Cirque du Soleil: Corteo Review. Step into the Dreamscape.

Posted on 16 Jan 2025

If dreams were a circus, they’d look like Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo. Forget your average juggling act and rickety tents; this is Cirque du Soleil, where the impossible is just the starting point, and Corteo is one of their most charming and enchanting creations.

The premise? A clown imagines his own funeral, but don’t expect doom and gloom. This is a celebration of life, joy, and the utterly absurd, and what unfolds is a dazzling blend of acrobatics, comedy, and breathtaking artistry.

From the moment you step into the Royal Albert Hall, you feel ready to be completely immersed in the spectacle. Then the curtain lifts, and you’re thrust into a world of whimsy. The staging is unique, with the audience split into two halves facing each other, creating a communal atmosphere. You feel like you’re part of the show—a guest at this quirky clown’s farewell party.

The acts are a kaleidoscope of skill and creativity. There’s the bouncing bed routine, where performers leapfrog, flip, and tumble with such joy that you end up hitting up the Argos website in a post-show frenzy, trying to ascertain if a trampoline will fit in your back garden. It’s part slumber party fever dream, part Bedknobs and Broomsticks on a sugar rush.

Then there’s the chandelier act, where acrobats swing high above the stage in a gravity-defying dance that’s as elegant as it is nerve-wracking. It makes you want to don your thigh-high socks and get up there yourself. (Seriously though, if there’s a Cirque-certified Boot Camp that’ll give me core strength like that, I’m in!)

Other jaw-to-the-floor moments include a dancer sinuously entwining herself around a pole that lifts off the ground and starts hypnotizingly swinging like a pendulum, ladder handstands, and a gravity-defying seesaw game (which sounds like we’re back in the playground, but the Cirque troop makes this dance of balance and bravery look like a walk in the park).

Later our protagonist cruises on a bike in the heavens like E.T. with angel wings, while a procession of acrobats twist and twirl in perfect time, like synchronised swimmers—except, you know, way higher up. You’re laughing, you're gasping, and you're wondering what on earth you just witnessed. It’s chaos. It’s flawlessly orchestrated mayhem. It’s pure jaw-dropping magic.

But what really sets Corteo apart is its heart. There’s a sense of humour and humanity woven through every act. The clowning isn’t filler—it’s genuinely funny. At one point, a performer strapped into helium balloons floats over the audience, and the interaction between her and the crowd is pure magic. It’s moments like these that remind you why Cirque du Soleil has been stealing the show for over 40 years.

Of course, as with any Cirque du Soleil production, Corteo is as much about the little details as the big stunts. The costumes are a feast for the eyes—a mix of vintage elegance and theatrical flair. The lighting transforms the stage into a series of dreamscapes, from twinkling stars to warm, golden afternoons.

By the time the show ends, you’ll be floating as high as the acrobats. Corteo isn’t just a show—it’s an experience. Seeing Cirque du Soleil at the Royal Albert Hall is a bucket-list item for everyone. And Corteo is a New Year’s reminder for us to celebrate life in all its absurd glory. In short, go and see it, and rediscover your sense of wonder.

Ready to be mesmerised and hypnotised in equal measure? And is 35 too old to enrol in Circus School? (Asking for a friend.)

Cirque du Soleil’s Corteo is playing at the Royal Albert Hall until 2 March 2025.