World-famous circus company Cirque Éloize brought its production of Hotel to Norwich Theatre Royal.
Fresh from the success of their previous visit to the theatre, with Cirkopolis, the show aims to highlight the stories of staff and guests alike including a maître-d overwhelmed by events, a mischievous maid, and a devoted handyman with his dog Carpette.
The contemporary circus company, which was founded in Montreal in 1993 by Daniel Cyr, Claudette Morin and Jeannot Painchaud, is made up of 12 world-renowned acrobats and musicians who specialise in a number of different performing disciplines including Chinese poles, juggling, hula-hoops and the huge Cyr wheel.
The thing that set this production apart from other shows was that it perfectly blended a mixture of dance, comedy, music and acrobatics to create a completely new take on the traditional circus.
Each performer had their moment to shine as they took centre stage to wow the audience with their chosen craft. However, none of the acrobats were a one-trick pony, popping back up throughout the show to impress with another finely tuned skill.
During each performance the other acrobats ran, slid, climbed and jumped their way around the stage in what can only be described as organised chaos. It was impossible to watch everything taking place on the stage and it was incredible how well choreographed it was so that they weren't running into one another.
The absolute precision of each performer regularly had the audience stunned in to silence as they pushed their bodies to the limit. The strength and flexibility of every person on that stage was mind blowing and had people wishing "to have just a little bit of their talent" - as one person exclaimed upon leaving the show.
Sabrina Halde really tied the whole show together with her charming vocals in various songs interspersed throughout the show. It's not something I'd ever of imagined being suited to a circus show but she was just as deserving of the stage as all of the acrobats and musicians.
No circus is complete without the 'clown' which was portrayed by Antonio Wicky in the form of the awkward hotel owner. Along with the other cast members, Antonio had the audience in fits of laughter throughout, myself included. I can't remember the last time I went to a show of that calibre that genuinely had me crying of laughter one moment and then in complete awe the next.
Having seen one review say that the show doesn't 'offer anything overwhelming shocking or new', I couldn't disagree more. Hotel is packed with incredible acrobatics that were breathtaking and risky whilst also managing to bridge the gaps between performances with fantastic humour and quirky filler scenes.
A show like Hotel doesn't just happen over night and you can see that a lot of hard work has gone into pulling it all together - not to mention the numerous years of training that they have likely all gone through.
There aren't enough words to praise this show to the level it deserves. It's a must-see performance and I cannot recommend enough how much it's worth heading down to see.
Cirque Éloize are a hugely talented company who really know how to put on a show. I'll definitely be getting tickets the next time they touch down in Norfolk - and so should you.
- Tickets to see Cirque Eloise's Hotel on June 29 are available for £10 - £32.50 from the Norwich Theatre Royal website.
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