The Spiegelworld production Désir is both visually stunning and technically impressive. Elaborate circus feats are accompanied by theatrical drama and dance. The show is set theatre-in-the-round style in a circus tent in South Street Seaport, and is lushly adorned in reds and purples, with beads hanging from the top of the tent and plush bed-like platforms. Every detail is particular to the theme of the show, from the old-fashioned wooden bar to the doors at the entrance to the tent itself.
The opening act is a woman on a circeau, a hanging hoop, from which she twists her body in and around, maintaining balance as the hoop swings in circles from the ceiling. Equally impressive is a solitary man contorting his body on three small poles, holding up his entire body weight with the palm of his hand, accompanied by Imogen Heap’s Come Here Boy. Passionate acts such as these are balanced by lighter performances, such as the hula-hoop juggler, which while silly in nature, is still dazzlingly on par with the more dramatic portions of the show. The show breaks barrier after barrier, with sexual tension between female performers often outshining the male-female acts, including a passionate kiss between two women at one point.
Among the highlights is a semi-synchronized performance where two women acrobats twist and flip on a square framed apparatus. These powerful women use their strength to create shapes in the air, pushing against one another in one moment, and then pulling toward the other in the next. Each performance is more daring than the last, which keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, trying not to blink lest they should miss something miraculous. Spiegelworld continues to offer mind-expanding shows that blur the lines of imagination, fantasy and reality.
Visit spiegelworld.com for show times and more information.