Francis Croft: a Corteo state of mind
8 Dec 2018

by Drew Rowsome - Production and backstage photos by Lauren Garbutt Photography.

"It's joyful. It's a celebration of life," says Francis Croft of Cirque du Soleil's Corteo. "The subject of the show is dark since we're talking about a funeral, but our performance is more of a carnival. You just focus, you visualize what you're about to do, it's a Corteo state of mind."

Having seen Corteo twice - under the grand chapiteau and the arena tour opening night - and eagerly anticipating a third experience, I understand the difficulty of explaining the emotional spell that Corteo weaves. A clown Mauro is fantasizing about his funeral while simultaneously revisiting the many wonders throughout his career. It is a big production that connects to the audience in an intensely personal way. "Corteo used to be in a big top but we switched it to an arena. We took around five months of training in Montreal. It was a big challenge, there were a lot of technical challenges, but I think the result of it is just fantastic. You don't have any bad seats because it all faces the catwalk. We were able to keep, as much as possible, the intimacy they had in the big top."

Corteo is also high energy and relentless, but Croft finds the performances exhilarating instead of exhausting. "The show itself, it just goes," he says. "I do the first act and then have little cues here and there so I get to cool down a little bit. And then I start warming up for the second act and I finish strong with the Tournik. Corteo is known for having a lot of cues for the acrobats. After the Tournik act, the last act of the show, it's the big finale so you get this big wave of love. It's not exhausting because you get so much energy from the crowd every day and that recharges your batteries every time."

As with all the best Cirque du Soleil creations, the mood and excitement created is more crucial than a linear plot. Corteo may not make literal sense but the theme and emotions register on a visceral level. "I go from being a kid jumping on beds to an angel in the air and then I go to Tournik where it's very much more masculine, strong, powerful energy," says Croft. "The energy changes too when you have an interaction with the main character Maruo, we're lucky to be able to express how we would react in that scene as a person. I think this is the richness of Corteo, we're not creatures, we're called by our own names, I'm Francis on stage acting as I would react."

Croft began his career as a gymnast before an injury changed his trajectory. "I had surgery and I wasn't able to train as much," he says. "I couldn't keep the level I was on. I was already waiting for the right moment to go into the circus. I worked at Canada's Wonderland for three seasons and that was pretty much my circus school. I learned how to be onstage and perform for other people, and the reality of doing a lot of shows. From that, here I am. Corteo was an amazing opportunity. For me it was a natural transition to come to work with Cirque du Soleil since it was my life goal for a long time."

Running away with the circus has worked out very well. "I've been touring with them for a year now, Croft says. "It's amazing. You need to get used to it because you're changing cities every week and you're literally living in your luggage. Staying in a new place every week makes you see a lot of the world very fast. I'm still getting used to the lifestyle but all my energy and everything is focussed on Corteo. I'm doing this job because I love creating and I love performing so why not?"

Being around circus folk is also expanding Croft's artistic repertoire. "I've touched on a little bit of everything since I started with Corteo. I've done trampo wall, some diving, some tumbling, some handstands, stacking. Right now I'm doing some Cyr wheel backstage, I've been training for a long time. Personally I just want to push and learn more all the time. It would be hard to just do what I do every day."

Croft is single and says, "It can be quite a challenge to be in a relationship when you are on tour." But there are benefits, "It's a big insular community," he says of the circus world. "I think it's like that in any domain but especially in this sort of artistic community. We share the same kind of reality. It's not like a job that's set in stone, you're going to change shows, you're going to go to be a replacement, so you get to work with a lot of people. It's a very intense experience when you're sharing a stage with other people so it creates relations that are fast and strong. It creates a close community."

The Toronto stand has a specific challenge attached. "You guys are lucky," says Croft "We're going to do ten shows in Toronto. Normally we start the week with one show a day for a few days and then through the weekend it's two shows. You guys are going to have three shows on Saturday. It's going to be our first time so we'll see. We're going to make it work. Everybody gives it one hundred percent every show."

Corteo travels next to Montreal for a two week stand. "Everyone is excited," says Croft. " It's been my hometown for a long time now and I have lots of family and friends there. There's a big circus community in Montreal because lots of companies are based there and the national circus school is there as well. So we're going to have a big cheering crowd. And it's going to be the holidays so it will be an exciting moment."

Croft will be on the road with Corteo at least until the end of 2019 and he is looking forward to whatever comes next. "Some cities are very rewarding to visit, there is a lot to see," says Croft. "Others not so much. I won't have much time off in Toronto. We arrive Tuesday and the shows start on Wednesday. I'll be living in the Church Street neighbourhood so I know that it's a dynamic neighbourhood. So I might just have a drink here and there, have some coffees . . ." And when reminded that it is also the gay village so there are other advantages, he replies, "Definitely."