If you are looking to see something different and want to be entertained and impressed solidly for 90 minutes, this is absolutely the show for you.
Machine de Cirque are an acclaimed Canadian circus company performing their latest show at the Peacock Theatre. After seeing this show, they deserve all of the praise that they have. The acrobatics on display were jaw dropping and had me expel a few unintended gasps as some of the more impressive set pieces reached their climax. The way the circus artists move through the apparatus on stage, performing tricks at such height, is genuinely astounding and pushes the limits of what I thought circus performers could do without the help of CGI.
The acrobatics on offer is obviously a flashy highlight, but equally if not more impressive was the music being performed live on stage by Frederic Lebrasseur. His use of unconventional instruments would be impressive in the most normal of circumstances, but doing some of his work while sat 15 feet in the air with circus performers flying around him is even more impressive. Another mention needs to go to sound designer René Talbot who managed to blend the live music being performed on stage so seamlessly with other sound effects, at moments I found it impossible to decipher what noise was being created on stage and what wasn’t.
It is an absolute cliché, but this is definitely fun for all the family. There were a number of children in attendance at the performance I attended, and they equally as amazed and amused as I was. Due to the lack of actual dialogue, rather just a few noises and “okays” from the performers, this is a very accessible show that allows young and old to enjoy the spectacle before you.
One slight issue I had with this performance however, was the fact that the story seems to entirely disappear about halfway through. In the beginning we are brought into this post-apocalyptic world with this group of men searching desperately for more signs of life out there with no success. This drives some of them to the verge of nervous breakdowns, with their performances not being for fun, but rather nervous compulsions that they must do to stay calm. This goes entirely out the window in the second half of the show and in its place, we get still very impressive acrobatics and slapstick comedy, but any storyline or character development completely disappears.
A highlight of the show was when the danger of injury inherent in acrobatic stunts was replaced with the danger of accidentally flashing the audience. For reasons not entirely clear, the performers strip down to supposedly nothing, using only towels to cover their modesty. It sounds silly when written down, and it very much is, but it is delightfully silly with the risk of nudity (in front a very child heavy audience) rising constantly with new tricks being performed. This was incredibly well rehearsed with some brilliant moments of faux jeopardy where you think everything is about to go wrong, but they save it at the very last moment.
In conclusion, this was a very impressive performance and unlike anything I have ever seen before. Machine de Cirque is performing 11th June, so make sure you get booked in quickly.