The Stage

Cirque du Soleil marks 20 years with worldwide shows

Published Tuesday 22 June 2004 at 10:25 by Ruth Gillespie

Cirque du Soleil is celebrating its 20th anniversary year with a series of ten different shows appearing simultaneously around the world.

Originally established in 1984 by a small group of street performers in Quebec, the company now employs more than 3,000 people, including 600 artists.

Founder and chief executive officer Guy Laliberte said: “We want the next 20 years to be in the image of our earliest years. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to achieve but even more excited when I realise that our mission is far from completed. I look forward to the future with such enthusiasm that I feel the same sense of excitement as when I first started.”

Cirque du Soleil first toured Europe ten years ago with Saltimbanco. Following on from the success of Dralion last year, it will return to the Royal Albert Hall in London from January 6, 2005.