Totem

Performers mingle with, squirt water at and pour popcorn over audience members as The Grand Chapiteau slowly fills for Totem, Cirque Du Soleil’s latest show to hit Australian shores. The work, written and directed by Robert Lepage, has been touring since its inception in 2010.

The costumes make apparent the show’s age; morph suits are in vogue and cultural appropriation even more so. Indeed, this is the one place where the show falls down. While being an exploration of the human condition from its inception to its future, the show is reliant at times on tired stereotypes to fulfil this aim. Jon Monastero’s character Valentino gets laughs through made-up Italian, dick jokes and by being sleazy with the audience. Furthermore, the appropriation of North America’s indigenous cultures is banal.

Despite this, the colours, acrobatics and circus tricks are versatile and dynamic. The stage design and intricate projections that frame each performance are impressive and the technical accomplishments of making everything work seamlessly even more so.  Every performer is excellent, eliciting “wows” and gasps from the awestruck audience. Standouts include Chris Chiappini’s routine Manipulation, where he juggles multi-coloured balls in a giant beaker, and the space-themed Russian Bars performance which makes a fitting finale to the proceedings.

Totem, despite its shortfalls, is an accessible work that leaves everyone entertained. 

The Grand Chapiteau, Flemington Racecourse to 29 Mar