Love London Love Culture rounds up the reviews for the European premiere of Luzia at the Royal Albert Hall.
British Theatre.com: ***** “Musically, Luzia’s terrific ensemble and Chanteuse Majo Cornejo bought gorgeous Mexican flavour to this piece, and the inclusion of a magical water curtain gave Luzia a whole new dimension visually and comically as Fool Koller’s clowning took us through this incredible journey.”
The Metro: **** “For a show with a Mexican theme — the subtitle is ‘A Waking Dream of Mexico’ — it’s odd that so few performers are drawn from Mexico itself, a country with a noble circus tradition. Indeed, you get a sense the audience would be just as happy if they served up a succession of traditional circus style acts. For it’s here that the company’s pulling power pays off.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “Between captivating moments and big stunts, there are segments where it’s difficult to know where to look as there is so much happening on stage, around the audience and in the air. Luzia really is a feast for the eyes, and the perfect entertainment to brighten up the dull winter months.”
The Stage: **** “Luzia is fresh and invigorating after the disappointments of the last few shows. The corporate soullessness that has anaesthetised many productions has been replaced by something approaching joy.”
London Theatre.co.uk: ***** “Part of the pleasure is its specificity: instead of a weird kind of abstract, mythic internationalism, Luzia is conceived with a unity of purpose to provide what the show subtitles “a waking dream of Mexico”.”
The Guardian: **** “This is the effortless, heart-stopping skill you go to see Cirque for – the times when bigger really is better.”
London Theatre1: ***** ” For all Soleil’s big-business status, there is a love of Mexican culture and spirit which shines through with an integrity that can’t be faked. It is an astonishing dream of Mexico from which I wished I did not have to wake.”
Evening Standard: **** “This is a dazzling celebration of human skill and ingenuity, full of lusty colour and music.”
Time Out: *** “for the most part ‘Luzia’ is an agreeably soulful spectacle that fruitfully tinkers with a well-worn formula.”
The Times: *** ” Luzia is a typical example of the Canadian franchise that has assumed multiplex movie proportions. A waking dream of Mexico is the subtitle, with light and rain forming dominant motifs as the vaguely south-of-the-border music thumps away. Production values remain grandiose, colourful and occasionally breathtaking, but there are soft-focus longueurs too.”
The Upcoming: **** “Luzia is gaudy, it’s fun and it’s perfect for a family outing. Fast-paced enough to keep the children from getting bored, this latest colourful explosionfrom the creators of Cirque du Soleil is a blend of Lion King, broadway-style set design with high octane acrobatics. It’s a chance to escape to the sunnier climes of Mexico for a couple of hours – and who doesn’t want that in dreary old January!”
Broadway World: ***** “The filler sections, necessary for smooth set changes and drying the wet stage, are handled well by gormless traveller Fool Koller. These segments feel tighter and lack the annoyance of some other shows.”
The Reviews Hub: *** “The performers are clearly talented but the busy stage and the constant music means that there is little tension, and the only heart-stopping moments come at the end with tumblers jumping from one swing to another. This act proves to be the most exciting, if you can only ignore the other performers feasting at long tables behind the acrobats. It seems a shame that each act cannot have the stage to themselves.”
Cirque du Soleil‘s Luzia continues to perform at the Royal Albert Hall f until the 1st March 2020. To book tickets click here or visit: Love Theatre.com, From the Box Office, Last Minute.com, Encore Tickets, See Tickets or Theatre Tickets Direct.co.uk.