CORTEO, the most enchanting of Cirque du Soleil’s arena productions, will be coming to Manchester for the very first time next week. The show will be dazzling audiences at the Manchester AO Arena from 5 to 9 October 2022, following a stunning run at London’s O2 Arena earlier in the summer. It is a triumphant return to the UK for the show, following a forced two-year postponement.CORTEO, which means cortege in Italian, brings together the passion of the actor with the grace and power of the acrobat to plunge the audience into a theatrical world of fun, comedy and spontaneity situated in a mysterious space between heaven and earth.This unique production, directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, first premiered in Montreal under the Big Top in April 2005. Since then and including its transformation into an arena show in 2018, the show has amazing audiences of over 10 million people, in 20 countries, on 4 continents. Daniele Finzi Pasca also created LUZIA, which came to the Royal Albert Hall in both 2019 and earlier this year in 2022.
In a beautiful performance, the clown pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere, watched over by quietly caring angels. Juxtaposing the large with the small, the ridiculous with the tragic and the magic of perfection with the charm of imperfection, the show highlights the strength and fragility of the clown, as well as his wisdom and kindness, to illustrate the portion of humanity that is within each of us. The music turns lyrical and playful carrying Corteo through a timeless celebration in which illusion teases reality.In a Cirque du Soleil first, the stage is central in the arena and divides the venue, with each half of the audience facing the other half, giving a unique perspective not only of the show, but also a performer’s eye view of the audience. An atmosphere like never seen before in Cirque du Soleil arena shows. The set curtains, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and the central curtains, which were hand painted, give a grandiose feel to the stage. This sets the tone for the poetry of CORTEO.
