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Leave it to the French Canadians to make a show that’s equal parts sexy, surreal, and unexpectedly hilarious. Cirque du Soleil’s Echo is the ultimate buffet for the senses—one minute, you’re gasping at impossible aerial stunts, and the next, you’re cackling at the show’s playful jabs at human nature.

“I think I fell in love with at least six different performers,” my friend confesses after watching Echo, her first-ever Cirque show. I can’t say I blame her; witnessing people effortlessly defy gravity and look fabulous while doing it? Yeah, that’s hot.

Echo follows the story of a heroine named Future as she journeys through a world where humans and animals coexist in surprising, harmonious ways. Along the way, she meets a slew of quirky characters that range from a personified dog in a cloud-patterned suit to an ambiguous cube, which embodies the moral dilemma of: “Should we throw around this big, heavy thing, or, I dunno, maybe build something better?”

In one of the most mesmerizing sequences, the cube becomes a canvas for projections of rippling water and prowling animals. As masked performers prance along the sides of the rotating structure, it’s hard to decide where to look. Every angle tells a different story, and with every turn of the cube, gasps and “oohs” ripple through the audience. It’s like an optical illusion, only with more Spandex and fewer brain cramps.

The most jaw-dropping portion of the show is the display of double hair suspension. When the two aerialists first step onto the stage, backs glistening under the lights like human sculptures, I can practically hear the collective swoon from the audience. Just when I think I can’t be more impressed, they clip their slicked-back buns onto carabiners and lift off the ground—yes, by their hair. The stunt is equally beautiful and anxiety-inducing.

Just as my fear of losing my own hair begins to subside, they ramp it back up with a performance in which one performer suspends the other by her teeth! Nothing will make you feel more like a mere mortal than watching someone do with their hair and teeth what you can’t even do with your hands and feet. Seriously—as they hang in mid-air by their roots, I am busy struggling to get a piece of gum out of its packaging because of my long nails.

And for those who think Cirque is all high-flying drama with no laughs, think again. There’s a charming segment in which two bumbling characters in matching striped trench coats juggle pieces of the cube, struggling to carry it all in a very, “I can totally handle one more grocery bag” kind of way. It’s a masterclass in physical comedy and a nice breather before things get intense again.

The usual Cirque du Soleil suspects are all present, too: teeterboard tricks that seem to defy physics, slackline acts that have me clutching my seat, and a contortionist who can twist limbs in ways that are as hypnotic as they are horrifying. (My friend, a physiotherapist by trade, watches wide-eyed, jaw dropped.)

As the show draws to a close, Future’s journey culminates in a stunning finale in which the pieces of the cube rejoin each other. She places the last piece as one final symbolic gesture, representing animals and humans in harmonious coexistence.

Whether you’re here for the wild stunts, the cheeky humour, or just to see how many times you can say, “What the fuck?!”, this Cirque show has something for everyone. It’s a reminder that, sometimes, even the most complex puzzles can be pieced back together with a bit of teamwork, a lot of flexibility, and maybe just a smidge of circus magic.