Cirque Éloize: iD Reloaded – Review – Bradford Alhambra Theatre

By Christine Goode, October 2025
At this time of year, we always seem to see a circus somewhere in our local area, giving a welcome boost to our usual winter entertainment during the long autumn and winter nights ahead.
Bradford Alhambra, together with the Dance Consortium, has teamed up to bring one of the best – Cirque Éloize – to this iconic theatre. I had the pleasure of attending last night’s performance of iD RELOADED, along with a multitude of age groups, from young families and dance/gym clubs to seasoned theatregoers, and, not really knowing what to expect, I was left in awe at a spectacular show featuring nine artists with skill sets that would give a CGI movie a run for its money.
Cirque Éloize, founded in 1993 in Montréal, Québec, is a contemporary circus company that combines circus arts and disciplines with dance, music and state-of-the-art video projections, and it is guaranteed to keep you on the edge of your seat throughout.
“Unique talents”
As we take our seats, the stage is open and quite dark, with an industrial-looking set: steel girders in a huge frame represent building work one might see in a big city, with cranes in the background; the gentle noise of machines hard at work adds to the ambience.
The show starts, and I love the opening. The performers are dressed in black and white, each wearing a different costume that looks as though it has been sketched by hand. As they bustle about the stage representing daily life in the city, they pause; a couple remove their black and white clothing to reveal brightly coloured hip-hop streetwear, and the journey continues from there. The performers go on to showcase their own individual journeys through their unique talents.
The story is quite loose – some younger audience members may be confused at first – but we are soon mesmerised by the talent on stage. The whole group performs a great street routine, heavily laden with breakdance by B-Boys Bryan “Slinky” Boyer and Adam Dransfield, and B-Girl Lakesshia “Kiki” Pierre; this high-energy dance battle comes with a banging playlist and instantly has us clapping along throughout.
“Appealing to all ages”
Professional trials bike rider Trevor Bodogh has us audibly gasping as he leaps from the scaffolding on a bike, balances on one tyre, and then “dances” up close and personal on his bike with a brave member of the audience – I had to close my eyes at this point. Florence Amar displays incredible strength and flexibility with aerial silks and hand-to-hand acrobatics. However, Alexia Medesan steals the show with her contortion, dance and aerials – she is simply exquisite and a joy to watch.
The show is fast, fun and funky. Great lighting, set and costume design, together with a fantastic soundtrack, make it appealing to all ages – especially any aspiring young teens looking for a career in the arts.
At the end of the show, we were treated to a question-and-answer session with three of the performers. They gave us an insight into life as a performer with Cirque Éloize. It was great to see so many enthusiastic young people staying behind for this additional extra, asking questions and engaging with the cast, who were happy to offer plenty of encouragement and advice to the next generation of performers.
Cirque Eloize: iD Reloaded is at Bradford Alhambra 14 – 15 October
images: Caroline Thibault