MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE – July 8 to 18, 2021

For this occasion, TOHU will expand its venue in a big way, presenting seven major shows in its building, under a big top in the gardens and on the terrace of the Cirque du Soleil’s head offices! Buzzing with action — with “bubbles” for picnics, and BBQ table service! — this MULTICOLORED ZONE at the TOHU location of MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE promises a varied and festive circus experience. It will be a space for long-awaited reunions and a shared celebration of life!

These extraordinary shows were created by major Quebec troupes known for their inventiveness, precision and unbridled creativity.

“We are thrilled to welcome the artists and the public for the 12th year of MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE. Thanks to the creativity, incredible efficiency and determination of our teams, we will be able to present a striking festival, full of discoveries and emotion, which we are very eager to share.” — Nadine Marchand, Director, MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE.

Photo : Stéphane Bourgeois

SIX°
by FLIP Fabrique
TOHU, circular hall, from July 13 to 18

“With only six degrees of separation, we are all connected. That means we, the performers, and you, the audience, are much closer than you think! On the stage, six envelopes contain six mysterious invitations for six strangers. The guests have arrived, but one is missing…”
Another company that has thrilled TOHU audiences many times since 2013 (Attrape-moi, Transit, Songe d’une nuit d’été, Blizzard), this merry band of prodigies has conquered the world. This time, a distinguished guest joins them: the irresistible virtuoso clown Jamie Adkins! There is no way anyone will be bored! A stunning acrobatic comedy of formidable ingenuity, SIX° makes the everyday extraordinary. SIX° is the sweet madness of waiting, the intricate beauty in a correspondence, joyful laughter, unexpected encounters and breathtaking feats of acrobatics. For the first time in Montréal!
“But, we can’t stop wondering. What if the sixth person, the missing connection, was you?”

LES ÉTOILES TOMBERONT
by La Fratrie
Terrasse du Cirque du Soleil, from July 8 to 17

At the end of the day, the show LES ÉTOILES TOMBERONT invites the audience to become immersed in the legends about the constellations to discover the grandiose tales of Cassiopeia, the Big Dipper and Orion. In this epic voyage, theatre, circus, dance and music intersect and blend in a contemporary adaptation of founding myths. Expressing a vibrant statement about community, LES ÉTOILES TOMBERONT is a story about power and rebirth, and is an invitation to rethink the world around us. With an impressive cast of fifteen artists, this exterior creation uses a larger-than-life mural in a production directed by Alex Trahan, and supported by the emeritus choreographer Lucie Vigneault.
Founded in 2016, La Fratrie produces multidisciplinary contemporary works. Building bridges between disciplines where there were once walls, it has given itself the mission to develop a unique, innovative language in a quest for excellence.

CABARET YAM !
by Productions Kalabanté
TOHU, under the big top
from July 8 to 11 + July 15 to 17

Photo: Carl Lessard

Acrobatic feats combining daring with dexterity to the irresistible sounds of Western African dance beats is what awaits audiences at the upbeat CABARET YAM !, the brand-new creation of Productions Kalabanté, making its world premiere.
In this unique fusion that is as spectacular as it is inimitable, the meeting of cultures in the company of many musicians (African percussions, kora, saxophone), acrobats, singers and dancers is celebrated. One of the performers is the remarkable Yamoussa Bangoura, the multidisciplinary artist and founder of the company, which has been applauded for its performances in productions by Cirque Éloize, Cavalia and Cirque du Soleil.
“If you can talk, you can sing, if you can walk, you can dance.” This is the motto of Kalabanté, which has created a fiery, exotic summer evening event under the big top, a great burst of intoxicating joy and good feelings to be shared! Let the party begin!

BRANCHÉ
by Cirque Barcode and Acting for Climate Montreal
Terrasse du Cirque du Soleil, From July 8 to 11 + July 15 to 18

A spectacular celebration of nature and the power of community awaits festival-goers in the Cirque du Soleil gardens! Here, the trees become the theatre for the flights, lifts, ascents and frenzied movements of eight acrobatdancers in this striking creation.
Each artist furiously pursues a quest for the ever higher, ever greater, a quest that is as frantic as it is risky, until the inevitable and brutal collapse occurs, provoking various breathtaking acrobatic falls! Realizing their needless febrility, they reconnect, both with others and their environment. Their bodies rise up, supporting each other, in an exquisite collective movement.
A collaboration between Cirque Barcode and Acting for Climate Montreal, BRANCHÉ is an engaged, eco-responsible show conceived to have the least amount of ecological impact possible. It evokes humanity’s current challenges and delivers a powerful message of hope. By working together, a sustainable future is within reach. A perfect and astonishing symbiosis between mankind and nature!

