Circus Ronaldo presents
Sono Io? at La Tohue

How can one find their own place without erasing the other self, their own son?

By Sophie Jama

November 20, 2025

In the circus world, where art and life often intertwine, there are universal stories that speak to both the heart and the imagination. Sono io?, presented this fall at La Tohu by the Circus Ronaldo, is much more than just a clown show—it’s a profound, tender, and funny exploration of the complex relationship between a father and his son.

Led by father and son Danny and Pepijn Ronaldo, the production is a deeply moving exploration of legacy, memory, and identity, bridging generations through a blend of circus, commedia dell’arte, mime, and magical realism. This multi-talented circus duo shares the stage in a dance of complicity and tension, embodying the age-old challenge of passing something on and existing without erasing the other.

A profound, tender, and funny exploration of the complex relationship between a father and his son.

“Who am I?” asks the father, a former clown, musician, juggler, and actor, as he watches his son step onto the family stage. This stage—his home, his world—is both familiar and fragile, yet his anxieties gradually fade in the face of the inevitable need to pass something on.

The show opens on a set designed like an intimate living space: laundry strung up, an old reel-to-reel tape player, and a vintage bathtub evoke a precarious everyday life, caught between yesterday and today. In this memory-laden setting, the father takes a bath—a bittersweet metaphor for a suspended moment, life continuing despite everything.

The son arrives, bringing his suitcase and fresh energy, and unsettles the balance. The father is proud, because his son has inherited his passion for circus arts, but also jealous, as youth eludes him—like a mirror reflecting his own vulnerability. Both are clowns, musicians, acrobats, jugglers, and actors: a constellation of talents woven through their bond. The show illuminates this quest for identity, where each must learn to coexist, love, and find their own light.

Transmission, jealousy, and love: a subtle blend

“This show is a bridge between two generations,” a member of the show told me. It goes far beyond the circus; it’s a true reflection of the complexity of human relationships. The father, swept up by memories and a lingering desire for the spotlight, finds it hard to step aside. The son, for his part, must navigate between respect, admiration, and the need for affirmation. The tension is palpable yet delicate, expressed with gentleness through clowning acts in which feigned clumsiness and genuine technical feats intertwine to reveal their emotions.

Sono io ? du 19 au 23 novembre 2025 à la Tohu à Montréal

They squabble, support each other, and search for connection. The father wants his son to succeed, but he almost fears that success might break their bond. This paradox, expressed without embellishment, strikes a deep chord. The father-son relationship, so often fraught and full of ambivalence, becomes a universal drama. The stage becomes a mirror for these sensitive bonds, where the need for the other collides with the desire for independence.

A breathtaking visual and musical poetry

But Sono io? is more than just a nearly wordless narrative. The sets, costumes, lighting, and music immerse the audience in an atmosphere that is both nostalgic and vibrant. Every gesture by the artists is closely observed by spectators, thanks to an intimate staging that invites complicity.

The music, brilliantly composed and performed, underscores the characters’ emotional ebb and flow. Audiences laugh, are moved, and applaud the dizzying acrobatics and extraordinary balancing acts that bring this search for self to life. The complicity between father and son fills the space, casting new light on feelings that are sometimes contradictory.

‘The production draws on Circus Ronaldo’s long family tradition, blending old circus theatre, commedia dell’arte, mime, music, and magical realism’

The show questions the place each person holds within a family and artistic legacy. How can one be oneself without overshadowing the other—especially when that other is also a reflection of oneself? That’s the central theme raised by Circus Ronaldo’s creation, delivered by two performers—two souls connected by blood, passion, and the stage—who explore the shifting boundary between passing down tradition and pursuing innovation.

Sono io ? du 19 au 23 novembre 2025 à la Tohu à Montréal

Sono io? is at once light and profound, funny and moving, taking us on a journey between two generations of artists. It’s an ode to transmission, renewal, respect for one’s roots, and to the wings needed to fly. It’s not about winning or losing, but a delicate dance between past and future, between respect and freedom, between love and jealousy. The father, sometimes awkwardly, lays the path for his son to move forward. The son learns to assert himself without betraying his heritage. This journey, sometimes painful, is also filled with tenderness and connection. It reminds us that in any relationship, there is room for many versions of oneself, without exclusion or forgetting.

The production, inspired by a long tradition of circus, commedia dell’arte, mime, music, and magical realism, is a highlight of Montreal’s artistic season. In this event, magic illuminates the personal, allowing it to speak to everyone. It’s also an invitation to listen to your own story, with its shadows and sparks of light, and to welcome your other self, in all its forms.

Sono io ? by Circus Ronaldo

Concept, directing and performance: Danny Ronaldo, Pepijn Ronaldo
Creation: Danny Ronaldo, Pepijn Ronaldo, Seppe Verbist
Technical coordination: Flor Huybens, Dominique Pollet
Final directing: Frank Van Laecke
Coaching : Steven Luca, Walter Janssens
Sound design: Seppe Verbist
Tent lighting design: Frank Van Laecke, Dominique Pollet
Theatre lighting design: Dominique Pollet
Music: David Van Keer, Birger Embrechts, Seppe Verbist
Costumes and tailoring: Dotje Demuynck
Company director: Lesley Verbeeck

“Sono io?” runs from November 19 to 23, 2025, at La Tohu in Montreal.

Images: Patrick Van Vlerken

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Sophie Jama holds a PhD in anthropology and a master’s degree in comparative literature. She has published several works in Québec and France. For the past 15 years, she has covered Montreal’s cultural scene, including theatre, dance, circus, and other performing arts.