A gentleman farmer has surrounded himself with familiar but unusual animals. On this farm the chickens have teeth, the ducks are menacing, and the cows cause a ruckus. Animal by Cirque Alfonse brings out the hay bales and turns the clichés of rural life on their heads with its surprisingly poetic touch. At the centre of the performance are the performers’ breathtaking stunts and dizzying acrobatics.
This Québecoise contemporary circus group offers you a series of surreal farmyard fables with its uniquely daring, virtuosity, and one-of-a-kind humour. The main performers, Antoine Carabinier Lépine and Julie Carabinier Lépine, grew up on a farm and actually started Circus Alfonse after being inspired by a show they held in an old barn. Now the group is returning to its roots with its new circus family.
This fellowship founded in 2005 is courageously multidisciplinary in its approach to contemporary circus art, and these inventive spectacles (such as Timber!) have awed audiences around the world. Masterful acrobats, musicians, dancers, and even ex-skiing instructors from great collectives such as Cirque du Soleil join to create this astounding performance.
“Even though this show is filled with laughter — critics at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival maintain that Cirque Alfonse is appropriate for all ages — don’t be fooled: this circus troupe takes its art seriously, and the performers’ technical prowess in juggling, balancing, and soaring through the air reigns supreme on stage.” Janet Smith, Create a Stir.
Link to the website
https://espoonteatteri.fi/esitykset/animal/
https://espoonteatteri.fi/en/performances/animal/
Working group and performers
Direction Alain Francoeur
Original music and lyrics David Simard
Mise-en-scène and lighting design Nicolas Descoteaux
Costume design Geneviève Beauchamps
Acrobatic props design Sylvain Lafrénière
Akrobats Antoine Carabinier Lépine, Julie Carabinier Lépine, Alain Carabinier, Jonathan Casaubon, Jean-Philippe Cuerrier, Geneviève Morin
Musicians Josianne Laporte, David Simard, Guillaume Turcotte
Sound technician Katie Sweeney
Lighting technician Jean-François Piché
Production Cirque Alfonse
Artistic direction Julie & Antoine Carabinier-Lépine
World premiere
2022