Cirque Bon Bon, a 75-minute delightful cabaret-style show packed with exhilarating acrobats, contortionists and dancers, has been a wild success so far. Since its creation in 2021, it has attracted over 14, 000 patrons across Australia.
It’s a French-themed yet Aussie-made circus/cabaret act, brought to life by Cirque Du Soleil Assistant Creative Director Ash Jacks and choreographer Julieann Nugent.
We had the pleasure of attending opening night at Canberra Theatre on Thursday 22 August. It’s been a long time since I’ve attended a circus event: I can remember going as a child and seeing animals and performers. As a long-term vegan, I was excited to see how the circus has modernised, and how they’ve evolved away from using animals and instead focusing on the quality and skill of talented acts.
By the end of the night, I was blown away by the incredible troop of performers. Each performer brought a unique skill to the stage, without compromising on quality. Each act, from the contortionists to the aerial artists was awe-inspiring. I appreciated how the show broke up the individual acts with the quartet of dancers. Each act had us on the edge of our seats. The audience was engaged: laughing, clapping and cheering.
Between each act, the dancers graced the stage. They were talented and poised: dancers were moving smoothly from contemporary to classical jazz, even including an upbeat tap routine. Worth mentioning are their stunning costumes, and the variety they had. The lighting elevated the costumes and brought their overall routines to life.
Contortionist and foot archery artist Shannen Michaela’s routine caught us by surprise. She holds the Guinness world record for shooting an arrow the farthest with her feet, and seeing her bend over to do just that left us spellbound. The audience cheered loudly when the arrow hit the balloon.
Also worth mentioning are the aerial acrobats: Liam Dummer and Ashleigh Roper brought emotion and grace to their routines and had us sitting on the very edges of our seats. They both brought tension and drama to the stage: we were holding our breath, unable to look away.
Emma Goh and Scott Lazarevich, an Australian skating duo with plenty of skill, brought the stage to life and made everybody’s hearts beat faster. There is something incredible about seeing someone being thrown around on roller skates and their ability to skate in alignment and unison was beautiful to watch.
Naturally, a circus wouldn’t be a circus without a juggler, and Cody Harrington delivered the goods, relaxing the audience with his solo act of discs, balls and clubs. After the intensity of the contortionists and aerial acrobats, it was a relief to have an upbeat, bright performance. The audience appreciated his easy-going attitude.
Mario, the host of the night, brought it all together. We appreciated his focus on audience participation, and his fun humour helped everyone let go of the breath they’d been holding during the other tense performances. Having a mix of light-hearted and intense acts made the show well-paced and incredibly enjoyable.
Cirque Bon Bon was a fantastic show. It was fun, entertaining and high quality, with plenty of talented acts and dancers. If you’re looking for a unique date or memorable family event, Cirque Bon Bon is a great choice. It really was a world-class event for all ages.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Cirque Bon Bon wrapped its Canberra Theatre run on 24th August. Brisbane audiences can catch the show as part of Brisbane Festival from September 18th to 20th. Tickets HERE.
Header image features Shannon Michaela
