CINARS - Les Parfaits Inconnus

Okay. There's only one word to describe Les Parfaits Inconnus and that word is fun. Very high energy, great characters, and live music made for a seriously good time. And I think they did a brilliant job of selling their show in the respect that if I were a buyer, I would know exactly the kind of show I would be getting. Not to mention they came off as incredibly charming.

Sadly, this is one of those examples of the disconnect between audience member and buyer. I really liked what I saw but the two buyers seated behind me didn't seem impressed. They were more enamored with the emotionally void Australians than these vibrant and zany guys! The base player, who had a wonderfully nerdy character, managed to maintain that persona while performing technical skills on a rola-bolla! For me, that's circus. Way more than just a salto all on its own.

Even more surprising, the friend I saw the show with (and a fellow circus artist to boot) felt that it had too much of a school presentation vibe and didn't care for it as a professional show. Hm. Its true it was quite silly, but I think the real issue is that the energy remained the same the entire 25 minutes. I can't really say monotone, because for me that means flat. This show was certainly not flat, but it could use some variations in energy. Then again, I only saw 25 minutes, so who could say?

One thing I really appreciated as an artist is that I learned something. I don't know that I've ever seen a better example of manipulating the audience to believe that the skills being performed are much harder than they actually are, therefore making the artist seem that much more impressive when they succeed. I don't mean to come off as cynical. I'm not. That kind of showmanship is a huge part of the circus tradition. To see it executed so well is a treat and certainly food for thought.

I suspect that the video below is of a much older version of the show. The version I saw had six artists, not four. But it still gives a good idea of what Les Parfaits Inconnus are all about.