Cirque Du Soleil's Kooza Is A Doozy Of A Show

Ruth Hargreaves
By Ruth Hargreaves Last edited 110 months ago
Cirque Du Soleil's Kooza Is A Doozy Of A Show ★★★★☆ 4

Cirque du Soleil.

Londonist Rating: ★★★★☆

Cirque du Soleil are back at London’s Royal Albert Hall until 19 February and doing what they do best - no holds barred, pull out all the stops circus.

That may seem obvious, and the internationally-acclaimed Canadian company are of course renowned for their acrobatic skill and derring-do, but that doesn’t mean that every show of theirs hits the mark (their last show at Royal Albert Hall, Quidam, felt rather more traditional).

But not Kooza. No, Kooza has all the heart-thumping, jaw-clenching, palm-sweating stunts that make Cirque shows such a pleasure (and sometimes, pain) to watch. We were cringing back in our seats during the High Wire section, as four acrobats first skittered over the 100-foot high tightrope like nervous ducklings, before proceeding to skip, hop, jump and even … cycle over the abyss.

In terms of a show highlight, Wheel of Death is the undoubted winner. A crazy hamster ball-cum-rotating see-saw act (see video below) that had audience members crying out from their seats in joyous disbelief, it was a true spectacle and as much a triumph of design as it was of acrobatic success.

A couple of clowning acts are initially slightly jarring, but they too are accomplished and eventually provide a brief, welcome respite from the surrounding drama. Hoops manipulation and contortion are old favourites done to an impeccable standard, while the Teeterboard section had all the flips, jumps and twists necessary to close such a show.

All this set to the backing of live music from the Cirque band and singers. For Cirque enthusiasts, Kooza delivers the goods all over again. For newbies, if you’re tempted, we think now is a good time to see what all the fuss is about. Kooza is a doozy of a show, just remember to take some tissues for those sweaty palms.

Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza is at Royal Albert Hall until 19 February 2015. Tickets cost £17.80-£89.20 and can be booked online. Londonist saw this show on a complimentary review ticket.

Last Updated 07 January 2015