Cirque du Soleil Presents CORTEO

Brisbane Entertainment Centre

18th Sept-28th Sept 2025

Dr Gemma Regan

Cirque du Soleil delivers jaw-dropping acrobatic feats amidst a dramatic dreamscape for a memorable thrill

Cirque du Soleil is one of the foremost entertainment companies in the world, having sold more than 400 million tickets in over 400 cities and 86 countries since its humble beginnings of twenty street performers in 1984 in Quebec. 

Corteo is the newest and most ethereal of the fabulous Cirque du Soleil shows, created and directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca (LUZIA), influenced by nineteenth-century Italian clowning, and loosely set at the funeral of Stephane Gentili’s Mauro the Dreamer Clown. As with all of their shows, the loose premise of a dreaming clown is overshadowed by the incredible feats of the human body and elaborate sets.

Mauro, the clown, pictures his own funeral taking place in a carnival atmosphere surrounded by friends and angels. Corteo translates from Italian as procession or cortege, with reference to the funeral. But, it is not dreary, the fast-paced world-class acrobatic talent delivers one stunt after another interspersed with more tender moments imagined by the clown. Director Pasca described the show as “A celebration that tells the story of friendship and the joy of dreaming together; it is 

a show deeply dedicated to circus.” 

The production, first shown in Montreal in 2005, includes 53 international artists, 16 amazing acts, 31 original songs, and over 175 hand-crafted costumes in an incredible Labyrinthine set requiring 24 trucks to transport the spectacle between cities! The curtains alone are a work of art, known as “Polichinelles,” inspired by the French painter Adolphe Willette’s artistry, at the Moulin Rouge. The hand-painted Roll Drop curtains are enormous at 58 meters wide and 12 meters high.

Costume Designer Dominique Lemieux’s team created 175 handmade costumes using more than a hundred different fabrics, each crafted to be flexible enough for the acrobats, yet still able to create the dreamlike illusion.

There are 16 Acts and six different clowns under the control of Mr Loyal, the ringmaster. I particularly enjoyed the music of the crystal glasses and Tibetan bowls with the amazing skills of the whistling virtuoso. The crowd favourite was passing Valentina, a diminutive person, around the crowd under four giant balloons in the Helium Dance. It was fun for the audience participation, but was uncomfortably reminiscent of the old Freak Show days!

Mauro the Dreamer Clown exclaims, “My grandfather always used to say, ‘Life is like riding a bicycle. If you go too fast, you’ll get tired and have to stop. If you go too slowly, you’ll lose your balance. Find the right pace, Mauro…” 

The closing act is Tournik, where the artists daringly cross paths in-between a central cube-shaped structure. They flew through the air with split-second precision for a momentous and stress-inducing farewell to Mauro’s dreamscape. 

Corteo is another unforgettable, mind-blowing circus experience. It is Cirque du Soleil’s 18th incredible creation, which has been seen by over 12 million people across 30 countries, so be sure not to miss it!