Circus troupe draw gasps with their dazzling aerial displays

Contortion, juggling, dance trapeze and dizzying back flips across the stage. That all sounds a bit rich for a midweek jolly to the theatre after a long day’s graft, I thought.
Cirque Eloize at Bradford's Alhambra Theatre.Cirque Eloize at Bradford's Alhambra Theatre.
Cirque Eloize at Bradford's Alhambra Theatre.

But circus art group Cirque Éloize’s production Cirkopolis wins over the most sceptical of spectators with the cast’s incredible displays of physical comedy, dance, romance and downright athleticism.

It was exactly this that had an all-age audience at Bradford’s Alhambra Theatre jumping to their feet with applause after the evening’s boistrous finale.

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Taking its theme from Fritz Lang’s 1927 German expressionist film Metropolis, clown character Ashley Carr is dragged from his humdrum desk job and entwined in a rolling set of stories with breathtaking aerial antics.

Maude Arseneault and Mikael Bruyere-Labbe’s flirtatious double act on the Chinese pole had the pair leaping up, down and around each other with cat-like agility, delighting the crowd.

A beautiful solo performance from Lea Toran Jenner on the Cyr Wheel also impressed, as she hurled herself in all directions with science-defying speed.

These two highlights encapsulated what this kind of live physical display has over other art forms – the ability to draw fearful gasps from an audience at its tightly-choreographed close shaves.

Cirque Éloize offer a night out with real difference. Its run at the Alhambra ends tomorrow night. Call 01274 432000 for tickets.