For 11 years, local performance troupe Le Cirque de la Nuit has put on crowd-pleasing circus performances that have engaged audiences, and more often than not, have made them part of the worlds the troupe has created.
From Alice in Wonderland, to steampunk, post-apocalyptic Mad Max, and even cyberpunk-inspired shows, Le Cirque de la Nuit has been creating worlds unlike anything else on Calgary stages.
Now, for one night only on April 20, the troupe is bringing back some of the best moments from each of their performances, along with some fan-favourite performers from the last decade, in a night of Deja Vu.
“Back in 2013 is where we started, and we kind of started more than throwing these party-style events. Then from there, it evolved from just music, some ambiance, and decor to full-on performances with aerialists, and more musical talent. They become really popular in Calgary, and we started doing them twice a year for a few years,” said Kelly Matley, Executive Director of Le Cirque de la Nuit.
“They were just becoming so big and so elaborate, we couldn’t keep up. So now we do them every other year… it is full-blown, fully-themed, with elaborate decor and storyline and theatrics and performances with musical guests and immersive entertainment.”
The goal for Deja Vu this year is to fully immerse patrons completely into the world of Le Cirque de la Nuit in a way that has never been done before, and as Matley said, would likely not happen for another half-to-full decade.
“When audiences come there, they literally will be kind of coming into that world. The artists are in character all the time, and there’s interactive installations and things like that throughout the space,” said Matley.
She said that the night is also a celebration of the troupe surviving the pandemic, quite literally as a performance group still able to put on shows in the city.
“Since Covid, it’s been a crazy time, and we almost didn’t make it to be honest. So, I just thought this would be the perfect year to celebrate our best-of-the-best—all the things we have done, and bring back our most iconic characters and performances, and showcase them again onstage for one night, once in a lifetime,” Matley said.
Violinist KYTAMI along with DJ and music producer Phonik Ops will be headlining Deja Vu, returning to the Le Cirque de la Nuit stage after performances at Lunari in 2013, Odditorium in 2019, and the Village Stage opening ceremony performance at Shambhala 2022.
Other performers include contortionist Coralie Roberge, aerialists Gerardo Balderas-Figuero, Kelsey Clement, Madeline Sharryse, and Subscura, theatrics from Skinny McLeod and Tony Esteves, and burlesque and boylesque from Daisy Deville and Beau Creep.
A full list of the performers is available at www.cirquenuit.com/upcoming-cirque-events.
Creating a space for circus in Western Canada
Matley said that one of the longstanding goals of Le Cirque de la Nuit has been to create spaces for circus artists to perform, and for audiences to be engaged with the art of circus.
“We’re a nonprofit organization and part of our mission mandate is to keep growing that community,” she said.
In some ways, the comparison to Montreal’s (and now the world’s) best-known circus performance troupe Cirque du Soleil is unavoidable, she said that there are some overlaps.
“Most of the artists that we foster, and create the platform for them to grow are all wanting to eventually one day become Cirque artists. We kind of bridge that gap from training,” Matley said.
But part of that mandate is to give artists who are equally as passionate as the small number selected for Cirque shows, an opportunity to show off that same level of talent and desire to entertain for local audiences.
“I’m born and raised Calgary, and I’m really passionate about the city and wanting to help grow the arts and culture here. It’s also why I love what I’m doing. Part of my mission is I really want Calgary—like how Montreal grew Cirque du Soleil—I want people to be as excited about the fact that Calgary has this amazing circus group,” Matley said.
She said that the big difference that patrons attending Deja Vu, versus something like Cirque’s KOOZA which played in Calgary last summer, or Le Cirque de la Nuit and Jupiter Theatre’s The Time Machinist also from last summer, was the interactivity.
Also, the accessibility and affordability, said Matley.
“Inclusivity is huge, even just in traditional [circus]… Barnum and Bailey and all that had their Sideshow Acts where it didn’t matter what type of person you were. Everyone, everywhere, there’s always a space for everyone at the circus,” she said.
Palace patrons have the opportunity to become a part of the show
A long-standing part of Le Cirque de la Nuit shows has been audiences dressing up alongside the show theme.
“It’s an opportunity for people to be able to come in and be whoever they want to be in character and to feel like they’re included, in this this big world that we’ve created,” said Matley.
“For our shows, we really push our artists and our patrons to dress the part and get involved. I would say, every show that we’ve done, 80 per cent of the patrons dress up. They come in, and they want to be part of the party.”
The opportunity for Deja Vu was that there was a great deal of flexibility given the wide variety of different performances and interactive experiences going on, Matley said.
But for patrons who just want to sit back and watch, Matley said they’ve created spaces for those individuals too.
“We do realize not everybody wants to be right in it, they would rather kind of be watching,” she said.
For those individuals who do decide to dress up, Le Cirque de la Nuit will be posting suggestions and ideas on their social media pages heading up to the event.
“Alice in Wonderland is a fairly easy one that most people really like to engage with. But also, we did our Mad Max event during Covid, we did the Shambhala Music Festival, where we did kind of this post apocalyptic kind of cyberpunk. So really, whatever any of these patrons are leaning towards, they’ll fit right in,” Matley said.
Tickets are available at www.cirquenuit.com/upcoming-cirque-events. Although, said Matley, Calgarians wanting to take in the show should consider purchasing sooner rather than later.
“Definitely don’t wait to the last minute. I always noticed that people wait until the last minute, but then we have a huge surge and we end up always usually selling out. People that think there’s going be door tickets, and there usually isn’t ever.”
