Thanks to Alison from Cossette I was given a set of four tickets to the new Cirque du Soleil production, OVO. A pair of tickets were for me and guest and the other pair were for a reader contest. I decided to do a quick twitter contest to decide the three winners that would attend the show with me. It was pretty successful and I might incorporate more twitter contests in the future.

OVO is a headlong rush into a colourful ecosystem teeming with life, where insects work, eat, crawl, flutter, play, fight and look for love in a non-stop riot of energy and movement. The insects’ home is a world of biodiversity and beauty filled with noisy action and moments of quiet emotion.

When a mysterious egg appears in their midst, the insects are awestruck and intensely curious about this iconic object that represents the enigma and cycles of their lives.

It’s love at first sight when a gawky, quirky insect arrives in this bustling community and a fabulous ladybug catches his eye – and the feeling is mutual.

OVO is overflowing with contrasts. The hidden, secret world at our feet is revealed as tender and torrid, noisy and quiet, peaceful and chaotic. And as the sun rises on a bright new day the vibrant cycle of insect life begins anew.

This was my first time at a Cirque du Soleil show. I’ve seen specials on TV but nothing in person, not even when I went to Vegas. I was very excited. The show was a lot of fun, exciting and breathtaking at times. The stunts were such feats of strength and flexibility. I was in awe of the raw power these people have. Oh to be strong and flexible, it’s very attractive. The costumes were pretty incredible and did the bug theme justice. The show was in two parts. The first part was pretty fast paced and there was a lot of different acts to see.

The 2nd half was a little slower paced and there was more story building than acts. The set design was incredible, at one point in the 2nd half a large mechanical flower hanging from the ceiling opened on stage. The most amazing thing about this was the flower scent that was pumped into the audience just prior to the mechanical one opening. It was a brilliant touch. The final act was mind blowing. My jaw was on the ground the whole time. It was an amazing job of coordination, strength and ability. I have never seen anything like this finale, it was so inventive. I understand now why the 2nd half was slower paced, they needed to rest.

This act features some 20 artists running, jumping, and walking across – and straight up – an 8m vertical wall without artificial support. Power track and trampolines give them the speed, lift and momentum to take flight. Their athletic ability, physical strength and team coordination take care of the rest.

I thoroughly enjoyed this show. It really makes you think of all the work that goes into producing the show, from set design to all the practice that goes into making a flawless and safe show. It’s a different experience seeing it in the flesh than on TV, so much more exciting. I still can’t believe the things these people did.

OVO is playing till November 8, 2009. You can purchase tickets online or at the box office. I’ve chatted with Cirque du Soleil fans who say this is the best production yet. I can’t say that, but I can tell you it was an amazing show.

images: cirquedusoleil.com