Cirque du Soleil KURIOS Cabinet of Curiosities Reviews ★★★★

“A gasp-inducing steampunk celebration of virtuosity”

“Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s choreography connects amazing talents from yo-yoers to contortionists in a slick and seamless show”

“… when someone jumps the full height of the Royal Albert Hall on a giant trampoline, and your heart leaps to join them, that’s pure joy; vicariously free and flying, all from the safety of your seat.”

“The designs, plus the live band, drawing on European folk and jazz, give whimsical character to what’s a very slick operation, many bodies fluently handled on stage (choreography is by Belgian contemporary dance-maker Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui).”

“The steampunk genre might be about harnessing technology and mechanical invention, but this show is really about the mastery of human mechanics, the minutiae of muscle control, and our reflexive surprise at what flesh-and-blood bodies can do.”

“A new earthier vibe”

“This steampunk spectacular will have your jaw on the floor”

“Colombia’s James Gonzalez offers true magic though, balancing on a tower of cylinders and blocks. It is either a trick worthy of Derren Brown or a feat of physical dexterity which defies the laws of physics. Gonzalez doesn’t drop a thing, but you’ll have to pick your jaw up off the floor.”

“It is these large-scale moments, along with the striking set, designed by Stéphane Roy, that make Kurios so enticing.”

“Past shows have felt a little too corporate. Kurios has an earthier feel. Beware though. You will spend so much time gazing up in awe you might wake with a stiff neck. But it will be worth it.”

“The Canadian circus legends’ visually arresting steampunk-themed show takes a while to warm up, but it’s worth it”

“‘Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities’ is a lavishly designed (by Stéphane Roy) ode to the Victorian Age of Wonder. It makes full use of the height and scale of the Royal Albert Hall’s auditorium to surreally evoke the period’s heady collision of imagination and technological advances.”

“It’s something of a shame, then, that it takes a little while for the wow-factor to really kick in. There are some inventive performances at the start, like Anne Weissbecker’s aerial acrobatics on a bicycle and comic Facundo Giminez’s ‘invisible’ circus, but they sometimes feel like they’re competing with the lavish set for attention. However, starting with contortionists Ayagma Tsybenova, Baasansuren Enkhbaatar, Bayarma Parry and Imin Tsydendambaeva as The Seeker’s electric eels brought elastically to life, the show draws you in.”

“A weird and wondrous spectacular”

“Together, they encourage a gently spooky sense of joy. There are capering conjoined twins, men in stovepipe hats, women in steel-hooped skirts descending from the ceiling, a locomotive that glides onto the stage, a tabletop percussion duo, a mid-air juggler who hurtles towards the ground but keeps on working. And that’s only the opening number.”

“Do we become inured to the incredible as it all goes on? No.”

“… I’d like to thank Cirque du Soleil for a strange but satisfying spectacle for all ages.”