Cirque du Soleil: Ovo is coming to Dublin next month. The show will be presented at 3Arena from October 10th-14th.
The touring circus production, which premiered in Montréal in Canada in 2009, follows an ecosystem of insects who work, play, fight and look for love. The awestruck insects are intensely curious when a mysterious egg appears.
Tickets are on sale now here.
Here's a little of what you can expect:
98FM's Rebecca Shekleton was lucky enough to get to see the show for the first time during its stint at Liverpool's Echo Arena last month.
Here's why you need to see Cirque du Soleil: Ovo when it comes to Dublin:
Energetic Acts
The insect extravaganza features over ten acts including Amazing Ants, Flexible Fleas, Silky Spiders and Crazy Crickets.
Highlights include a female troupe of bright red ant acrobats who put on a highly impressive display of foot juggling - tossing a giant kiwi fruit in perfect sync.
Elsewhere, Canadian duo Catherine Audy and Alexis Trudel soar and spin as beautiful butterflies, adding romance to the show.
While, the crickets close Ovo with a crescendo of climbs, jumps and tumbles. The male troupe use trampolines to propel themselves up a huge 8 metre wall, which is bigger than a two storey house! It's a truly spectacular sight.
Family Friendly
Unlike previous well-known Cirque shows which have taken on adult themes, Ovo offers something for all ages. There's comedy, a jaw dropping display of acrobatics and beautiful costumes. So whether you're eight or eighty, you're bound to come out with a smile on your face.
Speaking to 98FM, Company manager, Heather Reilly said:
"It's not a show that has a deep, dark story. It's very fun and enlightening, great for the whole family. Some Cirque shows are a little more adult-skewed, this covers everybody."
Costumes
The costumes of Ovo were designed by Liz Vandal and feature an array of colours and textures to replicate the appearance of insects.
The pieces are predominantly Lycra and are all handmade.
Take a look at the ladybug, dragonfly, scarabs and crickets in more detail in the video below:
Feel Good Factor
The great thing about Ovo is that its quirky characters aren't afraid to be silly. The clown interludes will give you a chuckle and have you feeling like a kid again.
An unplanned cameo from an audience member was a hilarious highlight during our viewing of the show.
Storyline
Ovo follows The Foreigner, a fly from far away who brings with an the mysterious Ovo. He then meets the Ladybug who is full of life and joy and ends up falling in love.
However, underneath the fun exterior, the show tells a deeper story of inclusion according to Artistic Directior Tim Bennett.
He told 98FM: "It really is a story of inclusion. Into this colony of insects comes a foreigner who is different to everyone else. Initially they reject him because of his differences but over the course of the story they get to know him, he falls in love with a lady bug and they learn that underneath everything, he is similar to them. It really is story about learning to accept other people's differences."
