Cirque du Soleil has now become an annual tradition we rather enjoy: this is the fifth January in a row that we’ve braved London’s miserable winter weather to venture out to the Royal Albert Hall for a night of circus spectacular. The renowned Quebecois circus troupe has been putting on shows for over 40 years now, and they have it down to a fine art: for 2026 we have OVO, an updated revival of their 2009 show. So what’s it all about?
We doubt many people come to a show like this for the story, but in a nutshell, we’re introduced to an ecosystem of bugs: at the top of the show, a strange outsider arrives with an egg (hence the production’s name). The newcomer has a brief flirtation with the ladybug and… well, honestly, that’s about it. The egg seems to serve little purpose beyond being a focal point for some of the vignettes created by the performers, and we don’t really learn much about the other characters in the show. But that’s beside the point: we’re here for the spectacle, and as you’d expect, OVO is quite the visual feast.
The show begins with some lighthearted numbers, included a charming display of playful foot choreography involving oversized kiwi fruits; over the course of the evening the tricks grow bigger and ever more dazzling. Most of the highlights fall in act two: a daring tightrope walk across a beautifully-realised crescent moon stage is perhaps the most visually-striking scene of the night, while the finale – which sees gravity-defying jumps against a huge wall, while acrobats effortlessly glide across the stage below – is mesmerising. We also enjoyed a quirky caterpillar dance routine, which is absolutely as silly as it sounds.
Not every routine lands. As with all Cirque du Soleil shows, OVO is interspersed with clowning sections throughout the evening. We know why they’re there – they provide some light comic relief moments for the kids (this is a family friendly show after all), and they also afford an opportunity for scenes to be built and for performers to prepare for the next trick – but they do slow proceedings down. Some years are better than others, and sadly this year’s effort is underwhelming. A few of the main tricks – like the Cyr wheel and the diablo – are pleasant enough, but far from spectacular.
As a whole, though, we really enjoyed our evening with OVO. As you’d expect it all looks wonderful – Cirque du Soleil spare absolutely no expense on the costumes or the staging – and while it may not fire on all cylinders all evening, the show has more than enough tricks up its sleeve to keep its audience entertained.
GAY TIMES gives OVO – 4/5
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