Little Charlie, in coveralls and battered cap, sporting a bushy mustache, sweeps up the stage to prepare it for his master, Mat Velvet, the “Wheel God” who will amaze us with his skill on German Wheel. Mat is also a Super Hero fighting crime dressed in his spotted red tights, spats and his fetching black cape. Pratfalls, outrageous posing and corny jokes ensue until the caterpillar becomes a butterfly and Charlie emerges from her coveralls to reveal gorgeous Charlie in red tights who enthralls us with breathtaking acrobatics. Mat continues to kibitz and boast about his star qualities.
I came across their show at the Busker Stage by chance as I was expecting to see beautiful Becky Hoops again. It was a happy accident. Usually you would see a performance like this from far away in a big auditorium. At the CNE you stand right at the edge of the stage and you really see how difficult, wonderful and dangerous the act is.
Mat and Charlie are two of the many characters created by Martin Varallo and his wife Dominique Major. Their artistry was featured at Cirque du Soleil and on BBC television. After the show, they told me about their life travelling the world with their two children performing for television, cabarets and sometimes at busker festivals. After 18 years of travelling, they like to spend as much time as they can teaching at Dominique’s Circus School near Montreal, Quebec. See their act, then, follow Mat and Charlie at: www.matandcharlie.com
Written by: James Carlisle
