Enchanted Cirque

Greenpoint gets Enchanted in the Spiegeltent

by Jaco du Plessis

It’s a cold and windy evening in the Mother City but that didn’t stop the magic from happening at the Circus. This however isn’t your normal circus, it’s an Enchanted one! The magic takes place in the moonlight shadow of Green Point stadium in what is called the Spiegeltent. For those of you that paid attention in standard six Afrikaans, this literally translates into Mirror Tent, and it’s all the way from Belgium.

As we enter the tent we are met with beautiful creatures carrying vials of Champagne and the sounds of a young man singing like a well-dressed busker in and underground subway. The sounds of his voice carry the cheerful mood in the front room of the tent as people share laughs, clink a few glasses to a great night ahead and some even transforming their faces into magical creatures by smiling face painters. The entrance to the Spiegeltent’s main floor is watched over by two men with more muscles than any normal man should have. The main floor of the tent is surprisingly big, don’t judge the tent from the outside. The dinner theatre style of the Cirque is clear from the get go with tables arranged around a centre focal point on the main floor leading up to a stage with a rather impressive LED screen. The lighting inside the tent is like that of a touring artist concert tour and aided by the mirrors lining the tent they make for a truly enchanted space.

Sprightful young waiters rush around the tent and explain the dinner experience, bringing platefuls of delicious snacks right before the lights dim and the show starts. Enter our ringmaster and host for the evening Spiegel (Mel Jones) and her goofy sidekick Smiegel (Piky Pokus). An upbeat dance number follows and the show takes off like a rocket to the moon. The night’s entertainment doesn’t disappoint with the Mirror tent being transformed at times into a new age laser zone and death defying knife throwing set.

There are two highlights of the evening for me, the first being the opening act of two beautiful acrobats intertwining their subtle bodies around a pole in the middle of the tent. This however isn’t your usual pole dancing act. The ladies morph the pole so that it becomes an extension of their bodies and they twist and turn in ways that leave you breathless at what you are seeing. The second is that of The Bubbleman, Thomas Favaro. I don’t think there is a child that hasn’t experienced the joys of creating bubbles and chasing them around before they burst, but Favaro takes this up a few notches. Mesmerising the audience with vapours of smoke, bubbles within bubbles and then at some point even getting himself in a bubble, leaving us all in awe, with rekindled memories of our own childhoods.

The acts that feature in this show is world class and you can see that the duo behind Showcasting, Sebastian Cassie, who also directs the show, and Michael Carrigan, have taken the time to assemble the best team to bring an evening of great entertainment to audiences around the world. The show also features live singing acts (Ashtevhaan Mintoor and Noa Milan) that aid and make the acts even more magical. Songs from Josh Groban to Christina Perri are sung in gentle tones that at times leave you with goose bumps.

Then as the final lights dim on the two hour show you are almost sad that it had to end, your senses are heightened buy the visual spectacular you have just witnessed and then to everyone’s delight Spiegel announces that the Tent DJ is ready to spin his decks and take you late into the night. This after party scene lets you engage with the acts and get in those selfies.

Enchanted Cirque is a dinner theatre style experience not to be missed, but hurry up as it has a limited run until Mid-October!