Cirque’s Search for London Base Continues???

Something of a perennial rumour on these pages, the internationally-renowned Canadian circus company Cirque de Soleil are again said to be seeking a permanent London home. Guy Laliberte, Cirque’s founder and chief executive, has reportedly engaged the services of entertainment industry advisors Allen & Co to identify potential sites for the new base, which would build on the success of the group’s 15-year annual residency at the Royal Albert Hall. Previous rumours had the company linked to The O2 during the conversion of the ill-fated Millennium Dome, the decommissioned Battersea Power Station and the redevelopment of Leicester Square. Founded in Quebec in 1984 by a troupe of street performers, Cirque already has a permanent residency in Las Vegas. Their most recent show, Totem, announced recently that its London run at the Royal Albert Hall would be extended due to high ticket demand. Directed by Robert Lepage, the show will now play from 5 January to 17 February 2011 and follows last year’s revival of Varekai to mark the company’s 25th anniversary.