THEY are the super humans of the showbiz world.

Cirque du Soleil’s 50 performing artists from 21 countries memorised the Manchester crowd with their feats of skill, agility and strength.

But what was more amazing still was the grace and confidence shown by all the performers.

The spectacles in the new global show, Ovo, required precision and exact timing but the cast made them look completely natural.

Not one performer faltered or made a mistake while the audience gasped and cheered in equal measures.

Blending in to all this was the visual feast that was Cirque du Soleil’s latest theme for the company’s 25th anniversary – the insect world.

The elaborate, eye-catching costumes were just the start.

Manchester Arena’s backdrop was used as a gigantic screen to give the impression of an ecosystem teeming with life.

And you get to hear the curious sounds as the ‘insects’ crawled, fluttered and played.

The title Ovo means egg in Portuguese and aptly the show started with a gigantic egg dominating the stage that represented the enigma and cycles of the bugs’ lives ­– and perhaps our own.

Among the highlights was the mind-boggling Cretura.

The ‘monster’ appeared to be made of huge flexible tubes that stretched and shrank and disappeared before emerging again in different directions.

This left the audience dazzled but completely confused about where Cretura started and ended.

The UK’s own Alanna Baker, who was crowned gymnastics European Champion in 2011 and won Bronze in the World Championships in 2012, was also astonishing as the spider.

She was able to lift and manoeuvre her body with just one hand touching the ground in a way that appeared almost gravity defying.

The colourful diabolo juggler made the most of his solo spot too with a staggering set of skills that did not require any stage magic for the wow factor.

But the Ovo team kept the best for last when the insect-like performers dropped onto trampolines which sent them flying towards giant climbing walls before a synchronised finale of flips and jumps.

There were two factors that let Ovo down a little bit though.

Firstly – unlike some of its previous tours in big tops – this show is being presented in arenas.

That offers some benefits like the video backdrop but Manchester’s vast arena lacks the atmosphere and intimacy of smaller venues especially when it is not full.

Ovo also features an overbearing ‘plot’ in between the performances.

All Cirque du Soleil shows are full of warmth, humour and light relief but in this production the interactions between ‘The Foreigner’, his love interest ‘The Ladybug’ and ‘Master Flipo’, the chief of the insect community, are fun enough but detract from all the incredible choreography and breathtaking feats we have come to expect.

But overall Cirque du Soleil’s incredible performers were as super-talented, courageous and charming as ever. They left the audience bug-eyed.