Le Noir: The Dark Side Of Cirque, as the name implies, is everything on the risqué side of circus.
There are women wearing lingerie in every colour of the rainbow. There’s sultry dancing, shirtless muscle-men, and lots of leather. An adorable French-speaking clown who is equal parts demure and crass holds the show together.
Expect a far more intimate experience than a normal circus show; Le Noir feels a little bit like a burlesque, cabaret performance. It is a welcome departure from Cirque’s usual plot design. There’s no whimsical singer that you can’t understand or any theatrical face make-up, and there isn’t a storyline you need to follow. Le Noir moves away from Cirque convention to bring us a far more raw and earnest performance; less smoke and mirrors and just plain death-defying skill.
Don’t worry, there are still plenty of edge-of-your-seat moments of terror where things could go horribly wrong. Highlights are the starting contortion act, and the two men in the revolving ring of death, who both blindfold themselves as the structure moves. It seems the structure is actually called The Colombian Wheel Of Death, which proves a very accurate description – watching it is enough to make one’s palms sweat with genuine fear.
