Cirque Du Poulet show coming to Caledon set to be a clucking good time

Contemporary circus cabaret show coming to Cambium Farms

By Zachary Roman

It's a circus show based on chickens, and it's coming to a venue near you.

Natalie Dupley is one of the co-founders and artistic directors of Hercinia Arts Collective, alongside Emily Hughes. The collective is bringing its cabaret show, Cirque Du Poulet, to Cambium Farms in Caledon for a show on May 29.

The show is described online as a “fun, zany, and sometimes saucy contemporary circus cabaret featuring original creations and performances from some of Ontario's top circus talents.” Dupley said what's so great about the show is so many different kinds of acts will be showcased. There will be aerial acrobatics, juggling, burlesque, stilt dance, physical comedy and more. Dupley said two of the people who will be performing at Cirque Du Poulet have made it to the semifinals of the TV show Canada's Got Talent.

“There's so many different facets that we bring, so you get to see a lot of different amazing genres,” said Dupley in a May 24 interview. She explained to the Citizen how Cirque du Poulet came to be.

“Essentially, my partner, Emily Hughes, had this idea to do Cirque Du Poulet and make a fun circus show based off of the chicken. So, we went to curate some artists who we thought would be amazing additions to do the show, brought them the idea of doing a… themed cabaret circus show, and they replied with their ideas of what they would want to contribute. And there you go, we curated it. Now we have a full-length show that we can bring to audiences, which

is fantastic,” she said.

Dupley grew up in Bolton, attended Mayfield Secondary School for dance, and has taught tap dance and gymnastics in the area. Dupley explained she and her collective are trying to bring their shows to more rural audiences, as they're mainly based in Toronto. The collective recently received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council and they're using it for that exact purpose.

Dupley was looking for a venue that was large enough to host an audience and that had ceilings high enough for circus performers. She said Cambium Farms was wonderful and accommodating, and after a site tour it was decided as the place to host the show. 

After having a baby last year, Dupley is playing a producer-director role in the Caledon edition of the show on May 29. She's performed in Cirque Du Poulet in the past, and will again in the future, just not at this show.

She said producing and directing is a lot of work but so rewarding when everything comes together. Dupley said she's grateful to be able to support artists in what's been a challenging time for many. Plus, seeing the faces of the audience when the show comes around is a huge reward, she added.

Performers have been training and practicing for the May 29 show, and Dupley said they're very excited to get together for the dress rehearsal and big event. There's going to be a food truck and a bar at the show, so the audience can have the full night-out experience. 

Attendees can arrive at Cambium Farms as early as 6:30 p.m. to get food and drinks, and pre-show entertainment will begin at 7. Cirque Du Poulet officially begins at 7:30 and will run until 10 with a 30-minute intermission in the middle of the show. The first half of the show is appropriate for all ages, while the second will feature some “somewhat” more risque acts.

Tickets to the show can be purchased online by following the link at herciniarts.com and are $45 plus tax and handling fees. Groups of over four people can save on their tickets, and sliding scale (pay what you can) pricing is available for anyone facing financial barriers. The show is going to be recorded, and virtual tickets to watch the recorded show will be available. The virtual show will begin screening on June 17.

“It's going to be a great time and we hope that people in the Caledon area will support us by sharing, by attending,” said Dupley.