Sur La Route de Sienne was a circus spectacular performed by a nine-strong Franco-Russian clown ensemble under the direction of Madonna Bouglione and Valery Keft. Based on Romeo and Juliet, the show opened with a horse and rider tap-dancing around the circus ring. The prelude continued with an original ball juggling routine incorporating the red curtains. The story of Romeo and Juliet was condensed into fifteen scenes. The most memorable was the balcony scene in which a tempestuous storm (whipped up by a couple of large plastic sheets) blocked Romeo’s path to Juliet. As the storm calmed, Romeo appeared to walk on water to reach the balcony. When the plastic sheets were removed, a clown pushing two boxes on which Romeo had been walking, was revealed!
The clowning was superb. Juliet was played by a man with a mixture of over-the-top and convincing feminine gestures. A sad tramp-clown wandered across the stage while a fantastic ballet dance was happening. The clown hid his eyes as if to say ‘I’m not really here’, completely upstaging the Romeo and Juliet duet. The costumes were designed by the Couturier, Popy Moreni.Danny Schlesinger
