Dralion

Synopsis

Billed as a fusion of ancient Chinese circus tradition and the avant-garde approach of Cirque du Soleil, the Dralion name is a combination of dragon (representing the East) and the lion (the West). According to marketing material, it derives much of its inspiration from Eastern philosophy with its perpetual quest for harmony between humankind and nature. Dralion is performed by a company of more than 55 artists from ten countries. Amongst the dare-devil and highly skilled acts on offer are: hoop diving, teeterboard, double trapeze, aerial pas de deux, single handbalancing, bamboo poles, juggling, the aerial hop and ballet on lights as well as a variety of other clowns, acrobats and dancers.

Our Review:

7 January 2005

NOTE: The following review dates from January 2004 and this production's premiere run at the Royal Albert Hall.

Cirque du Soleil may have been founded out of a group of street entertainers in Quebec, but now this corporate circus behemoth bestrides the universe like a colossus. With some 2,500 employees, working on a total of nine shows that are currently running around the world and that are seen by millions of people in a single year, it’s Big Business – with Big Prices to match. Tickets for box and ringside seating for their annual Royal Albert Hall gig have now reached more than £50.

But does the show live up to the price, or even more crucially, to expectations? Having long ago set new standards for circus production values that exceed those of the most lavish Broadway musicals, how are they going to impress us this time?

The answer, with Dralion, is as ever with the simplicity, elegance and beauty of the human (and frequently ...

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