Cirque du Soleil 'oVo' review - Liverpool Echo Arena
Review by Dariya Ibrayeva.  Photo and poster images courtesy of Cirque du Soleil.

I hate bugs. No, honestly, I really think insects are gross! So disgusting, hairy, slimy, little creatures, which sometimes suck your blood, bite or just make so nasty noises! Ewww…

You might wonder:- "why the hell she is talking about bugs?" The answer is simple. On 16 August 2018, the famous Canadian giant and the largest theatrical producer in the world, Cirque du Soleil, embarked on a UK arena tour with its latest production OVO - an immersive show that invites the audience to spend a day in the mysterious life of insects.

Who would have thought that being an insectophobe, I'll be sitting at Liverpool Echo Arena on Thursday night, gasping like a kid and admiring every little "bug"?

Alike all Cirque du Soleil's shows, OVO amazes you with jaw dropping nature of the acrobatic acts, phenomenal costumes, dazzling effects, a winning sense of humour and absolutely stunning live music accompaniment.

Performed by the world class acrobats, the stage's alive with ants, scarabs, dragonflies, crickets, spiders, butterflies and many many others - just imagine, the cast of OVO is comprised of 50 performing artists from 17 countries.

The talented Brazilian writer and director, Deborah Colker, managed to create a magical microcosm, inhabited by stunning little creatures who simply blur the line between the real and the unreal. I swear, there is a feeling that some acts are breaking all the laws of physics and gravity.

So what does OVO mean and what is it about? OVO means "egg" in Portuguese and represents the life cycle and birth of numerous insects. Even graphically, OVO hides an insect in its name. If you look closer, you'll see that two "Os" form the eyes, while the letter "V" in the middle represents the antennae.

In typical Cirque style, OVO's storyline is paper thin. An insect community finds itself enchanted by an egg whilst a gawky foreigner attempts to seduce a sassy ladybird. That's about it. You won't find a deep philosophical meaning, but please don't be fooled. The simplicity of the plot doesn't necessarily mean the simplicity of the content. OVO is about simple joys, about love, about friendship, about jealousy, about seduction, about loneliness, about diversity and acceptance - actually it's all about our "human anthill."

I don't want to go through each display, because I don't want to spoil your perception, but my personal favourites were:- Duo Straps - Butterflies, Russian Cradle - Scarabs, Slackwire - Male Spider and Trampo Wall - Crickets. They were beyond all praise.

The only disadvantage I can think of is quite pricey tickets. But if you ask me if it's good value for money, I'll definitely say that the show is worth every single penny!

So If you like having your breath taken away by seeing a proper magic, try to get as close as possible to the stage or grab binoculars with you. I promise, the night will be thrilling!

Cirque du Soleil is in the UK until 7 October and will be heading to Manchester in the end of September 2018. To buy a ticket, visit the Cirque du Soleil's website or LiveNation.Co.UK.

PS. Btw, I saw a fly today on my kitchen's countertop and first time in my life I didn't rush to swot it with a towel. I looked at it and begun imagining how does it see our world with its own multiple eyes. Did I become a better person? Don't think so, but something has definitely changed within me, and that's amazing, don't you think so?

Cirque du Soleil 'oVo' Southport Reporter Rating:- 5 out of 5

Final venues and dates for UK and Ireland 2018 Tour...

► Newcastle, Metro Radio Arena, 29 August to 2 September 2018.

► Glasgow, SSE Hydro, 5 to 9 September 2018.

► Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena Nottingham, 12 September to 16 September 2018.

► Leeds, 1st Direct Arena, 19 September to 23 September 2018.

► Manchester, Manchester Arena, 26 September to 30 September 2018.

► Birmingham, Barclaycard Arena, 3 October to 7 October 2018

► Dublin,  3Arena, 10 October to 14 October 2018.

► Belfast, SSE Arena, 17 October to 21 October 2018.

oVo'  Cirque De Soleil 2018 UK Tour - Liverpool
Photos/Video by Patrick Trollope.

Before the show we headed backstage to see the rehearsals and to find out more about what goes into making such an amazing show.  These are the photos and videos we took backstage...  You can also our video interview with Cirque du Soleil's Artistic Director, Tim Bennett via click on to this link now.

Video Interview with Contortionist Ariunsanaa Bataa from Mongolia

Video Interview with Acrobatic Gymnast, European Senior Champion and World Bronze Medallist, Alanna Baker, who is the only cast member from Great Britain of 'oVo' and plays the Black Spider.

Video Interview with the shows Head of Lighting for the Cirque du Soleil 'oVo' 2018 International and UK Tour.

Costume Department of Cirque du Soleil 'oVo' on the road at the Liverpool Echo Arena.

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