La Perle: Soaking in a live show in Dubai

2022-10-28
/
/ Dubai
La Perle: Soaking in a live show in Dubai

The two highlights of the show – water and acrobatics – are weaved into the story so that at least one, if not both, are on throughout the 90-minute performance

Italian-born show producer Franco Dragone’s first venture in the Middle East will wash you away!
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At the end of the 90-minute show, there are two things that remain firmly entrenched in the viewer’s mind. First is of course the amazing stunts by circus performers as well as motorcyclists that keep the audience enthralled throughout the show. The second is the sheer amount of water used in the show. Together, the adventures and the water ensure that at end of the show, the viewers are not left feeling high and dry, as at least those in the front rows do get sprinkled on occasions during the show.

La Perle, Dubai’s first live stage show that has a permanent home in Al Habtoor City, is a creation of Italian-born theatre director Franco Dragone who was known for his larger-than-life creations in various parts of the world. La Perle is his first venture in the entire Middle East and perhaps the only permanent live show in the region.

The highlight of La Perle (The Pearl, in French) is its massive purpose-built aqua theatre where a magical fairytale story is performed by a cast of 65 artists, including dancers, circus performers and motorcyclists, from 23 different nationalities. With drama and stunts mixed in equal proportions, the viewers are left dazzled and awe-inspired by the performance.

The show is built around the story of a young fisherwoman who falls into a dream-like state and travels in search of a lost pearl. During her journey, she comes across people from completely different worlds and cultures, perhaps a reference to the diversity of cultures in the UAE. The story is rather simple and is built around a fictional Chinese tale, with local elements added to give it a Dubai-twist.

The design of the pool allows scenic elements to emerge from it and is the recipient of a succession of high-flying dives (IO Photos/Ranvir Nayar)

It is about a King who is a greedy and childish pearl collector, who will do everything in his power to make celestial love triumph. The lead character, eponymous with the show, Pearl, is a courageous girl who comes from the real world and is foreign to the kingdom. The entire play is centred on the adventure she lives through time and space to find the love of her life. Antar is a gladiator who is fiercely loyal to the King but is also deeply in love with Pearl and whom he would protect at any cost. One of the King’s trusted aides, Prince is vicious and evil and tries by all means to prevent the King from achieving his goals.

A lion, born from the traditional Chinese Lion Dance, is the king’s pet, while cyborgs, who reflect the future, also feature in the story and can be recognised by their bright and very showy outfits.

Theatre takes the centre stage

Like other creations by Dragone, the theatre of Le Perle has also been built in a way that the entire place, along with audience, becomes an integral part of the show. It offers 270° views and smart lighting that rapidly changes the perspective of the theatre which transforms from a tumultuous sea to a magical forest and then again to a busy city street in moments.

The two highlights of the show – water and acrobatics – are weaved into the story so that at least one, if not both, are on throughout the 90-minute performance. Water, there is no dearth of! The centre of the theatre is built on a pool of water that holds 2.7 million litres of water and runs at least 8 metres deep. Frequently, during the show there is recreation of heavy rain, fully with thunder and lightning accompanying and at least some of the audience, especially those in the VIP section which is right upfront, do get sprayed occasionally. Also, huge waterfalls have been recreated in this rather innovative theatre that comes complete with appropriate light and sound effects to make the experience even more immersive.

The 1300-seat water theater was designed by Jean Rabasse to allow the audience to live an immersive experience

Acrobatics and death-defying stunts are another highlight of the show. On occasions, artistes rappel down from the top of the theatre, at least 20 m high, and plunge head-on into the pool. Another startling stunt on display is a spherical metal cage with at least four motorcycle riders. As the cage is lifted and moved, motorcycles zoom past each other in the cage, pretty much like in a Well of Death. The motorcycles are moving at high speeds and the cage is not big enough for all of them move. Yet, the riders are so well-trained highly trained that it becomes difficult to keep track of the motorcycles as they go around, clipping past each other.

The 1300-seat water theater was designed by Jean Rabasse to allow the audience to live an immersive experience. This begins when you enter the theater, with walls that are customised to create and mimic the feeling of a diving into an organic cave.

This intimate experience is reinforced by the spectator’s proximity to the stage: a 270-degree vision and only 14 rows place the audience next to the water pool that is located in the centre of the stage. The design of the pool allows scenic elements to emerge from it and is the recipient of a succession of high-flying dives. According to Dragone, everything has been set up to allow the viewer to live experience a unique immersive experience, in an atmosphere deeply marked with the mystery and charm of Dubai, which is a laboratory of the future at the crossroads of cultures. To create the show, Dragone built an international team with several artists from China. He also wanted to integrate the fluid movement of water into the centre of the show to lull the old Dai stories and telluric forces of nature in a universal ode, to life. Characters have been created and brought to life from the imagination of Dragon Studios illustrator, Martin Leroy, whose shimmering costumes, designed by Nicolas Vaudelet, reflect the mystery and depth.“Humbly, we fed our imagination with Dai culture and built a unique artistic adventure on this fertile ground, on the water,’’ says Dragone.

Acrobatics and death-defying stunts are another highlight of the show

As a young child, Dragone moved from a small Italian village, Cairano, to Belgium with his family. They settled in a flourishing mining town, La Louvière, where he grew up. His passion for performance culminated in him studying drama at the Conservatory in Mons, where he fell in love with commedia dell’arte and political theatre.

In the 1980’s, Dragone followed his passion across the Atlantic and joined the nascent Cirque du Soleil, where he was instrumental in their planetary ascent during the 1980s and 90s. By signing as many as 10 shows over 12 years as their Creative Director, he re-invented a genre. Human performance, dance, the four elements of life, choreography, technology, and music – all tied together by a story told without a single spoken word.

Today, Dragone has permanent shows in various cities around the world notably Las Vegas, Paris, Antalya, Macau and Wuhan, besides Dubai. Though all the shows may not be about water, but their common thread is the use of lights, sounds and mechanical gizmos to create experiences that leave the audience immersed right up to the last moment of the performance.

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