1 night only Cirque Éloize set to preform 'Cirkopolis' at Manchester's Opera House
Photographs by Patrick Lazic.

THE amazing critically acclaimed Montreal based troupe Cirque Eloize, will be heading to Manchester's Opera House, for 1 night only, on 6 October 2018, as part of it's 25th Anniversary celebrations, preforming:- "Cirkopolis."

'Cirkopolis' takes Cirque Éloize breathtaking blend of circus arts, theatre, and dance to a highly stylized metropolis setting, where eleven acrobats and multidisciplinary artists rebel against monotony, reinvent themselves and challenge the limits of the Factory City, as only they can. Performing within an inventive stage design, and accompanied by an original musical score and video projections, they live in a world where fantasy defies reality, the veil of anonymity and solitude is lifted and replaced by bursts of colour.

Cirque Éloize Cirkopolis Artistic Director and Co-Director, Jeannot Painchaud, explains:- "Cirkopolis was imagined as a crossroads between imagination and reality, between individuality and community, between limits and possibilities. The show is driven by the poetic impulse of life, the physical prowess of the circus and its humour, at once serious and light hearted. Entering Cirkopolis is all about letting go and allowing yourself to be borne aloft by hope."

Since the show began touring in September 2012, it received rave reviews from the public and critics alike. The New York Times wrote:- "There aren’t more beautiful [shows than Cirkopolis]," while the New York Post wrote:- "Extraordinary! There’s the circus, and then there’s Cirque Eloize. These guys are on a whole other level." Perez Hilton said:- "If Christopher Nolan directed the circus, it would be Cirkopolis. Moody. Sexy. A must see!" and the Montreal Gazette described it as follows:- "Cirkopolis is a wonder. This was to be expected, given that it is a Cirque Eloize creation." When the show visited Europe, the reviews were equally enthusiastic, with The Stage writing:- "An impressively coherent production. Way more than simple entertainment!," and the Stage in the UK describing it as:- "Thrilling, dramatic, astonishing, mesmerizing simply a dream."

Cirkopolis is co-directed by Cirque Eloize Artistic Director Jeannot Painchaud and Dave St-Pierre and choreographed by Dave St-Pierre. The show features set design and illustrations by Robert Massicotte, music by Stefan Boucher, acrobatic designs by Krzysztof Soroczynski, costumes by Liz Vandal, lighting design by Nicolas Descoteaux, and video projections by Robert Massicotte and Alexis Laurence. Make up design is by Virginie Bachand, Renald Laurin acted as Drama and Acting advisor and Emmanuel Guillaume as Artistic Coordinator. Jonathan St-Onge is the Executive Producer.

This show is not to be missed. Book your tickets now at:- ManchesterOperaHouse.Com.

Giants Route Reveal 2018

THERE are just a few days until Giant visitors will walk the streets of Liverpool and Wirral, on Thursday, 4 October to Sunday, 7 October 2018, in what will be the final in the trilogy of Giant spectaculars.

For this latest instalment, the world-famous street theatre company Royal de Luxe, from Nantes, wants to keep the event shrouded in mystery so will not be revealing which Giants are heading to our shores just yet.

However, the team behind the event can say where they will be walking. All 20.6miles of it…

The main 'walking' action of the show takes place from the Friday, 5 October to Sunday, 7 October 2018. The action kicks off from 10am, on Friday in Liverpool on St George's Hall Plateau.  On the other side of the water in New Brighton, another Giant will wake at Fort Perch Rock, at 11am and will spend the day enjoying the sights and sounds of Wirral.

Saturday will see all the Giants in Liverpool; they will all come together in the afternoon and spend the rest of their time in the City together.

The show culminates on Sunday with a focus on the waterfront and a parade finale. And as this is Royal de Luxe's final ever time in the City, expect some surprises…

Details of the static element of the show taking place on Thursday, 4 October 2018 will be revealed in the coming weeks.

The full route for the Giants is as follows:-

Due to the scale of the event, residents and visitors are advised that there will be some disruption as a result of road closures across the 3 days.

An interactive version of the map is online, as well as a downloadable copy via:- GantSpectacular.Com. Printed versions of the maps will be available at selected locations throughout the City Region; a full list of these locations will be available online now, via:- GiantSpectacular.Com.

Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for culture, tourism and events, Councillor Wendy Simon, said:- "The excitement is certainly building as we unveil more details about what people can expect from this year's Giant Spectacular. The route has been more than 2 years in the planning and is a delicate balancing act as the team behind the event are always keen for the Giants to explore as many new places as possible, but at the same time logistics come into play and the roads need to be wide enough to accommodate some very large visitors and the hundreds of thousands who flock to see them!  Revealing the full routes means people can begin to plan where and when they want to be across the 3 days, and it also showcases just how much of Liverpool and Wirral will be transformed into a stage thanks to the incredible work of Royal de Luxe. It's important to emphasise that all the timings given are a guide and not set in stone; after all, it's a live show and when the Giants are awake, anything can happen!"

Cllr Phil Davies, Leader of Wirral Council, said:- "We can't wait to welcome our Giant visitor to Wirral. The seaside setting will be a  1st for Royal de Luxe and we're really looking forward to seeing a Giant exploring New Brighton and landmarks such as the lighthouse. Our expansive coastline and promenade, with the iconic Liverpool waterfront in the background, will be a unique and memorable location for this incredible show. It's creating a lot of excitement on this side of the Mersey and we couldn't be prouder to be part of what promises to be an amazing conclusion to the Giant Spectaculars trilogy."

The event is 1 of the major highlights of the Liverpool 2018 programme; a year-long celebration which marks a decade since the City held the game-changing title of European Capital of Culture. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is supporting the Liverpool 2018 events programme with ₤5 million from its Single Investment Fund (SIF).

Liverpool's Dream has been made possible thanks to support from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority and Arts Council England.

Keep up with the latest news by following Giant Spectacular on Facebook and Instagram, or follow @giantspectacle on Twitter or visit:- GiantSpectacular.Com, where you can also download a full copy of the route map. Follow the story with #LiverpoolGiants.