Cirque Surreal wows 'em at the Reebok

1:54pm Saturday 10th May 2008

CIRQUE Surreal somersaulted into Bolton's Reebok Stadium to gasps of delight from young fans.

It promised to be strange and it did not disappoint.

It all began with the show's number one clown and informal circus master, Husch-Ma-Husch.

Like a cross between Charlie Chaplain and Mr Bean - but with the voice of ET - he got things rolling with some old fashioned slapstick as he warmed up the audience for the kaleidoscope of events to come.

The bizarre world of the Cirque Surreal was dreamt up as a "circus for the 21st Century" but it also represents a return to the traditional circus, with jugglers, dancers, tumblers and acrobats all taking part.

The 25 performers, who were drawn together from across the world, showed off their remarkable range of skills last night.

First to draw audible gasps from the crowd were a duo called Desire of Flight, who flew around the big top on aerial straps performing audacious and dangerous throws - all without the aid of a safety net or wires.

Added to the melting pot of the strange were the daredevil Bulgarian acrobats Nikolay and Konstadin of Silfoldini, who also amazed the audience as they perilously leapt around on the Wheel of Death, spinning high above the floor. Other audience favourites included Lui Jai Jai and Miao Chiang Wei performing the Oriental Swan, a fusion of ballet, physical strength and acrobatics.

Perhaps slightly less death-defying, but still impressive in his own way, was Jemille, an entertainer whose act was an unlikely combination of football and juggling.

Dressed all in black, he juggled five footballs, using his hands, feet and head, in an array of skills that would make even Manchester United's Ronaldo head back to the training ground.

The rest of the two-hour rollercoaster ride boasted aerial performers, acrobats, tumblers and Zulu dancers.

Enough to provide an evening of excitement-packed, albeit slightly weird, family fun.

Cirque Surreal is at the Reebok Stadium, Carpark D, until Sunday, May 18. Call 0871 224 00 33 or visit www.cirquesurreal.co.uk for more details.

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