reviewvancouver: The Cultch, Barbu

Montreal based Cirque Alfonse is back in Vancouver for the second time in three years with Barbu, a retro circus spectacle that harkens back to carnivals of bygone years and the weird and wonderful sideshows that was always a vital part of them. The Carabinier-Lépine family circus company was likely named after the town of Saint-Alphonse-Rodriguez in central Quebec where it was founded twenty years ago.

The seven superbly fit artists, five hairy gentlemen and two athletic ladies, perform in a typical black box set with an elevated stage for the trio of musicians. Four temporary rows of seating have been added to the stage floor (two each side) just for this production. The performers always appear to need more room, but there were no unintended encounters with members of the audience on opening night.

Barbu is a quirky and inventive seventy-five minute show that involves juggling, acrobatics and comedy. The live music is essentially French-Quebecois which actually adds to the show’s inherent theme.

While each performer provides a dazzling demonstration of their special skills – for example, it’s the oldest member Lucas Jolly that typically delivers the physical comedy – some members are able to cross-over into other roles. Laura Lippert (the only American in the group) and Geneviève Morin display courage and confidence being thrown in the air and caught just before hitting the floor. Laura Lippert goes through an aerial dance maneuver while hung from a trapeze rope by her hair. Geneviève Morin disappears from a locked cabinet, then reappears some moments later almost naked.

Barbu is very much a non-stop, high energy show, with the pace never showing signs of dropping off. Following the performance, the artists made themselves available for a ‘meet-and-greet’ with the audience.