The legendary Cirque du Soleil has erected its grand chapiteau in Prague for the first time. On Thursday evening, the new circus ensemble premiered their latest production, “Kurios – Cabinet of Curiosities.” Preceded by a reputation for perfect steampunk artistry where anything seems possible, the show delivers on its promise—provided you embrace the artistic play and awaken your inner child. The world created by the genius scientist-Seeker, the story’s protagonist, is genuinely worth experiencing.
From the moment the lights dim inside the tent, audiences are immersed in a continuous spectacle of movement, props, colors, music, and sensory stimulation. Sequences transition seamlessly, reflecting the thoughts of an eccentric scientist who “hides” from the external world within his head—a laboratory filled with peculiar creatures. Each segment showcases incredible acrobatic feats and skilled pantomime performed by talented actors who move effortlessly across the ground, through the air, on giant trampolines, and juggle with extraordinary precision.
The 125-minute performance (including a 25-minute intermission) leaves room for imagination within the big top. The show features a traditional flea circus, puppets, and inventive costumes. Distinctive props of various sizes seem to have escaped from Karel Zeman’s films—a world intimately familiar to Czech audiences. These flying contraptions with propellers and gears allow performers to play their wordless roles. You needn’t even see their faces; emotions are conveyed through collective expression rather than individual performers.
Mechanical toys complement the carefully constructed steampunk atmosphere, as does live music filled with electronic, gypsy, and swing rhythms that fully engage your emotions through auditory sensations. Without this musical backdrop, the experience would be incomplete. Kurios represents the most polished and highest quality offering in contemporary circus arts—an expensive production evident at first glance.
Don’t expect profound contemplations about life and death; the scientist’s story serves merely as a unifying element. Instead, this is pure entertainment meticulously designed to amaze—like classic circuses with animals and magic from a century ago when cinema was just beginning. Whether you enjoy it depends entirely on your willingness to become childlike again, to simply observe, perceive, feel, and listen. Kurios offers a smooth journey to the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, when the world naively anticipated progress without wars or conflicts. When the final note fades and the program ends, you’re left thinking: “that was beautiful—I want more”.