Cirque du Soleil is currently in Australia with their show Kurios: Cabinet of Curiosities. We spoke with Thomas Hubener, who plays a number of roles in the show.
Have you always dreamt of joining the circus?
The circus was never my goal when I was doing gymnastics at a high level, I dreamed of the Olympic Games but in the end the Cirque du Soleil crossed my path and I let myself be carried into its universe.
Do you have other family members who are also part of the circus?
Yes, my oldest brother Mathieu Hubener who is also an acrobat in Kurios.
Is it difficult to enter the circus at a young age and to travel overseas for such a long time?
I started the Cirque when I was 22 years old. In the beginning, it’s not easy to travel around the world alone all year long but after a while you get used to it and you adapt to life’s rhythm.
What’s your favourite career moment with Cirque du Soleil so far?
My favourite memory is the first time that I was on stage in 2011 with the show Michael Jackson THE IMMORTAL World Tour. It was my first stage appearance in Montréal at Centre Bell in front of 15,000 people!
What are your favourite acrobatic practices?
I love the very aerial acrobatics where you feel like you are flying like on the “acronet” from Kurios.
What is a typical day in your life?
Wake late at about 11am, a good breakfast with lots of fruit, training at the Big Top from early afternoon, 2 shows in the evening and back to the hotel at 11pm.
What countries have you travelled to with Cirque du Soleil?
With the Cirque du Soleil, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Canada, Mexico, Japan, Singapore and the USA (80 cities in the USA).
Tell us about the show and your role in KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities.
I embody a number of characters throughout the show but my favourite is when I play the role of the fish flying on the giant trampoline. It’s an act which is very acrobatic and pleases audiences a lot!
How is KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities different to the other Cirque du Soleil shows?
KURIOS is a very human show which is set in ancient times, which is different to the other shows which are in imaginary worlds.
Why should people come to see KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities?
KURIOS has already been very successful over the last 5 years and like I said previously, it really has a different ambiance with a perfect mixture of poetry, acrobatics and travel with wonderful music which everyone enjoys.
Tell us about the AcroNet troupe and your role in it?
The Acronet team is really great. We are all more or less from the same gymastics origins but from the 4 corners of the world, so it’s really cool to be able to share the same passion while coming from a different culture.
—
You can see KURIOS: Cabinet of Curiosities in the following cities on the following dates:
SYDNEY : 2 October to 29 December 2019: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/australia/sydney/kurios/buy-tickets
BRISBANE: 10 January to 23 February 2020: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/australia/brisbane/kurios/buy-tickets
MELBOURNE: 12 March to 26 April 2020: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/australia/melbourne/kurios/buy-tickets
ADELAIDE : 29 May to 7 June 2020: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/australia/adelaide/kurios/buy-tickets
PERTH: 15 July to 2 August 2020: https://www.cirquedusoleil.com/australia/perth/kurios/buy-tickets
Experience KURIOS like a VIP:
The ultimate Cirque du Soleil experience which gives you the best seats and access to the VIP suite for an hour before the show and during interval for wine and hors d’œuvres. You will also receive take-home souvenirs from the show and free parking.
Forfait VIP EXPERIENCE: à partir de $325
Sign up for free membership to the Cirque Club via this link www.cirquedusoleil.com/cirqueclub Members get early access to the best seats as well as discounts and promotional offers. You can also see never-before-seen content from Cirque du Soleil.
Have you already seen a Cirque du Soleil show?
