With the circus giant's 'Totem' show arriving this month, we give you the lowdown on how to do hospitality
Looking out from our private box, we’ve got a bird’s eye view of the giant egg that starts of Cirque du Soleil’s 2017/18 show ‘Ovo’. Last winter’s show was a first for the Royal Albert Hall, so it’s no surprise that seats sold fast. It was even less of a surprise after the show: based on the life of insects, we watched ants flipping giant kiwis with their feet, crickets doing parkour on a vertical wall and the usual nail-biting antics the company is known for. It may not have been the most daring of Cirque’s portfolio, but matched with free-flowing champagne, canapés and bowl food, it made us think, ‘this would be RSVP gold for client entertainment’. So, when we heard that ‘Totem’ was on its way this month, we wanted to let you know. Read on.
The show
Cirque du Soleil needs little introduction. The French-Canadian entertainment powerhouse has been forcing audience members onto the edge of their seats since 1984, and its shows continue to creep to the top of the London’s corporate calendar every winter. When the team announced that it’d be bringing its decade-defying show ‘Totem’ to the Royal Albert Hall this Christmas, we bookmarked it as one to watch for winter entertainment. Set on an island, the show follows the story of humans from their beginnings to their future of - possibly – flying. Creation, evolution and existentialism are expressed through the usual acrobatics, from hoop dancing and contortionists, to the flying trapeze and Russian bars. With 46 acrobats, actors, musicians and singers set to appear, expectations are high.
The hospitality
If you’ve got a group of four, eight or 12 to entertain, go for one of the iconic venue’s private boxes. Sat respectively in the Second Tier, Loggia and Grand Tier, guests will get pre-show and interval refreshments, as well as a programme and Cirque du Soleil gift (all from £295pp). We suggest you get there early to mingle with a glass of Laurent-Perrier champagne and canapés like Cornish crab with apple gazpacho jelly and melba toast before settling into the first half with cold bowl food. We liked the detail of having our own dedicated host throughout the evening: the seating is tight, so luckily there’s no need to keep going up and down for refills. If it’s sit-down dining you want, go for the dining package. Guests will get a welcome glass of champagne, three courses in the on-site
Coda by Eric Chavot restaurant – two served pre-show and dessert in the interval – and stalls seats (from £233pp). The restaurant is headed up by Michelin star-holder Eric Chavot so expect French fine dining with your Quebecois entertainment. For something more casual though, it has to be VIP Rouge (£208pp): held in the Gallery, views over the set are spectacular and are accompanied by gourmet food stalls, hot bowl food and premium stalls seats. They’ll even be theming the Gallery around ‘Totem’ – pre-historic waiters anyone?
The facts
‘Totem’ will run at the Royal Albert Hall from 12 January-9 February 2019. Ticket lines opened to the public on 8 June 2018, but if you want to bag a hospitality spot,
get in touch with the team now – trust us, they’ll be gold dust.
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