Varekai

Published Wednesday 9 January 2008 at 15:55 by Liz Arratoon

What is it about Varekai - yet another Cirque du Soleil show - with its themes of falling, flying and exotic life at a volcano, that would entice people out into the night?

First and always, it is the sheer quality of the artists. So let’s name the best of them. British identical twins Andrew and Kevin Atherton perform an exquisite double aerial straps number that sweeps you up with excitement. It - and they - look amazing, either in mirror image, side by side or together on one set of straps. Bravo!

Russian hand-balancer Irina Naumenko, working on canes, is stunning. In a sparkling nude bodysuit, she combines strength and balletic elegance to devastating effect. And there is no mistaking the brilliance of Roni and Stiv Bello’s Risley routine, as the flyer turns somersault after somersault, landing impeccably, but this number was missing its other team.

There are also three superb Georgian dancers, a gorgeous ‘slippery surface’ group sequence, when Eiko Ishioka’s striking costumes are seen in all their glory, and a thrilling finale on double Russian swings, with flyers leaping between the two or into gigantic fabric slides.

Clowns Steven Bishop and Joanna Holden are really funny but their fifties variety club-style entrees seem sadly incongruous with the fantasy of the narrative.

Enhancing all these skilful performers are two of Cirque’s finest singers, Craig Jennings and Isabelle Corradi. Quite how they stand the generic world music night after night is beyond me. But it is worth suffering that, and some of Cirque’s usual annoying characters, to get to the cream.