Cirque Alfonse returns to Vancouver with spellbinding “Barbu”

by Emma Shular on June 7th, 2024 at 4:39 AM

1 of 2 2 of 2

Cirque Alfonse’s Barbu is not your average circus show.

You won’t find clowns here, or jugglers, or throngs of cooing children. Instead, this performance strikes a decidedly different tone.

“It’s not the normal circus show. Most of the time it’s kids or older people who come to see that kind of show, but this show is really for everybody,” says Cirque Alfonse cofounder Antonie Carabinier-Lépine via phone. “If you’re a couple or a teenager or a young adult, it’s really something that you’re going to enjoy.”

Barbu is coming to The Cultch’s Historic Theatre from June 12 to 23, marking Cirque Alfonse’s first time in the city since 2022. And even though the Quebec-based circus troupe has been performing Barbu for over 10 years, this is its Vancouver premiere.

Frederic Barrette

“We were in London doing another show and we went to see a cabaret, and we just fell in love with the concept—so we decided to create a cabaret of our own,” Carabinier-Lépinehe says of the inspiration for Barbu. “It was really special; it was our first show for adults. It’s for everybody, but it’s mainly for adults. We had so much fun creating that show.”

Taking audiences back to the birth of circus in Montreal, Barbu pays homage to circus sideshow acts at the turn of the 20th century. Think: near-impossible physical feats, spellbinding performances, and plenty of curiosities.

With the number of different parts in the show, Carabinier-Lépine says that everyone wears a couple different hats—even him. He is the artistic director for Barbu, as well as one of the performers.

“Everybody’s doing everything in the show. It’s not a solo act so much; it’s a group show. We bring everything—we’re playing music as well,” he says. “I think it’s the vibe that I’m the most proud of.”