Montreal loves the circus, we know that. The public is amateur. Better, the public is connoisseur. He has seen the growth of companies that shine internationally, regularly attends the circus festival and is proud to see students from all over the world trained here.
Knowing this, one may be surprised to see that La Tohu has opened its doors to a spectacle as pale asEssence, from the Vaiven Circo troupe. Arrived from Spain and installed in the Montreal hall for 10 days, the troupe here offers several variations around a children’s toy, the Waldorf rainbow.
Composed of arches and pillars that are deconstructed and rebuilt according to the imagination of those who handle it, this toy has been recreated in giant format to serve as rigging for acrobats. The idea seemed brilliant and the scenic possibilities almost endless.
However, this magnificent wooden structure represents the most successful element of this uninspired and acrobatically unrefined show.
On stage, five performers come alive with no clear direction during this hour-long show that seems to stretch far beyond. They circle around the pieces of wood and steel of their giant toy, move them to one side or the other of the stage, perform a few childish pirouettes and then leave for another round.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Moving the various pieces of the giant Waldorf rainbow takes up a lot of time in the show.
No need to look for any narrative framework to cling to or to wait for a crescendo that would be slow to arrive… It makes you wonder if the troupe called on a director to direct it (the answer is yes, we have checked !).
Admittedly, the dance – especially the flamenco – sometimes comes to the tip of its nose between two tottering hand-to-hand turns, but nothing very exciting is offered. The whole thing lacks rhythm and the histrionics of certain artists often fall flat.
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, THE PRESS
Luckily there was a bit of juggling to save the day.
From an acrobatic point of view, only the balancing acts on the Russian bar and juggling manage to raise some applause. But let’s be honest: we’ve seen much better in graduate shows or during free outdoor performances at Montréal Complètement cirque. Some numbers are almost embarrassing as they are not raised: this is the case of the endless dance number with the vertical bar where nothing happens…
In short, an audience as knowledgeable as that of Montreal – and Quebec as a whole – deserves something bigger than this boring and flat show.
Essence
By the Vaiven Circo troupe
At the TohuUntil March 18