From a trapeze-swinging contortionist, to a rope aerialist performing so high she almost disappears from view when in full swing, to 16 flaming crossbow arrows being shot at a man, there are plenty of death-defying acts in Voyage de la Vie.
A fast-paced theatrical circus extravaganza, Voyage de la Vie (French for 'journey of life') opened yesterday at Resort World Sentosa, the island leisure complex in Singapore. Conceived by some of the creative talent behind Cirque du Soleil and Ringling Brothers productions, the storyline revolves around 'The Boy', a young office worker caught up in the pressures of city life and frustrated by the rigidity of tradition and society.
One day a large parcel lands on his desk. Hiding inside is a mischievous youngster (15-year-old Ukrainian contortionist Alexey Goloborodko), who introduces him to the 'Lantern Master' (juggler extraordinaire Viktor Kee). Led by the mysterious pair, The Boy embarks on a metaphorical journey to discover his identity, giving them the chance to reflect on struggles about love, temptation, conflict and resolution, life and death.
'I think everyone can identify with The Boy because we have all been in that position in one way or another,' says Singaporean singer Jonathan Leong, who plays him. 'The one thing that he does have in abundance is creative imagination.'
The multimillion-dollar original production is the resident show at Festival Grand, the 1,600-seat theatre in the resort, and features some big names, on and off stage. It is produced by Mark Fisher, who has designed sets for memorable rock productions, including Pink Floyd's The Wall, and for Cirque du Soleil's KA in Las Vegas. Director Philip McKinley has worked on several editions of Ringling Bros and Barnum and Bailey's The Greatest Show on Earth, and directed the five-time Tony-nominated Broadway musical The Boy from Oz.
Resort World Sentosa's vice-president of entertainment, Andrea Teo, says her team scouted the globe to find the right performers for the various challenging roles.