Cirque du Soleil presents Corteo – London 2025

Creative magnificence

In the winter issue of the AGTO Magazine we brought news of Cirque du Soleil’s production of ‘Corteo’ that has now just opened at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

As we reported, this is a Cirque du Soleil first. The stage is central in the arena, with each half of the audience facing the other half. It gives what the show’s promoters say is a unique perspective and an atmosphere like never seen before in Cirque du Soleil shows.

On Wednesday 8 January I was joined by Wendy Hartley-Scarff and David Steele to see the dress rehearsal of the show. So, does it live up to the hype.

The answer is a resounding yes!

Cirque du Soleil performances are well known, but in this new staging, the level of creativity has been ramped up by several notches. The result is both astonishing and magnificent.

The programme features a mix of remarkable aerial and acrobatic displays, combined with Cirque du Soleil’s trademark silliness. At one point, three balloons take a small person on an untethered flight over both sides of the audience. The centre staging, which includes a well-used revolving stage, and compared to a traditional thrust stage, brings everything closer to you. For me, the graceful appearance, and disappearance, of angels flying in was one many memorable moments.

The cast of more than 50 skilled performers work their socks off, with a number of literally death-defying routines.

The family-friendly show, set in a dreamlike world where reality and illusion blend, is a tour-de-force combining circus and theatre, music and costumes. It’s no mean claim to say that, with the Royal Albert Hall staging, this is very possibly the best Cirque du Soleil production yet.

Prices are certainly keen, but special rates are available for groups of 10 or more, and it’s well worth seeing. The show runs until the beginning of March.

To find out more, email Tony Lincoln at tony.lincoln@cirquedusoleil.com

For general information, go to cirquedusoleil.com/corteo

Review by Stuart Render