Cambodian Circus

When we began to plan this trip, I said that one of the places I really hope to visit was Angkor Wat. Many years ago I happened upon a phenomenal exhibit of sculpture from the ruins and the images have stuck with me to this day. So Cambodia was added to our itinerary.

The flight from Saigon to Siem Reap is only about an hour. Our local guide, Nimol, greeted us at the airport. It's about an hour from there to the hotel, so we stopped along the way at Stoeng Trorcheak Restaurant, where we had a very nice lunch that was a preview of the excellent food we had everywhere in Cambodia.

Our hotel, the Shinta Mani, was lovely and the staff were very welcoming. We were glad to settle into our rooms and have a relaxing break before Nimol picked us up again for our evening adventures.

Our guide’s introduction to Cambodia was basically a run-down of everyone who has invaded and occupied since the Khmer Empire fell in the 15th century, culminating with the civil war and the Khmer Rouge genocide, which killed approximately a quarter of the population.

Phare, the Cambodian Circus, is a project of Phare Ponleu Selpak, and all the performers are graduates of their school, which offers free general education and professional arts training. Their shows tell stories rooted in folklore and personal experience and incorporate live music and visual art, as well as dance and circus arts.

The performance that we got to see is called Sokha. It tells the story of a young Cambodian girl whose life was disrupted by war.

One of the unique aspects of the show was the onstage painter who created works live that connected to the action of the story. His piece about a bombing attack made the audience gasp audibly.

The performers did powerful mask work that elevated this hand balancing bit into something eerie and menacing.

After seeing her father killed and running from death, Sokha is eventually reunited with her mother, but the memories haunt her sleep.

After the war ends, life is good, but Sokha has to choose to trust again. Eventually she moves to the city and recaptures her joy by teaching children.

The circus skills were fun, but the way that all the elements are woven together and the commitment of the performers to the story they are sharing is what makes the show so powerful that we were moved through tears to real joy. Plus, the popcorn was really good.

Phare has toured in the US in the past and if you get the chance to see them there, I recommend it. But I hope you'll get to see them in Siem Reap, because you should visit here if you possibly can!