Pim Valken, the Dutch chef, walks out of the circus canteen looking disgruntled. 'This is like camping cooking,' he sighs. It turns out that there is no water supply for the next half hour, the food may be delayed and this is drastic because 150 hungry staff (50 of whom are performers) have to be fed at specific times between performances. Logistical problems like this are part of Pim's day. The kitchen and canteen, designed to be dismantled, are made up of eight trucks parked for the moment beside a ring road on the outskirts of Zurich, and the space is limited. The five chefs have to live without a place to bake fresh bread and they are always crashing into each other. 'It goes in a friendly way but it makes for higher stress levels,' says Pim. Adding more trucks would solve the problem but, as he points out, the bandwagon keeps on growing; 'Five years ago I started with two bags. Now I have a kid, a girlfriend and 11 bags, that's what you gain in five years.' Despite the Cirque's success they still work on a tight budget.

Cirque du Soleil has moved on from the traditional ramshackle circus experience. Sawdusted floors and rosy-faced ringleaders have been replaced with dazzling acrobatics and deep philosophical concepts - the only animal is actually a dancing human dressed as a cat. This is a modern corporate circus, a multi-million dollar business which, since it began in 1984 in Quebec, has been seen by over 30 million people. The Cirque has two permanent residencies in Las Vegas, one in Florida's Walt Disney World and stages seven different shows around the world. Sponsorship signs illuminate the big top, yet they still try to keep the ethos of community going, onstage and behind it. Cirque's current European show, Quidam, which is coming to London on 22 November, is surreal, an awe-inspiring warning against the anonymity of modern society. The camaraderie continues backstage. In the kitchens all five chefs have equal status; there is a secure feeling of partnership. 'The kitchen staff are very important just like everybody,' says Pim. 'If you miss a shift or you get stressed, the food will turn out differently and you'll see a different show. I have that feeling.'

The show must go on - but not on a full stomach. Mark Ward, the leading character of Quidam is sitting alone, in true star form, picking his way around a duck breast, the rest of the plate piled with carrots and green beans. Make-up cakes his face and each mouthful is carefully composed so as not to spoil it for the second show. He talks fast between mouthfuls: 'For the most part when I eat I am always thinking about my health.' This is the biggest meal of the five he eats a day: 'During the intermission I just have a banana or something for compacted energy. I feel heavy performing on a full stomach and I do a lot of jumping around with a coat-rack in the second half, but some people can eat a whole meal during the intermission.'

The Russians, who have to support four people on their shoulders, are the most likely to need a solid meal in the interval, but Marie-A, who does a heartstopping 'sculpture' double act in the second act, goes without. She is 40 and seems to be built out of brick: 'Usually my diet is vegetables and pasta and no processed food like pizza.' The clowns are allowed to gorge themselves. Begona Gomez a Spanish clown enthuses: 'I eat what I want, absolutely everything. I just love the food here and I think the major reason why people stay here for so long is because the kitchen is good.' Then she takes a bite of her rhubarb cheesecake and looks around her with a mischievous glance to coax her fellow eaters into a response, but everyone is concentrating on their food.

Rolf used to work in Michelin-starred restaurants in Holland and joined the circus kitchen because there were no other options going. 'I miss having the order tags and working on the plate, à la carte. That is the part I miss most and, of course, my friends at home.' But he consoles himself with the glitz of circus life. 'It is nice to have famous people coming to see the show and eating in our canteen. I used to cook for famous people but I never saw them when I worked in a hotel.' Rolf gestures to the photographs hanging above the food to prove it. This canteen has fed Roman Polanski, the Blairs, Mick Jagger, Prince Charles - even Joan Collins has tried Rolf's food.

The canteen is the only communal space on the site. It has a friendly atmosphere with performers occasionally breaking into song and gliding from one language to another. The kitchen serves 30 items, hot and cold, and is a performance in itself. Mandy Holmes the kitchen director recognises this: 'We have a captive audience because we're feeding the same people every day.' But they're a demanding audience: 'We feed people from 16 different countries. We try to keep people happy but they all complain. They complain about things being too spicy...'

But the Chinese girls want spicy food to remind them of home and the technicians want hearty food so they can climb the big top, and the flyers want low calorie food so they can defy gravity. There is just one complaint today by a Russian juggler, Edward Skwirsky, who is eating the pile of Russian salad on his plate. 'It is good Russian salad, but there's something missing here,' he says, as he gets up and helps himself to more.

Cirque du Soleil will be in London on 22 November. For tickets call 020 7957 4090; www.cirquedusoleil.com

Recipes

Confit of duck legs

serves 4

4 duck legs

200g duck or goose fat

1 small onion

1 carrot

2 sticks of celery

6 peppercorns

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs of thyme

1 sprig of rosemary

6 juniper berries

2 cloves garlic

Melt fat, dice vegetables and place all ingredients in a wide heavy based saucepan. Place duck legs on top, cover with greaseproof paper, put on a tight fitting lid and bring to the boil. Once boiled, turn down to a simmer and cook until a knife will go easily through the meat. Cool in cooking pot overnight with legs kept in fat. The next day remove meat and wipe off excess fat. Place on a wire rack on a baking tray, warm in a medium oven and finish under a hot grill until skin is brown and crispy. Serve with a wild mushroom pilaf and crispy green vegetables.

Lamb tagine

serves 4

1kg diced lamb

50ml olive oil

2 tbsp ground cumin

2 tbsp ground coriander

3 cloves garlic

3 onions sliced

200ml lamb stock

100gm dried dates

Place all the ingredients in a heavy casserole with a lid, put in a hot oven, when the tagine starts bubbling turn down to low and leave for 6 hours or until the meat is falling apart. Serve with couscous and a salad.