Pablo Gomis and Pablo Bermejo met when they were very young at a theater school in Murcia. With other colleagues, they promoted a company, Els bufons, which offered their own shows. Until 2007, Gomis was called by none other than Cirque du Soleil.
The Canadian circus had become very popular in the mid-90s with Alegría, a show that toured the world with its novel combination of music and circus acts. Gomis became one of the clowns who ran the show, giving way with great grace to trapeze artists, jugglers or acrobats. In 2013, there was a gap for Bermejo, who also joined the cast of Alegría, a show that was on tour for 19 years.
Now, 30 years after its premiere, Alegría has returned to the stage with renewed spirits, numbers and music. Technological advances have allowed Cirque du Soleil to present a new and spectacular show “that preserves, however, the essence of the original performance,” the Canadian circus points out.
Gomis and Bermejo have joined the new Alegría, which premiered in Canada and has since traveled to the United States, Korea and Japan. Now, he is in London as tradition dictates. Because the Royal Albert Hall is the gateway to Europe for all Cirque du Soleil performances.
The London venue, with capacity for 5,000 spectators, has been transformed this January into a circus ring where 64 artists from 19 countries perform. In the corridors of the Royal Albert Hall the activity is incessant, as there are days when up to three performances of Alegría are offered.
The artists rehearse constantly, even in the middle of the performance, so the fifth floor of the legendary London theater has become a gym that almost never closes its doors. And meanwhile, on the lower floors, rooms have been organized where yoga, pilates and massage classes are offered. Everyone has to be in the best shape. “Even the clowns, who we take advantage of to take yoga or Pilates classes or give ourselves a massage from time to time,” Bermejo jokes.
And also the entire wardrobe must look impeccable. “All of us artists go to the circus headquarters in Canada when a show starts to have our costumes made to measure,” explains Gomis. Afterwards, a wardrobe team takes care of and washes the clothes daily.
Alegría travels with a great infrastructure so that the public can enjoy incredible acts such as the juggler whose clubs are lit with fire, the tumblers who travel the track with unexpected somersaults or the trapeze artists who offer a triple somersault.
It is also becoming a tradition that after London, Cirque du Soleil travels to Barcelona and embarks on a route through Spain. And the renewed Alegría does not intend to ignore that tradition. So the show will arrive at the Cultural District of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat with a large tent with space for 2,400 spectators on March 20. Then he will travel to Malaga, Alicante, Seville and Madrid.
Cirque du Soleil has lit the flame of the new Alegría so that Spanish spectators can enjoy it in 2024.
