Hong Kong first stop on Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza Asia tour
Cirque du Soleil’s whimsical tale returns to Hong Kong with its fantastical costumes, comedy clowns and classic acts
Premiered in 2007, Kooza was written and directed by American clown David Shiner. Unlike Cirque’s more abstract shows, the show leans into the traditions of classic circus, with plenty of slapstick humour. There are clowns, acrobats and a live six-piece band playing an original score by Jean-François Côté drawing on jazz, funk and Western pop alongside traditional Indian music.
At Kooza’s core is a story about the Innocent, a naive dreamer in search of meaning who stumbles into a surreal world populated by comedic characters including the King, the Trickster, the Clowns and the playful Mad Dog. It’s a world brought to life through elaborate costumes created by Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt and a fantastical set designed by Stéphane Roy.
“Kooza is about the human experience,” says artistic director Jamieson Lindenburg. “It’s about duality, the good, the bad, yin yang, the things that make us all complete. It explores all kinds of tones, from innocence to death, scary, exciting.
“It’s meant to evoke the senses. It’s meant to provoke ideas. It’s got a huge heart.”
But in many ways, the narrative is secondary. It’s the physical feats, from the twin high-wire act, contortionists and gravity-defying teeterboard artists to the fearless duo on the Wheel of Death, that are the main attraction. You’ll find yourself holding your breath as an artist climbs a seven-metre tower of chairs only to balance one-handed on top, or acrobats propel each other through the air with their feet in the Icarian Games. A circular stage with 260-degree sight lines means it’s hard to find a bad seat in the house.