The
Big Top came to town ... share our reviewer's experience of a 'circus that's not
a circus'!
For about one and a half
months, the Padang was transformed into a circus ground, ablaze with bright
lights, luring the crowds with crisp white tents and colourful flags. I am
referring, of course, to the critically acclaimed Saltimbanco, which was brought to Singapore by the Canadian circus
group, Cirque du Soleil, or Circus of the Sun. Saltimbanco was, for many, the undisputed entertainment event of the
year. Like hundreds of others, I awaited its arrival with bated breath and when
it finally came to town in late November last year, it captured the imagination
of thousands and more than lived up to its reputation as the ‘greatest show on
earth’.
‘Saltimbanco’ is Italian for ‘skilled performer’ and
the circus show Saltimbanco is
unconventional in having only human performers. Indeed, once the show started, I
was struck more than once by its many unique elements. To begin with, the stage
was a psychedelic spread of gay colours and in matching style, the performers
were attired in bright, outrageous costumes. I found the entire show to be a
magical mix of acrobatics, theatre and comedy. Above all, it was an amazing
visual treat and I found myself effortlessly drawn into this make-believe world
for a good three hours, totally enraptured and spellbound. All the stresses of
the working day were forgotten for the night as I marvelled at the superb
acrobatics and laughed until my sides ached. As the night progressed, it
occurred to me that within the big top chapiteau was a fantasy playground and whilst in it, I felt as if I
was child again. I tapped my feet to the catchy music provided by the circus’
rock band and listened with amazement to the singer whose operatic voice kept me
entranced.
The appeal of Saltimbanco
was, to me, the delightful spirit of fun and play that pervaded the entire performance, and the refreshing
creativity that made every act
unconventional in little ways. The performances
of the clown were the best I had ever seen in any circus and the entire audience
roared with uncontrollable laughter at his antics, even as he teased and took
the mickey out of us. I was simultaneously amazed and amused by his uncanny
ability to punctuate his actions with little sounds, accentuating the hilarious
aspect of his actions just so. One of the acts involved three members of the
unsuspecting audience, two of whom played the part of cowboys in a match to the
death over a fair damsel. The male participants gamely displayed gun-slinging
skills à la John Wayne, which I’m sure they never realised they possessed! As
they ‘killed’ each other in dramatic fashion, the fair damsel wailed
hysterically and fainted from the trauma of the match! Needless to say, the
entire affair was turned into a hilarious episode by the clown’s antics and
nifty sound effects.
Another act which took my breath away were the four trapeze
acrobats who glided up and down and swung from their trapezes in perfect
synchrony, their silver costumes shining in the wash of lights. I was completely
mesmerised by the elegance and grace of their performance and the intricacy of
their movements.
As the circus came to a close, I walked away with an overwhelming sense of the heights which can be achieved if one dares to abandon convention and push the limits of creativity. I am sure the crowds that filled the big top night after night were similarly inspired as I was by the exhilarating experience that is Saltimbanco. Currently, the circus has moved on to Hong Kong on the next leg of its Asia-Pacific tour, and I certainly hope that Singapore will soon see another enthralling, imaginative and dynamic performance from Cirque Du Soleil’s stable of productions!
Koh
Sock Hoon
Ravindran
Associates