Lest anyone who has seen a Cirque du Soleil performance have forgotten just how sensational – how cutting edge – this troupe is, KOOZA is a must see. For those who have not yet witnessed the mastery and magic, you are in for a very special treat, the likes of which you have not cast your eyes upon before. Make no mistake, these are the performers who totally rewrote what was possible in modern circus. They looked at the horizon and pushed beyond. Today they continue to do so, show after show … and I see plenty of circus. Cirque du Soleil is the best of the best.
Yes, it is about the acts, but it is also about the theatricality, the staging, the costumes and the original music – all blended seamlessly, exquisitely. So much so that after half an hour I turned to my wife and said “I would gladly see this tomorrow for a second time”. It is that damn great. KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleil, as it combines two circus traditions – acrobatic performance and the art of clowning.
The name KOOZA was inspired by the Sanskrit word “koza”, which means “box”, “chest” or “treasure”, and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a “circus in a box”. In fact, it is a jack-in-the-box that kicks this show into gear. Then follows a spectacular and dynamic opening number, introducing us to the world of KOOZA – acrobatics and strong men, human pyramids, magnificent costuming and talented musicians. The aerialist with single hoop is as lithe and fearless as I have seen. Her readily flowing body movements high above the stage are made to appear effortless, hanging as she does, on occasions, by her feet and neck. Before this is over she will spin like a top, faster and faster. Deft and dynamic, her acrobatic feats also involve flying, swooping and swinging. A unicyclist has such command of his single wheeler that he is able to be in constant motion while balancing his partner on his head, above his head and on his back, even spinning her around and around as if she were a rag doll.
The act displays strength, control and grace. Over the years I have witnessed and admired many high wire acts, but never like the foursome at KOOZA. First up, they perform their stunts on two wires, one immediately above the other (one 4.5 metres, or 15 feet, high and the other 7.6 metres, or 25 feet, up) – all four on the lines at one time, two on each. Most of their act though is on the higher of the wires – simply breathtaking stuff, involving jumping, skipping, sword fighting and lying down on the line. One even manages to jump over another without losing his balance and then a second repeats the feat, but this time jumping over two others. But the piece de resistance is two cycling across the wire while a third performs acrobatics on a chair positioned on a rod fixed on each of the cyclists’ shoulders as they move. Wow!
The second act starts with the appearance of members of the company dressed like the grim reaper and skeletons, before two artistes make the 725 kilogram, or 1,600 pound, “Wheel of Death” their play thing. Through only their body movements they build up speed so they are leaping both inside and outside the “hoops” at either end of the apparatus, even skipping outside, generating regular gasps from the audience at their daring do. They can even slow down the wheel such that it is perfectly still both vertically and horizontally with the pair of them inside. Being as close to the action as we were undoubtedly added to the thrill.
The KOOZA drummer is given his moment in the sun when he appears on stage complete with his full kit and we can witness his frenzied but rhythmic beats by hand and foot on cymbals and drums. Spinning one, two, three and even seven hoops at one time, twirling by hand, foot and body, a woman demonstrates her skill, balance and fluidity of movement. She is both mesmerising and balletic. A diminutive, muscular gent performs handstands atop as many as eight chairs positioned on a pedestal, creating a seven metre, or 23-foot, tower in the process. The act builds in intensity the higher he goes.
The spectacular finish to KOOZA involves a teeterboard (seesaw) and performers flung high into the air where they execute quintuple twisting somersaults. Then they ramp up the degree of difficulty by having double and single metal stilts strapped to their legs. The level of skill required has to be seen to be believed. Interspersed with the spectacular acts is plenty of clowning – twice involving audience participation – and slapstick humour that goes down a treat. Just watch out for a human size furry dog. I don’t want to say any more about that for fear of ruining the surprise.
Cirque du Soleil’s eighth Big Top show to tour Australia appears under the company’s trademark blue-and-yellow Grand Chapiteau. It highlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, turmoil and harmony. Writer and director David Shiner says it is about human connection. While KOOZA doesn’t take itself too seriously, it is undoubtedly about ideas. “As it evolves, we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power,” Shiner says.
I referred to the costumes earlier. They are amazing. All are custom-made – the majority produced at the costume workshop at Cirque du Soleil’s international headquarters in Montreal, Canada. The only facility of its kind in North America, it has more than 300 full-time employees, including specialists in fields as varied as textile design, lace work, shoe, wig, pattern and costume making, and millinery. In KOOZA there are more than 175 costumes and 160 hats – 1,080 items in all, including the shoes, props and wigs. The music is inspired by the sounds of western pop culture, from 1970s funk to full orchestral arrangements. It also draws heavily on traditional Indian music. There are six KOOZA band members on trumpet, trombone, bass, drums, percussion, saxophone, electric guitar and keyboard, along with two singers.
The stage is dominated by a traveling tower, called the Bataclan, which moves artists in and out of the spotlight, serves as a bandstand and is flanked by two curved staircases. ? The decoration of the Bataclan is inspired by Hindu culture, Pakistani buses and Indian jewellery. Overlooking the Bataclan, the giant fabric structure known as “the Void” is printed with motifs drawn from the internal structure of leaves, to give it an organic look. The “sails” that frame the Bataclan open and close like the petals of an enormous flower. The musician pit is located on the upper level of the structure. All this is a banquet for the eyes and I assure you the couple of hours (excluding interval) passes quickly as the international cast of 50 acrobats, musicians, singers and actors once again lift the bar on what one can see at the circus.
When reflecting upon KOOZA, the words astonishing and flawless immediately come to mind. I don’t use them idly. How else could or should one describe acrobatic, artistic and creative genius? It is playing under the Grand Chapiteau or Big Top at Flemington Racecourse, 448 Epsom Road, Flemington until March 26th. For more information and to buy tickets, go to www.cirquedusoleil.com/kooza . And finally a tip, so that you don’t miss the start, allow yourself an extra half hour to get there if you are driving to the venue. Vehicles were banked up and moved at a snail’s pace for the last few kilometres of the journey the night we attended.
Alex First
David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television