Cirque Du Soleil’s Totem will definitely amaze you; but the most impressive stunts and set pieces are jaunted by incoherent imagery. The plot is nada in Totem. Different styled costumes and set pieces take place largely at random and are there to accentuate the physical feats.
The performers are naturally phenomenal, as can be expected. Trampoline flips and co-coordinated unicycle action are just a precursor to the truly jaw dropping choreography that takes place in the second act – even those who think outside the box will be surprised. The dialogue is nil as scenes are entirely mimed to great effect. Production-wise the sound is a lynchpin of the performance and accentuates the action intelligently. The lighting is a mix of traditional circus spotlights and multimedia projections that give flight to the imagination. Although the intentional absence of a story leaves Totem as one of the more abstract of the Cirque Du Soleil shows the costuming is some of the best they have ever incorporated. This encapsulates the feeling that these performers are not entirely human, which is easy to believe as luminous lizard creatures triple somersault precariously between thin beams held high in the air.
