I’d been longing to go to a Cirque Du Soleil show for a couple of years but never got around to it. I’m so bad at booking things in advance. A couple of weeks ago I was invited to the opening night of their touring show, Varekai here in Sheffield. I was so excited and luckily I was able to take Phil along with me. Despite talking frequently of how we must get to a Cirque Du Soleil performance neither of us had much of an idea of what to expect. I think that’s what made it extra exciting.
It had been years since I was last at the Sheffield Arena. I think the last time was when I went to see Spice Girls and that’s was a very long time ago. The arena had been split off and although it was still a fairly large space it really made the performance feel more intimate.
We loved having the chance to see Varekai, it sounds cheesy but it was a truly magical experience. The show is based around the Greek myth of Icarus but through Cirque Du Soleil’s own interpretation. The stage is beautifully crafted into a magical forest and the cast are the exotic creatures. Their costumes make everything that little bit more magical and some of them even sparkle and shimmer.
So much thought has clearly gone into every little detail of the Varekai performance. The strong music, the lighting, the make-up, the costumes and of course, the acrobats were all beyond amazing. The strength, skill and precision of the cast is almost hard to believe.
So, what can you expect from Varekai?
Well, you need to try real hard not to blink. There’s just so much going on and trust me, you don’t want to miss a second. The story is beautiful, the performance is out of this world and there’s even a magician and his over-the-top assistant who will keep you laughing while the stage is changed. My favourite bit was probably the Russian Swings and the Georgian Dance although it doesn’t seem fair to pick a favourite part, I honestly adored every second of the show. I could very easily watch it again.
We left feeling truly inspired and amazed by what we had seen. I can’t wait to go to and see another Cirque Du Soleil performance in the very near future.
You can catch the show in Birmingham, Nottingham and Glasgow – book your tickets here.