Brian May, Liz Hurley among celebrities on Cirque du Soleil 'KURIOS' red carpet

Record ID: 1706950

  • Title: Brian May, Liz Hurley among celebrities on Cirque du Soleil 'KURIOS' red carpet
  • Date: 18th January 2023
  • Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JANUARY 18, 2023) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FORMER ATHLETE AND OLYMPIC CHAMPION KELLY HOLMES POSING FOR PICTURES. SOUNDBITE (English) FORMER ATHLETE AND OLYMPIC CHAMPION, KELLY HOLMES, SAYING: “That’s the thing, you know, I think people just want to have fun, have a little bit of life back. And, you know, you g
  • Embargoed: 1st February 2023 21:45
  • Keywords: Brian May Cirque du Soleil Cirque du Soleil KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities Greg Wise Jeremy Irons KURIOS Kelly Holmes London Royal Albert Hall
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION
  • City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM / UNIDENTIFIED LOCATION
  • Country: UK
  • Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA004343618012023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Celebrities from the worlds of sport and entertainment walked the red carpet at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday (January 18) for the European premiere of Cirque du Soleil’s “KURIOS: The Cabinet of Curiosities” show, including a newly knighted, Sir Brian May.
    The Queen guitarist received a knighthood at the end of 2022 for his services to music and charity in King Charles' first New Year's honours list.
    “(It was) a very wonderful surprise really, yes, I wasn’t expecting anything like that," May said of the knighthood on the red carpet.
    "And my dear wife becomes a lady. She’s always been a lady really.”
    May and his wife Anita Dobson honoured the steam punk theme of "KURIOS", which is set around the time of the Industrial Revolution in the late 1800s/early 1900s, with eye catching outfits.
    "Well we were already into steam punk so when the invitation came it said ‘steam punk garb optional,' we thought we’d go for it really," May said.
    “So out of the wardrobe it came... They’re good, aren’t they?” added Dobson.
    Cirque du Soleil has brought "KURIOS", which first premiered in Montreal, Canada in 2014, to the British capital for a two-month run.
    The shows takes audiences on a journey alongside a curious inventor searching for a new world. Like other Cirque du Soleil productions, “KURIOS” promises plenty of jaw-dropping performances.
    “I think people just want to have fun, have a little bit of life back. And you get transported away when you come to shows like this," said former athlete and Olympic champion Kelly Holmes.
    The show features 13 acts, some unique to “KURIOS”, including the Acronet act, where a group of acrobats perform flips and jumps on a massive net suspended in the air.
    “I have a problem with the contortionist, always as I just go ‘You shouldn’t be able to do that with a body’," actor Greg Wise said when asked what performance he was most looking forward to seeing.
    "I just love all of it. I love the tumbling, I love the gymnastics of it, the clowning, everything. Everything.”
    Oscar winner Jeremy Irons, who came to the premiere with his grandchildren, said the circus was special to him.
    “I’ve always loved circus, I mean, I think I probably wanted to be a clown and I’ve ended up an actor and a bit of a clown," he said.
    "But Cirque du Soleil is a sort of modern circus and the first time I saw them, I think, was in Los Angeles, Santa Monica. And then I’ve seen them here before and they always amaze me... It’s very exciting, it’s the most wonderful night out, I think. And so to bring my grandchildren, it’s great to introduce them to modern circus.”
    The actor, most recently seen in film "House of Gucci" and mini-series "The Pentaverate", was coy when asked what next for him.
    “Yeah at my age, I’ve done it all, I’ve been there," he said.
    Asked if that meant retirement, Irons said: "Well it means if somebody suggests something that is really interesting, then I’ll go and do it. But I’m not sort of aching to work. I have so much on in my life. And I’m incredibly old now anyway.”
    Other celebrities coming to see "KURIOS" on Wednesday (January 18) included actors Elizabeth Hurley and David Jason, model Kelly Brook, and former goalkeeper David Seaman, among others.
    Cirque du Soleil’s “KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities” will run in London until March 5.
    (Production: Gerhard Mey, Marie-Louise Gumuchian)
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