MCC 2012 - Petit Mal

I first saw the promo video for this show a couple of years ago, and when I saw that it would be a part of this year's edition of the festival, I literally gasped and covered my face with my hands. I was that excited. But seeing how the shows I've been most excited to see have so far left me disappointed, I admit that I was a little worried that after years of anticipation, Petit Mal would let me down.

All I can say is... finally. Montreal Completement Cirque, this is what I've been waiting for.

Petit Mal is insane. It felt like a fly on the wall in some strange, isolated world where the people are incredibly disturbed and prone to exceptional acts acrobatics and violence. And it was awesome.

From the program:

"The show has no story, or plot, and not much sense to speak of. It does not tell a story, but certainly has its fair share of action. Petit Mal's building blocks are black humour and collisions. The traditional form, poetry and soft movement of contemporary circus are challened through randomness, dream-like logic and the menace of violence."

Don't let any of that fool you. Yes, it is aggressive, sometimes violent, and extremely rough. It is chaotic, and crazy, and there are many moments where all you can think is "No, no way... they wouldn't..." And then of course they do.


But the thing is, everything seems justified. Even the most aggressive moments. Nothing feels gratuitous, and it certainly doesn't seem like they take pleasure in their aggression. It just seems like in their world, that's how it's always been. They are fully committed to the Universe they've created and draw the audience in completely. And because they very clearly understand the world they're performing in, the audience understands as well, and we're with them every demented step of the way.

Even the most random moments somehow make sense. When Kalle Lehto transforms into a Mountie and kicks apart his horse, you don't really question it. When they come out dressed as Elvis (fat and skinny Elvis, I might add), well, why wouldn't they come out dressed like Elvis?

And don't even get me started on the acrobatics! I can't even imagine the research that must have gone into developing their skills. I've seen people try and do things with yoga balls before, but I've never seen anything come close to what these guys do.

Rauli Kosonen

And Petri Tuominen executed some of the most stunning, fluid, and jaw dropping Chinese pole I have ever seen. Forget sliding down the pole and stopping inches from the ground. We're talking flinging yourself into the void, barely catching the pole, and slowing yourself down enough to gracefully roll to the floor. I have never seen anything like it.

And while the artists may have been trying to get away from the overly poetic and intellectual contemporary circus you see today, the show they've created is very much poetic. But unlike many shows I've seen as of late, it is sincere, and honest, and a raw.

And just when you think it can't get any more brutal...

Simply outstanding. If ever you have the opportunity to see this show, do not miss it!