The basic premise is of a group of people rebelling against monotony and reinventing themselves against the grey stiffness of the factory city of Cirkopolis.
It begins with an office desk ‘Adjustment Bureau’-type parade of people in grey raincoats and hats, armed with piles of paperwork - all set against a backdrop of huge cogs and stark lighting.
This soon gives way to bursts of expression and colour as they break out into ensemble dance and juggling routines and individual demonstrations of acrobatic exertion.
A soundtrack that veers from Pink Floydesque songs to hefty industrial beats and the slightly whimsical is almost as diverse as the actions delivered on the broad Sheikh Rashid Hall stage.
It accompanies elaborate activities using ropes, furniture and giant wheels as the multi-disciplined team propel themselves off objects and each other into spins, dives and single limb balancing that defies gravity and basic physical limitation.
Delivered in one act, Cirkopolis is warmed by bouts of humour and a ‘love scene’ where a lone male performer dances with a dress on a coat hanger.
Summing up his vision, artistic director Jeannot Painchaud talks of a “crossroads between imagination and reality, between individuality and community, between limits and possibilities”.
Cirkopolis ticks those boxes and while it utilizes some strong visuals on its stage-wide screen, people skills and carefully curated stamina are very much the heart of this show.
And for what it sometimes lacks in clarity Cirkpolis more than rewards in often breathtaking examples of physical prowess and choreographed personality.
If you’re seeking a circus show in the traditional sense you might be in for a surreal surprise, but go with an appetite to witness gifted, lithe and well-drilled human beings perform potentially bone-snapping routines and modern dance moves, and you’ll find Cirkopolis is an unconventional treat this Eid holiday.
DETAILS:
CIRQUE Éloize’s Cirkopolis is at Dubai World Trade Centre until and including September 26. For performance times and tickets, visit www.tixbox.com
FOR information on this and other shows and events at DWTC go to www.dwtc.com