July 12. Day 194. Ladybird, ladybird fly away home

Meet Michelle Matlock. She's a ladybird. Now if I was a ladybird I'd be staying well away from open flames still haunted by the most dreadful of childhood rhymes:

Ladybird ladybird fly away home,
Your house is on fire and your children are gone

But Michelle, the star of Cirque du Soleil's Ovo which opens in Brisbane on Saturday, seemed quite happy to climb into the basket of a hot air balloonright under the giant gas burners and take off.

Actually she seemed delighted (the fact that her image is on the side of the egg-shaped balloon may have had something to do with that)

You might assume that if you'd been playing the same role for almost two years it might be just another day at the office. If that was the case she was certainly hiding it well at the media call this morning.

While photographers were taking her picture, Michelle had her mobile phone camera out and was making sure she was missing none of the action. Her excitement was genuine and infectious.

I reckon a job like being a performer with Cirque du Soleil would do that for you.

Certainly I feel a child like excitement every time the Grand Chapiteau (that's Cirque speak for Big Top) is in town.

But then I'm a bit of a Cirque groupie, having seen productions not only in Australia but in Las Vegas and Macau.

But Ovo (meaning egg) is new on me and is on its first Australian tour. I hope it's all it's cracked up to be.

If Michelle is anything to go by it should soar.