The critically acclaimed OVO by Cirque de Soleil returns to Royal Albert Hall in London and it’s a feast of bugs!
Whenever Cirque de Soleil comes to town it’s always a major event, an opening night red carpet full of celebrities (this year Erin O’Connor, Vanessa Feltz, Gethin Jones, Jodie Kidd, Lee Mack, Layton Williams, Stephen Mangan, Dame Kelly Holmes plus more were seen on the pink carpet) which had decor of large plants and trees and actors dressed as insects. Upon entering the hall prior to the show there were two large stemmed roses on the stage (where two performers eventually popped out of), other large flowers, and a very very large egg. And Welcome to Ovo (which, in case you didn’t know, is Egg in Latin). Thus the show begins.
We are treated to a melange of circus acts which Cirque de Soleil has presented to audiences many times throughout the years worldwide. These include amazing aerial acrobats (which closes out the first act), contortionists doing incredible things with their bodies (Nyamgerel Gankhuyag), hand balancing and foot juggling with barrels, duo straps (two performers hanging on to ropes) – very beautiful and gracious, and lots and lots of Trampolining and Tumbling with a large group of performers who jump and bounce on a climbing wall and back and forth on trampolines and up and down up and down – it’s an amazing feast for the eyes. There is lots more in this show, including the requisite clowns who makes us laugh out loud (Mateo Amieva, Neiva Nascimento and Robin Beer), all part of a very large cast that includes performers from all over the world (Canada, Argentina, Ukraine, China, Turkey, and lots of others including Mongolia!). It’s a truly international cast from a company that has been bringing us entertainment since the 1980’s! You can’t really miss with a show from Cirque de Soleil, and I recommend catching now while you can while they are in London until March 1, 2026. Ovo is a very family friendly show, and it’s nothing that hasn’t been seen or done before, so enjoy this one where you will see crickets leaping all over the stage, butterflies soaring in midair, ants and more ants, and spiders that bend in many ways. Let’s hope you don’t get bitten by any of the insects!