Cast Theatre, Doncaster – Saturday 6th September 2025
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
2**
Myself and my partner were very excited to be invited along to review the touring production of Cirque: The Greatest Show Reimagined, and both being big kids we were particularly excited for all the thrilling and daring circus acts this promised! I had no real knowledge of the show going into it but judging from the poster I was very much expecting a Greatest Showman cabaret style show and more or less this was what we received. You will have to forgive me for the vagueness when it comes to cast members but I was not provided with a cast list, neither could I find one online so descriptions will have to suffice!
The show featured 3 brilliant vocalists, performing a range of musical theatre/film songs to a backdrop of circus acts and all in all the vocals were brilliant, in particular the jaw dropping rendition of Into The Unknown by the male vocalist in act one. The core story of the show followed a mime, who may I add was absolutely exceptional and the absolute highlight of the show in my opinion, as he followed his dream of appearing on a talent show after receiving his first technicolour TV. The mime had the audience in the palm of his hand throughout and myself and my partner were actively cheering for him every time he came on, he was absolutely hilarious!
The were a couple of wowing circus acts, including a crazy roller skate routine and also what I can only describe as foot acrobatics (you’ll understand when you see the show), and these have very much stuck in my mind. I have to say the rest of the show however failed to deliver in my opinion. We grew tired of watching lyrical dance routine after lyrical dance routine and while I take my hat off to them, there is only so much contortion I can watch before it has diminishing effects. The ensemble dance pieces were sloppy throughout, with dancers not in time and moves being missed fairly frequently. What particularly spoiled these ensemble dances for me was the male dancer who was clearly looking to his other performers to copy them, it was quite clear that this gent did not know the show and I could not take my eyes off him whenever he was on stage for all the wrong reasons, whether it be walking to the wrong side and having to run back or starting routines two or three counts behind the rest of the dance troupe.
All in all I did have a good night out at Cirque and the children in the audience did seem to enjoy the show, I however did leave with a slight feeling of being a bit underwhelmed, I certainly wouldn’t call it the Greatest Show…