Cirque du Soleil is back in Melbourne with KOOZA!

This is old school Cirque du Soleil that focuses on the  two traditional circus crafts- acrobatics and clowning.

The show begins with the Trickster arriving in a jack in the box (Kooza comes from the Sanskrit ‘Koza’ meaning box) delivered to the child like character of The Innocent. The circus unfolds with the Trickster bringing with him all sorts of characters to perform your favourite acts- high wire, contortions, hula hoops, bikes and many more.

The performance is perfectly intertwined with live music that has drawn inspiration from many styles and origins.

The King and his clowns were a crowd favourite, especially with the children in the audience. They brought humour and lightness to the narrative that, at times, did get a bit dark. Sharing the stage with the sweet Innocent, the clowns and the suave Trickster there are the skeletons, the demon clowns in their ring of death and a mysterious masked creature that pops up through man holes during the show. My seven year old adored the show and she was not the youngest there but there are some acts that may scare some young children.

We really enjoyed KOOZA! Lately we have seen a lot of circus acts but this show managed to deliver new acts and a totally different spin on others. The costumes and set design are second to none and give the stage a feeling of a royal court in a distant, exotic land.

All the fun is being held in the blue and yellow big top that is set up at Flemington Racecourse. Melbourne season runs until March 26 and the Perth season opens on April 13. www.cirquedusoleil.com/kooza for  information and tickets.

Thanks to Kelly Devoil, blogger and mum of two, for the guest post. You can follow Kelly’s adventures at Melbourne Minor, a parent and carer’s guide to arts, culture and quirk in Melbourne.

HOT Tips:

• Parking available on site or there is a tram stop outside the racecourse.
• Food, drinks and a very well stocked gift shop inside the tent.
• the performance goes for 2+ hours (with a 25 minute interval in between) so might not be suitable for younger children;
• the performance is in the round and set up with grandstand seats, all seats have great views. Kids can also request a cushion to lift themselves higher on their seat.