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Theatre Review: Cirque du Soleil KOOZA - Royal Albert Hall, London ✭✭✭✭✭

Cirque du Soleil
Kooza
Royal Albert Hall, London

6th January 2015: The start of the new year once again welcomes the undeniably talented cast of Cirque du Soleil back to London with their world wide smash KOOZA!

Without doubt, there are some incredibly gifted performers in front of our eyes, with some jaw-dropping acts which make your hair stand on end. The action starts with Charivari - A troupe of acrobats flinging themselves onto each with gusto. This is followed by a contortion act, a solo trapeze from Yulia Korosteleva who shows great strength and agility, a staggering unicycle duo and a double high wire to end the act.

Wheel of Death
Photo: OSA images
The top of act two has the highlight of the show, the Wheel of Death - Jimmy Ibarra and Ronald Solis are both brave and nuts! The two wheels go round at speed and they are jumping and jiving in and on top of them at perilous heights, amazing to watch and gasp at their huge talent.

Irina Akimova slinks and manipulates hoops in a tantalising twisty way, this is followed by a chair balancing act which is expertly executed by Yao Deng Bo, and the evening is rounded off with the teeterboard, again showing skills of unheard proportions - try doing double back flips on a single stilt and landing with ease (seriously, don't try this at home).

All the action is happening on a wonderful set with a huge double tier bandstand, and the band are in fine form led by James Lutz. The sound quality is superb, if you close your eyes it's like listening to a CD, and the singers, Vedra Chandler and Marie-Pier Guilbault are outstanding.

The only thing that lets the whole show down for me are the clowns - I know it's a circus show, but in this kind of setting with a wealth of talents on display, we don't need clowns interspersed in the action slowing it all down with their unfunny routines.

Apart from this though, Kooza is one hell of a show to see some fantastic skills, and Cirque are the ideal practitioners who do it. Bravo!

Five stars ✭✭✭✭✭

Kooza is Royal Albert Hall until 19th February 2015
www.royalalberthall.com






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