Based in Montreal, Canada the Cirque Eloize Company (pronounced el-waz as I am reliably informed) have been around for 25 years and have performed more than 5,500 times in 550 cities – those are some impressive statistics. The mere mention of the word Cirque draws my attention to the amazing Cirque Du Soleil and whilst Eloize followed in the footsteps of Soleil they now have their own identity and have a great track record of originality in what they do.
The setting of their latest production “Hotel” is set, as you might expect, in a hotel. It is a grand hotel with an art deco feel and the stage has been constructed with the foyer, the bar area and some expertly positioned platforms that are a combination of hotel rooms and a stage surrounded by lights. The construction of the stage was very impressive and the perfect backdrop to this production – it is said that the inspiration for this production came from the travelling lifestyle of the cast.
The opening scene involves a man carrying a suitcase, arriving through the aisles of the theatre and looking for a man named Cesar. The man in question was Julius Bitterling and he was searching for Cesar Mispelon. In a fast paced scene this saw some spectacular hand to hand interaction between these two – some stunning acrobatics mixed with some very nice humour. There were several moments of applause from the audience as they demonstrated their considerable talent. This set the tone for what was to come in this show.
Further scenes involved some superb work on the rope from Una Bennett as well as the spectacular juggling work of Philippe Dupuis who at one point was juggling fifteen balls. The Hula Hoop display was equally impressive as it became apparent that these performers were not just proficient in one or two disciplines but actually many more.
We were also entertained by the very talented singer Sabrina Halde as her jazz-like tones were expressed so expertly on the first few numbers but then later in the show we got to hear just how powerful a voice she has with some of the bigger songs. She also played the Ukulele in the finale to the show – everyone in this production is multi-talented.
During the show I found myself trying to answer a question of what genre of show this was – a acrobatic display, a musical, a play, a big band show, a comedy show or a dance show. The truth is it is none of those things but equally all of them. It might even be unique, I’ve certainly never come across a show that is quite so diverse but in the same way fits together perfectly.
As the 80 minute performance drew to a close, I was expecting a suitable finale and that’s exactly what we got. The cast constructed two Chinese Poles and most of the cast performed some kind of move, some involved two or three cast members in what was a fast paced sequence of events. The cast then transitioned into a band set up with each of them playing some kind of instrument – some with the more traditional trumpet or saxophone but others with such things as a suitcase that was doubling up as a drum. The perfect way to showcase the incredible talents of each member, having seen all of them performing all of their other talents earlier in the performance.
Reviewer - John Fish
on - 20/2/19
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