Cirque du Soleil Brings KOOZA to London, Beginning Tonight at Royal Albert Hall

Cirque du Soleil will return to London with a new touring show KOOZA. The critically-acclaimed production runs from today, 5 January 2013 for a limited engagement at Royal Albert Hall, with a press night on Tuesday 8 January.

Since its premiere in April of 2007, KOOZA has captivated close to 4 million spectators in North America and Japan. London will be the first destination of the 2013 KOOZA European tour. Tickets are released for sale today, Monday 10 September, as of 10:00am online at cirquedusoleil.com/kooza and through the Royal Albert Hall Box Office.

Written and directed by David Shiner, KOOZA is a return to the origins of Cirque du Soleilcombining two circus traditions - acrobatic performance and the art of clowning. KOOZAhighlights the physical demands of human performance in all its splendor and fragility, presented in a colorful mélange that emphasizes bold slapstick humor. The name KOOZA is inspired by the Sanskrit word "koza," which means "box," "chest" or "treasure," and was chosen because one of the underlying concepts of the production is the idea of a "circus in a box." Between strength and fragility, laughter and smiles, turmoil and harmony, KOOZA is set in an electrifying and exotic visual world full of surprises, thrills, chills, audacity and total involvement.

"KOOZA is about human connection and the world of duality, good and bad," Shiner said. "The tone is fun and funny, light and open. The show doesn't take itself too seriously, but it's very much about ideas, too. As it evolves we are exploring concepts such as fear, identity, recognition and power."

The show presents an unprecedented approach to the High Wire and a breathtaking Wheel of Death - an act that Cirque du Soleil has never before presented under the big top.

The show brings together the following team of 13 creators, several of whom are working with Cirque for the first time: Writer and Director David Shiner, Director of Creation Serge Roy, Set Designer Stéphane Roy, Costume Designer Marie-Chantale Vaillancourt, Composer Jean-François Côté, Choreographer Clarence Ford, Lighting Designer Martin Labrecque, Co-Sound Designers Jonathan Deans and Leon Rothenberg, Props Designer Rogé Francoeur, Acrobatic Equipment and Rigging Designer Danny Zen, Acrobatic Performance Designer André Simard and Makeup Designer Florence Cornet.

From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a major Québec-based organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. The company has 5,000 employees, including more than 1,300 artists from more than 50 different countries. Cirque du Soleil has brought wonder and delight to more than 100 million spectators in more than 300 cities in over forty countries on six continents.

For more information about Cirque du Soleil, visit cirquedusoleil.com.