The freaks will come out at night when the “R-rated” Paranormal Cirque production pitches its ginormous tent outside Dover Mall Thursday for the first of a four-night Halloween run.
Joining them under the red-and-black Clown Castle will be zombies, vampires, murderers and all manner of odd and bloodthirsty creatures of the night.
This sexy, dangerous and wicked show, a Cirque Italia production, includes adult language and themes that require guests to be 18 or older. Guests aged 13 to 17 must be accompanied by a parent (or a guardian with an ID). No one under age 13 will be admitted.
The new and mature Paranormal Cirque is a horror-themed, audience interactive show that promises “different shades of sexy and an incomparable storyline,” according to press materials.
And that’s to say nothing of the demon-possessed woman hanging from her hair 40 to 50 feet above the crowd.
Fans rave about the show in comments on Cirque’s Facebook page.
“We got our tix for Saturday night in Dover, De and we can’t wait,” an excited fan wrote with anticipation.
“It’s worth seeing!” one fan testified.
“Just saw the show in Hanover, MD and it was great,” cosigned another person.
“it was such a good time! We are addicted now,” a happy customer chimed.
So what makes ‘Paranormal Cirque’ fun?
The production is a marriage of elements of theater, circus and cabaret with a Cirque twist. There are a variety of world-class acrobats and illusionists performing breathtaking feats.
When the freaks and ghouls pitched their spooky Clown Castle in Fort Myers, Florida, earlier this year, the production included a barking, bloody “dog boy” in a cage and zombie trapeze artists “that got a little bitey.”
“It feels like you’re living inside of a horror movie,” contortionist Ben Holland, who plays the dog boy, told the Fort Myers News-Press at the time. “It’s not suitable for the kids. But for adults, it’s a lot of fun.”
As the dog boy, Holland sits in a cage wearing a collar and covered in blood. Sometimes he barks, runs up to people and tries to bite them.
He also twists his arms and legs into all sorts of crazy pretzel shapes. He’s a contortionist, after all.
“I take all my bones out of place and try to put them all back together,” he said. “It’s worked almost every time, so far. Knock on wood.”
Adult circuses are common in Europe, but they’re just now catching on in the United States, Holland said. “It’s a new and interesting and cool thing.”
You also can look forward to a motorcyclist who maneuvers through a giant metal Wheel of Death, and a marksman who uses his legs to take aim with his bow and arrow.
How scary is this show?
Paranormal Cirque may not be quite as frightening as, say, the “Saw” franchise; promoters call it more spooky than scary.
So those who want some hair-raising jump frights can come early. The pre-show (15 minutes after doors open until , showtime) will give guests a chance to be scared by actors running around a “haunted house” set up in the front of the tent.
How about those ‘Cirque Italia’ vibes?
Paranormal Cirque performers come from all over the world, including Belarus, Brazil, Bulgaria, Portugal, England, France, Romania, Mexico, America, Italy and other far-flung places. They set their own hours for practice, but on average they try to stick to two to three hours a day (depending on conditions, of course), while traveling and performing 11 months out of the year.
Paranormal Cirque is a spinoff of Cirque Italia, a touring company based in Florida that performs on stages that hold 35,000-gallon water tanks. Cirque Italia was founded by owner Manuel Rebecchi in 2012.
This time around, they’re looking for Paranormal Cirque to make a horrific splash in the Capital City, starting Thursday.
Paranormal Cirque at Dover Mall (1365 N. Dupont Highway, Dover) at 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 6:30 and 9:30 p.m. Saturday; 5:30 and 8:30 p.m. Sunday, and 7:30 p.m. Monday. Tickets $15-$50. For more info, visit paranormalcirque.com.
Charles Runnels of The Fort Myers Press contributed to this report.
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