Ovo by Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall

Cirque du Soleil is back in London, finally arriving with the insect-themed show Ovo almost ten years after it originally premiered, at the grand Royal Albert Hall.

Whilst not the most imaginative or gripping story – the bug underground has been depicted in many works of fiction that don’t pay too much attention to the egg – the colourful insect ecosystem of Ovo (Portuguese for egg) is brought to life by Cirque du Soleil’s magical touch, which turns the ugly and painful into the beautiful and joyous. The legendary venue has never been so blessed to be populated by spiders, ants and other bugs, and the distorted corporeal movements are a marvel to behold.

Premiere night may have been the most pressured one for the acrobats but they executed every manoeuvre without skipping a beat. The large cast’s commitment to embodying insects would give Andy Serkis envy and the flexibility of their bodies would make an actual spider blush. The size of the hall is perfect for all attendees to conveniently observe the athleticism. The colour wheel has been used to great effect in the lively designs of the costumes and complementing the warmth is a vibrant Samba-influenced soundtrack.

Maybe one of the most family-friendly and jolly entries in the company’s storied history, Ovo can be appreciated for having a sense of humour. However, the overarching subplot between the individual acts is a romcom tale of a foreign ant and a ladybird. It offers mildly amusing juvenile gags but ultimately distracts from what paying customers expect from the esteemed theatrical producer – jaw-dropping feats within an extravagant production. Except for the duo’s final act, which involves drawing somebody from the crowd at random, and last night’s lucky individual evidently had fun improvising dance moves.

Maybe the point of such broad humour is to attract more families, and in that case Ovo is a success because it still offers a quintessential Cirque du Spectacle as well as providing entertainment through panto-like acts, so it’s a solid entry point for younger audiences to have their first Cirque du Soleil experience.

Musanna Ahmed
Photo: Cirque du Soleil

Ovo by Cirque du Soleil is at the Royal Albert Hall from 7^th January until 4^th March 2018. Book your tickets here.

Watch the trailer for Ovo by Cirque du Soleil here: