to strict timing and intricate detail. The handmade costumes (by Liz Vandal) alone are worth the price of admission, offering a variety of bug life from ants and spiders to crickets and scarabs.
The acts range from diabolo manipulation (Eisuko Saito), emergence from a cocoon (Svetlana Delous), and foot juggling to comic moments involving a slinky and a curious dance of legs popping up from holes in the stage floor.
Written, directed, and choreographed by Deborah Coker, with set and props by Gringo Cardia, OVO is a fun and engaging show that offers a sense of the amazing.
The comic and dance moments were funny and inventive, with the acrobatic acts making most of this huge hall. The movement is deeply suggestive of insects, while offering a variety of acts showing what the human body is capable of.
In a world now saturated by circus acrobatics, Cirque du Soleil continue to build crowdpleasing theatrics, with a huge cast and an equal number working hard to ensure acts are safe and supported.
This was a good introduction to Cirque du Soleil on stage, after seeing many of their prior productions on video.
With a thrust stage offering action on the ground, and the action many feet up in the air, seats at all prices can be guaranteed a memorable experience.
****
Cirque du Soleil’s OVO continues at the Royal Albert Hall until 1 Mar with up to 5 shows per day – https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2026/ovo
Photos from OVO press kit.