PUT A circus with a celebrity reality show and in the case of Cirque de Celebrite, you have a hugely successful
television phenomenon.
Put the Theatre Big Top that was home to the Sky One series in Eastbourne's Princes Park, fill it with 25 world class artists and you have a first class spectacular show that will keep all the family and even fidgety four-year-olds enchanted.
The '21st century circus' is a dynamic fusion of dance, drama and humour from across the world with enough action to keep the audience oohing, ahhing and gasping as the artistes perform
exhilarating slick and
polished and in some cases death-defying routines.
The show opens with Russian gymnast Valeri and ballerina Katya performing a sharp and clever routine while
soaring from a great height.
Also flying high is Victoria Boyko from Dubai and Russia's Anna Rastova, who combines death defying skills with beauty and grace on the swinging trapeze.
Back on the ground is Ireland's Jemile Martinez's football juggler, who was seen recently on Britain's Got Talent, Argentinean Gabriel Carmona with his famed Bolas Dance of Courage and flamenco foot-tapping, dancer Avtandil Miniashvili from Georgia, Arabia's Omar Rich and China's Oriental Swan which is a fusion of ballet, physical strength and
balance.
More off the ground than on it are Al-Adin, high speed exotic Moroccan acrobats and South Africa's Vusu Vuzi Mtola who delights the crowds with high energy dancing and jumps.
Every show has a star and one of Cirque Surreal's is the clown, Housch Ma Housch, who may not be performing fearless stunts but is a
hilarious cross between Marcel Marceau and the
hapless Mr Bean who gets the crowd involved and up on its feet.
The icing on the cake
however is the penultimate act when Silfoldini, aka Nikolay and Konstadin from Bulgaria put on a daredevil performance on rotating wheels.
Up until then the duo's
presence in the show has been fairly low key as they walk about in suits with their mobile phones but all I will say is that when they strip off their jacket and shirts, the action hots up and the show comes into its own, delivering what the crowd really wants.
Cirque Surreal runs until Sunday August 10 and the box office is open daily at Princes Park from 9.30am to 8.30pm. The ticket booking line number is 0871 702 9503.