Get ready to unwrap the holiday spirit. From 10 December to 3 January, Cirque du Soleil brings its first festive show to Europe, and it’s landing at the World Forum Theater in The Hague. It’s called ’Twas The Night Before…, and it’s all about the joy of giving and the wonder of the season.
images courtesy of CIRQUE DU SOLEIL
The story starts with an old poem, A Visit from Saint Nicholas, read aloud every Christmas — only the main characters feel they’ve outgrown the tradition. Then the poem comes to life, and they’re pulled into a winter wonderland full of unusual characters, acrobats, children and reindeer. Think snow globe, but bigger.
This is Cirque du Soleil, so of course nothing is small. A cast of 26 artists from all over the world brings an immaculate energy to the stage. There’s an aerial straps duo, daring hoop diving, hair suspension acts and choreography that barely lets you blink. Some of it you’ll probably watch through your fingers. The music plays its part too. Christmas classics you know by heart get a Cirque du Soleil twist, familiar enough to hum along to and new enough to surprise you.
It’s made for families, and it works at every age. Kids will be wide-eyed, and grown-ups might remember what it felt like to believe in the night before Christmas. Maybe that’s the real trick here. Not the flips or the flying, but the way it makes everyone in the room feel.
