Corteo, the most enchanting of Cirque du Soleil’s arena productions is finally set to charm UK audiences for the very first time, with intermission over following a forced two-year postponement.
A welcome addition to Cirque du Soleil’s return to their much-loved UK, the show will open in Dublin from 6 – 10 July 2022 then London from 13 – 17 July 2022. The show will then continue across the country with shows in Manchester from 5 – 9 October 2022, Glasgow from 12 – 16 October 2022 and Birmingham from 19 – 23 October 2022. General tickets will be on sale on Friday 17 December at 9am at cirquedusoleil.com/corteo or www.livenation.co.uk.
This unique production, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, first premiered in Montreal under the Big Top in April 2005. Since then and including its transformation into an arena show in 2018, the show has amazed audiences of over 9 million people, in 20 countries, on 4 continents.
Advance tickets for Corteo are available on 14 December at 9am to Cirque Club members. Cirque Club membership is free and benefits include access to advance tickets, special offers and exclusive behind the scenes information. To join, go to www.cirqueclub.com.
Corteo, which means cortege in Italian, is a joyous procession, a festive parade imagined by a clown. The show brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.
The clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us. The music turns lyrical and playful carrying Corteo through a timeless celebration in which illusion teases reality.
In a Cirque du Soleil first, the stage is central in the arena and divides the venue, with each half of the audience facing the other half, giving a unique perspective not only of the show, but also a performer’s eye view of the audience. An atmosphere like never seen before in Cirque du Soleil arena shows. The set curtains, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and the central curtains, which were hand painted, give a grandiose feel to the stage. This sets the tone for the poetry of Corteo.
Mike Newquist, Senior Vice President, Touring Shows Division said: “We are absolutely thrilled that we are finally able to bring Corteo to the UK. For two years our performers have been waiting to experience the joy of the audience once again and excitingly with the unique staging of Corteo, for the first time the audience will also get to see and feel the show from the performer’s perspective. It will be an emotional and magical return.”
