More than 40 years after the first big carnival of the Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul – at the origin of the Cirque du Soleil – the Charlevoix region is reconnecting with the circus. Since Thursday evening, you can see the show under the marquee Éclats, created by Les 7 Doigts as part of the Fééries de Charlevoix.
The 3.14 Group, led by Michel Granger, former production manager at Cirque du Soleil, but also at Moment Factory – no, there is no coincidence – concluded a three-year agreement with the hotel- casino to present a 7 Fingers cabaret show in a brand new 700-seat marquee.
On Thursday, the entire political and artistic class of the region met in La Malbaie for the launch of this adventure, the objective of which is to improve the nocturnal cultural offer. As was the case with Mechanical Bird Flight – at Le Massif – and Cité-Mémoire Charlevoix, by Michel Lemieux and Michel-Marc Bouchard.
The 7 Fingers started working on creating Shards just six months ago. The marquee was received three weeks ago; its editing was completed… last week. To say that this project – supported by Loto-Québec – was conceived and brought to life in a hurry is an understatement. But the good news is that the baby looks good.
It is the co-founder of the Montreal collective, Isabelle Chassé, who signs the staging of this punchy show-cabaret featuring nine artists of very high caliber, including the clownish interludes of Anthony Venisse.
Moreover, from next year, the summer series will start earlier in the season, we are told.
Even though we are in the former stronghold of Cirque du Soleil, we have to face the facts: regions far from major centers like Quebec and Montreal do not often have the opportunity to see our circus collectives – most time gone on tour anyway.
Some of the families present last Thursday attended their first circus performance. We made the same observation during the presentation of Saloon, Cirque Éloize at the Saint-Tite festival – in 2016 – or the Cirque du Soleil tribute series in Trois-Rivières. These quality creations make the circus arts accessible, we should be delighted.
But back to Éclats, which opens with a group choreography during which the artists combine ground and hand-to-hand acrobatics while manipulating huge pieces of glass – which also serve as mirrors. An original introduction to the individual issues that will follow. Numbers performed mostly by women.
Strong women, it should be said. Starting with Alex Royer, aerialist and aerial hoop specialist, bold and magnetic (who replaced Laurence Racine-Choinière). But also Marilou Verschelden, imperial on the German wheel, or Nadine Saint-Louis and Catherine Girard in duo on a rotating mast, which turned on themselves with the grace and strength of two ballerinas out of a music box.
So many outstanding moments that give Éclats all its brilliance. All this in a carnival atmosphere, it should be remembered, with sellers of popcorn and churros – you have to be up to date – as a preamble, before rushing into the tent.
That’s not all. Joel Malkoff’s wire number is absolutely worthy of mention – even if the artist later delivered a, let’s say politely, very personal version of Daniel Bélanger’s Two Springs, which we will quickly forget… the end, it is Louis-David Simoneau, who amazed the gallery from the top of his trapeze by superbly spinning his partner Marie-Christine Fournier.
Aerial disciplines for the most part, no doubt for a question of visibility, since the circular stage is itself mounted on a raised base, while the spectators are at ground level. Despite this, the view is slightly obstructed by the four tower posts. An additional challenge for the troupe, which does its best to hide this imperfection.
Music that essentially combines strings and percussion, a fusion offering an emotional texture and a rhythmic pulsation that sticks perfectly to the numbers.
A few days ago, director Isabelle Chassé told us that the 12 Éclats paintings were poetic evocations that characterize the region: fog, snow, valleys, etc. But apart from Jonathan Victoria’s famous balancing act, during which we hear the trees cracking in the forest while small snowflakes fall on the stage, these themes are not so explicit.
This does not detract from the work of these “emotional gymnasts” – to use the title of the play by Louis Champagne and Gabriel Sabourin – who manage to combine prowess and sensitivity.
The rest of the adventure looks positive. The business model imagined by Michel Granger and his co-executive producer François Bédard is viable over a long period, and that’s exactly what the Fééries de Charlevoix want to do: create an annual summer event, which will be enhanced by other family activities. To date, 10,000 tickets for Éclats have already been sold. It’s promising.
For their part, Les 7 Doigts continue their many projects. Their show Duel Reality, created for Virgin’s cruise ship, has been adapted for the stage and is on view at the Edinburgh Festival until August 27.
