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REVIEW: Cirque Du Soleil’s Crystal is mesmerising, magical and will have you on the edge of your seat

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Kellie BalaamThe West Australian
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CRYSTAL by Cirque du Soleil. ©Olivier Brajon Olivier Brajon
Camera IconCRYSTAL by Cirque du Soleil. ©Olivier Brajon Olivier Brajon Credit: Olivier Brajon/supplied

If there’s one live show you see this year, Cirque Du Soleil’s Crystal should be it.

The acrobatic extravaganza is mesmerising, magical and memorable and will have you rethinking the capabilities of the human body.

Created by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila, Crystal took the audience at Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Friday night on an exhilarating journey of self-discovery full of whimsy and wonder for the first show on the Aussie leg of the tour.

Perth get excited and book your tickets now because you won’t want to miss out on witnessing a world of playful imagination with the show’s protagonist, Crystal, as she becomes who she was always destined to be — herself.

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The show brings the circus arts to the ice for the very first time and it’s no wonder they did because it just makes so much sense.

The tricks and skills flowed perfectly with the performers effortlessly gliding along the frozen arena.

The costumes to the props and visual effects such as falling snow created the illusion of a frosty environment and made you feel cold looking at it — a fitting way to set the vibe for an icy adventure.

The element of fear is elevated as the audience attempted to wrap their heads around the fact these world-class performers were performing jaw-dropping, gravity-defying acts, on ice, wearing skates.

The show follows the protagonist Crystal over the ice.
Camera IconThe show follows the protagonist Crystal over the ice. Credit: Matt Baker/supplied

It’s mind-blowing and insane but awesome entertainment thoroughly loved by the crowd, proved by their shrieks, gasps and laughter.

“It’s so cool,” one crowd member exclaimed.

“Oh my god,” another said during a hair-raising stunt.

The stunts drew gasps of delight from the crowd.
Camera IconThe stunts drew gasps of delight from the crowd. Credit: Olivier Brajon/supplied

“If they fall, they risk their life,” a little girl whispered to her dad.

And it’s suitable for all ages, the cheerful sound of children’s laughter echoed across the arena, evidence the young ones understood the clowns — a surprising highlight of the show — and found them funny.

At shows like these, it’s common to see thousands of phones in the air with people snapping away or hitting record, but the crowd was so engrossed and on the edge of their seat for the entire two hours that hardly anyone picked up their device.

Sure, there was the odd video here or there, but the audience couldn’t actually take their eyes away to search for their phone, worried they might miss a breathtaking flip or leap.

The audience barely glanced at their phones not wanting to miss a stunt.
Camera IconThe audience barely glanced at their phones not wanting to miss a stunt. Credit: Olivier Brajon/supplied

From trapeze to aerial straps, the show features seven traditional circus acts and stays true to incorporating signature clown gags.

While the storyline appeared to be nonsensical at first and hard to follow at times, it soon becomes clearer at the end.

But whether it made sense or not didn’t matter because the stunning visuals and soundtrack and everything mentioned above is what made this a thrilling night out.

The music is performed live with a three-man band who play a variety of instruments including accordion, violin and electric guitar. There is even a piano made out of ice that moved across the arena.

The music is played live by a three-piece band.
Camera IconThe music is played live by a three-piece band. Credit: Olivier Brajon/supplied

The show also featured remastered pop songs into the soundtrack including Beyonce’s Halo, U2’s Beautiful Day and Chandelier by Sia.

Cirque Du Soleil really made what might seem impossible happen with this truly breakthrough ice experience that is more than just figure skating.

Crystal will arrive in Perth at RAC Arena on September 15 and run until September 24.

The verdict:

4.5 out of 5 stars

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