FUN FUN FUN FUN FUN
by LION LION
Various outside spaces in the Plateau Mont-Royal and the MileEnd
from July 8 to 18

From the balconies, alleyways and yards of the Plateau Mont-Royal and the Mile-End, over three distinct paths, various artists deliver their performances exploring the evocative and inexhaustible theme of fun! Spectators walk from one place to another for a fascinating multidisciplinary experience, lasting about an hour.
While a preconceived idea that associates circus to excitement and entertainment endures, nine creators experimentally and critically probe the notion of pleasure. From circus, dance, cinema and scenography, all the performers were chosen for the relevance of their approach and the esthetic richness of their worlds. Each visits pleasure through praise, derision, activism or even deconstruction. After the success of Se prendre in 2019, we eagerly welcome the newest creation of this daring company. An unpredictable experience for adventurous pedestrians! Presented as part of the “L’AUTRE CIRQUE” section of the Festival, this project is created in collaboration with La Chapelle, scènes contemporaines.

LE CABARET DU JUGEMENT DERNIER
by Le Monastère
Jardin du Centre St Jax, July 9 and 10 + July 15 to 17

Photo: Caroline Thibault

During the event, the audiences at the Jardin du Centre St Jax will discover various artistic jewels of contemporary circus.
At a very special circus cabaret — Le Jugement Dernier ! — festival-goers will see parade before their eyes, and those of the jury composed of the biggest local names in circus, the province’s best circus artists. Each will present their act in its purest form, as they imagined it, transporting the audience into their world. The numbers are sure to be strong and innovative as well as undeniably artistic and technically excellent. After enjoying the selection of performances, spectators are invited to speak out and vote for their favourite number! Who will win the Golden Chalice or be the Audience Favourite?

To purchase your tickets visit: https://montrealcompletementcirque.com

Cirque on the Streets

As every year for the past 12, MONTRÉAL COMPLÈTEMENT CiRQUE will bring the city to life with outdoor programming that is as rich and varied as it is innovative! Since the creation of the Festival in 2010, the Quartier latin area of the Quartier des spectacles has been the heart of the festivities. Year after year, Saint-Denis Street is revamped, and this year, the area will undergo another impressive make over. From street furniture to shop windows, the circus arts will transform this emblematic artery. As well, a brand-new digital component will be added to the free programming for 2021.

Saint-Denis Street
For the first time, immersive staging – with artistic direction by Sarah Beauséjour and production design by Véronique Bertrand – will dramatically transform the emblematic Montreal artery. When night falls, the public will enter a strange yet fascinating universe, populated by circus artists acting as if they have always been there! Through a design full of versatile street furniture up to circus standards that blends in with the street architecture, a space-time continuum exists where nothing is ordinary. As they walk in a surprise-filled décor, where circus art becomes urban art, visitors of all ages will witness striking goings-on that will spark their imaginations and give them the vague impression of a dream!
Every day on Rue Saint-Denis, Between Ontario and de Maisonneuve

Completely Circus Windows
Another innovation this year is that artists will take over the windows of three restaurants on rue Saint-Denis, making them their homes! Every day, these three windows will be turned into a venue for circus, musical or dance performances: a curious cabaret as imagined by the guest artist. These multiple and unique performances will surprise pedestrians and neighbourhood residents, provoking chance encounters and experiences as quirky as they are entertaining.
Every day, from 7:30pm, on Rue Saint-Denis, Between Ontario and de Maisonneuve

Roving Performances
Various roving performances blending music, dance and circus arts will invade rue Saint-Denis every night during the Festival. A “Felliniesque” fanfare will accompany the performers as they pass by; percussions and Guinean acrobats will get visitors moving with their explosive street performances; and an Inuit circus troupe will introduce the public to its fabulous legends and rich culture. Flash mobs will also perform in various spaces!
Every day, from 5:30pm, on Rue Saint-Denis, Between Sherbrooke and de Maisonneuve

www.montrealcompletementcirque.com