Article by Emily Lukaweski

Spring in St. John’s can be cold, wet, and dreary. A striking contrast to the colourful and lively Wonderbolt Circus’ Bolt Out of the Blue.

Bolt Out of the Blue features a bewildered business clown who is transported by a mysterious app to the golden age of circus cabaret. Away from his dull, daily existence, Mr. Business Clown meets a slew of characters that clear away his clouds and bring some sunshine to his outlook on life.

Packed with aerialists, acrobats, clowns, singers, and a live house band, Bolt Out of the Blue could brighten up any grey forecast with its creativity and variety. The production is the inaugural international collaboration between Wonderbolt and a Finnish circus company and includes stars from Cirque du Soleil and Newfoundland’s Kelly-Ann Evans, the owner of City Performance Academy, owner/operator of Red Dress Entertainment and Co-Artistic Director of Theatre St. John’s. Complementing these performances is the talent of Greg Bruce, Wonderbolt’s musical director. Greg plays with local bands Oruboros, Baytown, and Hear/Say, and is a Newfoundland and Labrador Arts and Letters Award winner.

Wonderbolt itself is well practiced at bringing cheer to Newfoundland audiences. The company started over 25 years ago, touring by boat to isolated island communities. It is currently headed by Artistic Director Beni Malone; trained at well-known circuses like Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s in Paris, Venice, Florida, and in Cirque du Soleil’s original Montreal school. Under Beni’s supervision, Wonderbolt has honed its specialty of bringing the circus arts to rural communities, continuing to tour extensively and consistently to the most remote areas of the province.

Beni and his team also have more to offer you and your family beyond Bolt Out of the Blue. Wonderbolt produces one-man shows, birthdays and special events, workshops, classes in aerial acrobatics, aerial yoga, and Cirque du Soleil style make-up; all in addition to an annual summer camp your kids may be eager to sign up for after being engrossed in Mr. Business Clown’s adventure.

For a more visual experience of what you can expect, the show’s trailer can be found on YouTube at youtu.be/k86X35InNqs. Bolt Out of the Blue will be showing at the Arts and Culture Centre in St. John’s on May 7-8. Tickets run for $30 per person, $25 each for a family pass of four. Use the code CIRCUS to purchase the family pass from the Arts and Culture Centre online.