Cirque du Soleil with Keith Conlon: In the Adelaide City region of South Australia

Postcards was given a behind the scene look at Quidam - the latest extravaganza from Cirque du Soleil. We began a look around the village - or mini city of sea containers that takes nine days to set up.

The Grand Chapiteau is the centrepiece. It’s a very colourful 6 stories high can hold 2,500 people for every performance. They need heaps of power for lighting and cooling - so they bring their own. In fact, the only thing they tap into on site is the local water supply. Everything else - they bring - more than 700 tonnes of it!

Overseeing everything and everybody is the Mayor, Scott Wallace. He’s tour manager, chief problem solver and part time shrink to a very multi-cultural cast and crew.

He told me the flags around the big top represent the 20 nationalities of the crew including six Australians.

Quidam is part of the worldwide Cirque du Soleil community of 600 artists in eleven shows worldwide. Not bad for what began with a handful of street performers in Montreal in the early 80s.

One of the standout acts in the Adelaide show is four Chinese girls in their early teens.

Behind the Chapiteau and the showbiz it’s a bit like any town. There’s a real sense of family. In the artistic tent or ‘training area’ it’s all fairly relaxed. People meet for a yarn, kids play the usual games and we noticed backgammon is popular.

There’s the occasional wedding too and we met Dima and Marina who had only been married for a couple of weeks. And how did they fall in love? Well, Marina explained that in a crowded routine - for her, Dima stood out.

“It’s fabulous isn’t t it?” we all laughed. “That’s why I fell in love with him because I saw him on stage.” smiled Marina.

Marina spends a lot of time up side down in her act that she chose from the smorgasbord she must have seen as the daughter of two stars of the famous Moscow Circus.

“We train pretty much every day,” said Dima. “Yes, we train every day except Monday - which is our day off.” added Marina.

Of course, with all the hard training and performing, eating is an important part of life on the road. So at Quidam two sea containers equals a full commercial kitchen with 5 permanent chefs preparing 400 meals a day.

With so many tastes to satisfy they go for variety, top quality and lots of it - they eat a lot around here. And when you get up close to what they do at training alone, it’s no wonder.

We watched as the performers practiced for the show’s grand finale - the Banquine - a centuries old Italian form of acrobatics. And the man on the top was Dima. As he was thrown though the air to land on the shoulders of his fellow performers, it became pretty clear he has a lot of faith in the Slavic blokes that catch him.

“There are no ropes holding us so it’s pretty much based trust. I jump and I hope someone will catch me,” he laughed.

In training, it’s all pretty informal and relaxed but spectacular nevertheless. But when they all go into the Grand Chapiteau, add the music, the lights and the emotion they turn on a breathtaking finale to Quidam - whoever, whatever - see it if you can.

It’s at Bonython Park and the season runs until June 18, 2005. Booking can be made at Bass or online.

Quidam - Cirque du Soleil
Bonython Park
Until June 18, 2005
Book at Bass 1300 302 612