Behind the Scenes at Cirque du Soleil: Tips from the Top!

When invited to spend a day alongside the cast of the biggest and most famous circus in the world, Suzanne Baum jumped at the opportunity. With a fear of heights (& clowns!), Suzanne headed to the shows venue at the Royal Albert Hall to see if she could overcome both.

As a super fan of Cirque du Soleil – I have seen it in London, Florida and Las Vegas – getting invited to hang out alongside the cast and have a backstage tour was like getting the golden ticket. If you have seen the show you’ll know how thrilling and artfully creative it is – as well as weird, obscure and shocking. In fact jaw-dropping is the one word I would describe it as. As someone who juggles a lot in my job, I was keen to see if I could get out my comfort zone and embrace the experience.

Having been used to seeing the cast flying high – whether walking on tightropes or flinging themselves through the air – it was rather bizarre seeing them with their feet grounded. Stripped of their stunning costumes and make-up (which I learnt they have to do themselves – some of which can take up to two hours!), they certainly didn’t resemble circus artists. In fact – the only clue giving away their jobs was the obvious amount of strong bodies – something very much needed I am sure for the majority that either carry each other through the air, stand on each other’s heads and partake in several hand balancing acts.

Kurios at the Royal Albert Hall

As you can imagine, these acts are all very much a part of the latest show Kurios at the Royal Albert Hall, which opened this month – unsurprisingly – to great reviews. A show named “to mark the Victorian Age of Wonder,” – it makes full use of the height and scale of the Royal Albert Hall’s auditorium to surreally evoke the period’s heady collision of imagination and technological advances.

I am used to being in the audience at this venue so to stand alone in the centre of the hall took my breath away. And that was before the cast got to showcase some of their tricks. As someone who loved trampolining as a kid (three c-sections later stopped that!), I was excited to see the acro net team in action, as they performed in front of my eyes.

Thanks goodness my bottom was firmly attached to my seat as watching the acrobats jumping on a huge trampoline that is stretched across the whole stage, made my stomach lurch!  As they flew to the top of the Royal Albert Hall, somersaulted and landed gently on their feet, I was close enough to see the sweat on their backs dripping – and the look of sheer happiness on their faces.

There are many more acrobatic feats, flips and twists, human towers, soaring flight and impossible landings that make up this show. The skill of the performers is one thing, but what makes Cirque du Soleil stand out is its high-tech performance – and that is where the tech team come in. It is no surprise to hear behind the scenes there are at least 60 of them.

And the same number roughly of performers too, many of whom I was lucky enough to spend the afternoon with.

Joining the Cirque Du Soleil (safely!)

Fortunately, due to health and safety reasons, I wasn’t allowed to jump on the trampoline but I was taken instead to a workshop with the cast. From being taught how to juggle, use my lack of body strength to pull myself up on and visualisation techniques, it gave me a great insight into how these acrobats work.

Just like the show, they are playful and fun – and you can tell they are like one big family. The camaraderie is obvious from the start. With so many foreigners in one circus, many touring and living away from their families, they admit to relying on each other for support (both on and off the stage). From a 21-year-old guy out of university to a 37 year-old ex trampolining champion, they have each other’s backs.

And that is the one thing I took away from meeting the cast – the warmth, love and support they give to each other. After all, if you are going to throw yourself in the air and perform death-defying tricks, there is an obvious risk of danger. And yet this is the opposite of one man for himself; it is obvious they are not only trained to look after each other, but it is a necessity as this job comes at a risk. I actually found them an infectious bunch, cracking jokes and not taking themselves too seriously.

And on that note – much to my joy, there is only one clown in the cast so I didn’t have to worry about coming face to face with a bunch of them!

Confidence is key

Unsurprisingly, I learn having confidence is a huge part of the job. Believing in what they do, entertaining an audience and not shying away from anything is important to them. I ask what happens if they make a mistake in an act – it can happen a lot – and again, they are quick to point out it makes them more human.

And with three shows a day on a Saturday, these humans need a lot of energy and I am keen to know how they keep it up. Sundays are rest days so many choose to do nothing, others see physios (there is a huge team) – and many sleep. As part of the tour, they have two rest days, which enables them to spend one of them touring the country they are in; another bonus of the job! And – as strange as it sounds – many use their spare time to stretch! Having seen the show, and the way they manage to contort their bodies, this does not come as a surprise. In fact, even as we talk, many of them are sat with me massaging their calves.

I am taught how they use a mindfulness approach to get themselves character ready, with many pointing out once they step into their fabulous costumes, there are ready to play their part. I watch as one 6ft man manages to balance a woman on his head – and with no head for heights myself – find the whole thing mind-blowing and am too stunned to remember to clap. And that’s what makes this cast so out of this world; their dare-devil acts are just that. There to blow your mind – and to get the audience to clap, and clap, and clap!

Although I’m not ready to run away with the circus, getting to clown around with the cast was one of the best experiences I have ever had.

Kurios at the Royal Albert Hall runs until March 5. For more details, visit: royalalberthall.com

Words and images: Suzanne Baum (Lead image: Martin Girard)