(The Globe of Death)
Magical experience. It is big, it’s brash, it is spectacular and it is just a little
mind blowing. (Review by Keith Millar)
Roll up, Roll up!
The Circus is in town!
The fabulous Great Moscow Circus has pitched its
colourful Mighty Big Top in the in the Suncoast Casino car park for a short
season and will be bringing all the excitement, magic and thrills of a
world-class show to the audiences of Durban.
Being rather blasé
by nature, it is not often that I shake my head in wonderment at something and
I almost never find my jaw dropping in astonishment and incredulity.
When both happen at
the same time I imagine it is not a pretty sight, but this is exactly what I
experienced, repeatedly, during this superlative show.
It is a slick,
polished, high energy and high action production. The acts come thick and fast
– each one seemingly more gobsmacking and death defying than the one before.
The music blares,
the lights dazzle and the sequined costumes sparkle as the audience roars its
approval from the get go to the end.
There are jugglers,
tumblers, trampolines, a rubber man, clowns, acrobats, balance acts, double
giant spinning wheels, motor bikes in the “Globe of Death”, quick change
artists and more. It is truly a magical experience.
The Great Moscow
Circus is an international affair with the cream of circus entertainers form
Cuba, the Ukraine, Belarus, Canada, Brazil, Colombia, the USA and Mexico
joining Russia’s finest in the spectacular extravaganza.
The show is held
together by the excellent Russian Ringmaster Stanislav Kniazkov who has worked
with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Baily circuses amongst others. He
is a charming performer who keeps the energy levels at a high pitch throughout.
All the acts are
world-class so to signal a few out is possibly doing a disservice to others.
However, my top picks are the Quick Change Transformationists, Sixto and Lucia
magically changing into a plethora of glamorous costumes with nothing more
than a brief shake of a curtain.
Next was the Double
Giant wheel. Huge four-ton apparatus spinning at great speed with the Diorio
Boys achieving moments of weightlessness and risking their lives while doing
unbelievable acrobatic tricks.
Master Clown Dmitry
Shindrov is very polished and brilliantly funny as he keeps the action going
during the rigging of the various apparatus used in the show. His audience
interaction is excellent.
Finally, one must
mention the Globe of Death. Five motorbikes whizzing around at great speed
inside a steel globe. It is terrifying, mesmerizing and dumbfounding.
Afterwards you wonder if you had actually just seen that, or were imaging it.
The Great Moscow Circus is wonderful entertainment. It is big, it’s
brash, it is spectacular and it is just a little mind blowing. The tickets are
a bit on the high side. But this may be an occasion where it is worth robbing
the piggy bank.
My only downside
was the chaos in the car park after the event. Surely those in charge should
have planned to open several exit gates and not cause an hour long delay with everyone
funnelling to one gate?
The Great Moscow
Circus will be on until March 22. The show takes place in their 1600 seater,
air-conditioned Mighty Big Top pitched on the grounds of the Suncoast Casino.
Tickets go on sale
on March 10 at Computicket outlets nationally. Ticket prices range from just R195 to R595 per
person with special discounts available for children. Call 0861 915 8000 or
book on line at www.computicket.com
For more
information visit www.greatmoscowcircus.co.za - Keith Millar
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