DIAVOLO’S ESCAPE

What a great show this is! We Angelenos are so lucky to get to see this incredible presentation. This review may be a tad long because I feel there’s no quick way to really convey its magnificence!

I’ve been a fan of the acrobatic troupe Diavolo since I first saw them on America’s Got Talent nine years ago, so I’m thrilled that I finally got to witness their brilliance in person. Actually, “in person” is downplaying the experience because it’s more like “face-to-face”—this show is more up-close and personal than a Tinder date!!! (I’ve never had one, of course, but I’ve heard stories.)

I’ve been taking my friend Marc to shows for eight years now, and this is the first one about which he said, “It’s a ten out of ten!” He continued exclaiming as we exited, declaring Diavolo’s Escape to be “engaging,” “intriguing,” and “fantastic,” all of which I agree with. And more!

For those of you who aren’t aware of Diavolo, it’s a company of the most amazing daredevils/dancers/acrobats/gymnasts/general athletes. And it’s all helmed, conceived, and choreographed by one man—Founder and Creative Director, Frenchman Jacques Heim, who also choreographed Cirque du Soleil’s Kà in Vegas.) (He started Diavolo thirty-four years ago, which is a tad confounding because he doesn’t look much older than that!)

I cannot imagine how anyone in the world is able to come up with this amazing artistry! I have heavy-duty and complicated dreams just about every night, but have never come close to seeing anything like any of these movements in them. Diavolo deserves every superlative and accolade in the world. I had written an early note while I was watching the show stating that it was all “very creative,” which turned out to be the understatement of the decade!

As much work as it all is, and years of training it must take, I imagine all the uber-difficult moves must be great fun for the young athletes for them to perform. No wonder there’s zero body fat among the twenty or so of them.

The performers are all excellent, of course, (or they wouldn’t be in this troupe—there’s no room for slouches here,) but I had a possibly strange favorite. (Strange only because it didn’t involve the danger that’s inherent in Diavolo’s repertoire.) It was champion roller-skater, Chance Becker, whose solo opened the second half of the program. He didn’t do any tricks; he just presented beautiful and emotional skating so close that I felt like he and I were doing a pas de deux!

Chance was followed by Aaron Franco and Madison Moser doing an actual pas de deux of a contemporary dance number, centered around a door, of all things. As much as I adored all of the show, I was pleased to see more dancing in the second half.

One girl, Kate Dougherty, appeared to me to be doing much of the heavy lifting. (By that I mean the climbing and jumping within an inch of her life!) I later discovered that she’s also the company’s Associate Choreographer. So she choreographed herself to take those risks! Just like I choreograph myself to sit on my couch and watch sports every day! Twins.

The entire cast makes the audience feel secure. Marc and I were lucky enough to be sitting in the ichiban seats—front row center–yet we never once felt in danger ourselves, (except maybe from the hard-work-induced sweat.)

And these athletes don’t just tumble around willy-nilly—they work on many creative contraptions. The first one reminded me of monkey bars. One looks like an old-fashioned British locomotive. Another features multiple slides. And the breathtaking finale showcases their signature giant half-moon-shaped structure, which looks sort-of like a pirate ship that these extreme daredevils jump on and off in different ways. While it’s moving!!! What a finale!!! The whole production is never-ending feats of strength and balance and grace and derring-do. Even the toilet paper rolls in the bathroom are stocked artistically!

The accompanying music is also perfect. And well-chosen, such as using Another Brick in the Wall as they build and take apart a wall. The music is never intrusive; it only adds to the enjoyment of what we’re witnessing.

Even the venue is intriguing. Escape takes place in a very special space that has a “Joe sent me” feel to it. It’s Diavolo’s very own warehouse studio, which they call “L’Espace.” The location is adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, but the area is its own hipster situation.

Jacques greets everyone, first outside the venue and then again inside the “theatre,” and explains a bit about what is to come. (And he keeps advising the audience, “Two more minutes,” until each half begins, even though it’s more like ten or fifteen more minutes. But it’s all good—the audience is buzzing the entire time.)

The show itself is only seventy-ish minutes, but prepare to spend about two and a half hours on the premises. The night I was there, it started pretty late, but it didn’t matter because the audience was entertained with an interactive experience, which happens every night. And then there’s an even bigger one after it ends. On the night I was there, everyone who participated looked to be loving trying-out some of the equipment, so I do regret a bit that I didn’t take advantage of the opportunities. (As I was leaving, the man who sat behind me rushed over to say that he thought I’d be the first one to try it. I have no idea why, but perhaps he saw me in the circus back in the day!) So wear whatever you like, but I suggest you leave the high heels and mini-skirts at home, in case you want to participate.

Diavolo’s Escape is appropriate and fun for all ages; there’s absolutely nothing offensive or scary about it. (Oh—except for worrying that the athletes might get hurt.) It’s an equally wonderful family, friend, or date night.

And now I have a couple of words of caution for you. First is that I’ve been told that on hot days, it can get stifling in there. However, very thoughtfully, the company provides little cordless fans for the guests to borrow during the performance, and bottles of water are always complimentary there! What a perk! But I advise you to dress in layers. I wore a thin tank top as my bottom layer, but my always-hot self was totally comfortable with a thin turtleneck and sweater on top of it! (It was a sixty-degree night, though.)

The other is a soft warning for my fellow back pain sufferers: Since the action takes place on the same floor as the three rows of audience seats, and I was sitting in that fabulous first row, my own back felt all the performers’ landings. I spoke with several other audience members at intermission and afterwards, and they either didn’t notice the vibrations or weren’t bothered by them, so if you don’t have a broken back, as I do, you’ll be fine. But if you are in a similar situation to mine, maybe bring a little cushion. Or instead of fans and water, ask them to give you a couple of Tylenol and a back brace!

Here’s one last very important note: Even more than the extreme enjoyment of beholding all this greatness is knowing that your ticket purchase helps support the Diavolo Veterans Program, which is explained thusly: “The mission of the Veterans Program is to utilize Diavolo’s unique style of movement as a tool to help restore veterans’ physical, mental, and emotional strengths through workshops and public performances in communities all around the country.”

Now for all reasons, go see Diavolo’s Escape! Perhaps even more than once, as I plan to!

Diavolo’s Escape running through June 14, 2026
E’space Diavolo
616 Moulton Avenue, near DTLA
www.diavolo.org/escape