Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria Reviews

"Will leave you breathless all over again"

"The sheer spectacle of one of Cirque's oldest shows will knock your socks off"

"Ten years on, I've acquired different socks but they were knocked off again last night by this reimagined version, subtitled In A New Light and directed by Jean-Guy Legault."

"There are, however, reservations. Most notably it does not feel so trailblazing, with the likes of intimate variety shows La Clique making circus skills sexier. Even second time around, I still struggled to decipher the plot. Something to do with hope, resilience, new replacing old and the notion that maybe a fool can become a king."

"At one point the stage is transformed into a huge trampoline track for a muscular troupe who make the recent revived TV Gladiators look like wimps."

"Alegria apparently means happiness, and these precision-tooled performers certainly leave their audience smiling. Bring spare socks for when your first pair get knocked off."

"This soppy, funny, OTT entertainment is Cirque du Soleil at its best"

"There are many reasons why this 40-year-old Canadian company is the world’s most famous circus. And you’ll witness them all in this lively reboot of a classic show from their back catalogue. Lavish design, astonishing athletes, and deft direction that ushers you from giggles to gasps with - apparently - the greatest of ease."

"The clowns – Spanish duo Pablo Bermejo and Pablo Gomis Lopez – are a delight. It’s unusual for the light relief to be the highlight of a circus, but the story of their odd-couple friendship really is the heart of this one."

"The circus skills are – as you would expect from Cirque du Soleil – world class... The music is - as you would expect - awful."

"To be fair, I’ve seen some Cirque shows in recent years that have seemed repetitive and soulless, dollar signs reflected in their eyes. But not ‘Alegria’: it mingles the consummate professionalism that comes from big budgets and deep experience with a fresh energy and life."

"New light on an old Cirque du Soleil favourite"

"Thirty years after the show was created, this 2019 revamp of one of Cirque du Soleil’s more iconic performances returns to London in a refreshed and highly satisfying form. The production values are top-notch, and the 11 acts deliver high-quality pleasure and ample vicarious thrills. Even the clowning — often one of the more insufferably broad elements of Canada’s unstoppable circus behemoth — has its charms."

"Soloists and duos make their mark. Ghislain Ramage, long, lean and musical, is a superb exponent of the Cyr wheel. Yulia Makeeva and Alexey Turchenko’s aerial straps routine is an entwining love duet. Daria Kalinina and Halina Starevich’s exacting hand-to-hand gymnastics are expertly judged."

"Everyone is beautifully garbed, and all of it is wrapped up in a live remix of René Dupéré’s original, Grammy-nominated score, led by a brace of powerhouse yet soothing-voiced singers. Wow."