Carrying the highly contested title of best circus in the world, at least by popular opinion, must be a Herculean task. Thankfully, Cirque du Soleil’s team of 1,200+ performers (no less!) are in good shape.
London marks the start of this year’s OVO tour, which was originally created in 2009, and we couldn’t let them fly off to their next destination without paying a visit. Now playing at the Royal Albert Hall until 1st March, after a solid run of just over seven weeks, this show feels refreshingly distinctive.
The clue is in the name – OVO, meaning “egg” in Portuguese. The show is all about transformation, celebrating the magic of nature and the diversity of our ecosystem with joy, colour, and delight.
The story behind OVO
The story begins with the sudden appearance of a mysterious egg, sparking curiosity and interaction among the insect characters – spiders, ants, dragonflies, scarabs, and more. Each creature has its own personality and movement style, and the egg becomes a symbol of change, discovery, and the endless possibilities of life.
While there’s no spoken dialogue, the story is told through dazzling acrobatics, music, and visuals. From gravity-defying aerial silks to intricate contortions, trampoline walls, and coordinated group acts, every performance brings this vibrant ecosystem to life. We’ll leave it here to avoid any spoilers!
What to expect from Cirque Du Soleil’s OVO
As with other Cirque Du Soleil shows, OVO is a feast for the senses, with a logical sequence of acts that keeps us glued to the stage from beginning to end. We had only seen Alegria before, and after asking around during the break (there were some clear experts in the audience), there was consensus: this ranks up there with their favourite Cirque du Soleil productions.
It was dazzling, enchanting, immersive and evocative, but with moments of razor-sharp focus, particularly during some of single acts that required complete control and precision (we’re talking a dragonfly hand balancing on top of a curled plant stem, or a rolling balancing act on top of a giant curved leaf).
Out of all the solo acts, the contortionist was uncontestably our favourite. The artist (or spider, rather) was gracefully stretching, curling, and twisting in ways that seemed to defy the limits of the human body. The body-bending was truly mind-bending – no matter what you’ve seen on TV so far.
Group sets included Chinese poles, some surprisingly impressive foot juggling, and a spine-tingling cradle-style aerial where multiple performers were thrown and caught with such ease it was as if they were weightless (how do they make it look so effortless?!). As for the musical moments, it won’t surprise you to know there was a Brazilian-inspired soundtrack to keep us energised.
The sets and costumes are a riot of colour – gigantic flowers, dangling leaves, and bright, imaginative outfits that bring this buzzing OVO ecosystem to life (we’re talking spiders, dragonflies, ants, scarabs, and more!).
Our verdict
Tickets to Cirque du Soleil aren’t exactly budget-friendly, but that’s the price you pay for world-class performances. It’s a two-hour show with a 25-minute interval, and it’s full-on, alternating between more intimate, solemn moments with individual performers and astounding large-scale group acts.
The only thing scenes we would have loved to press skip on were the theatre acts between some of the performances. They were essentially gibberish (with no actual dialogue) and while they were made to be silly and add to the storyline, they sometimes took away from the jaw-dropping skill on display. Still, we get it: when the acrobatics are this high-level, a few fillers are probably necessary, and will certainly appeal to the younger audience.
Between the storytelling, the stunning sets, the bewildering acts, and the sheer immersiveness of it all, OVO is an experience not to miss.
Visit the Cirque Du Soleil website or Instagram for more updates on OVO and the other productions.
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