From a contortionist on a trapeze to a rope aerialist performing so high she almost disappears from view when she’s in full swing and sixteen cross-bow arrows aflame being shot at a man, there are plenty of death-defying circus acts in the new, fast-paced and colourful Voyage de la Vie . The musical circus extravaganza is the first resident show at Festival Grand, the 1,600 seat theatre at the recently opened Resorts World Sentosa. The storyline centres around ‘The Boy’, a young office worker caught up in the pressures of living in a modern city and frustrated by the rigidity of society and tradition. One day, he receives a large red parcel on his desk containing a mischievous young contortionist (the jaw-dropping 15-year old Ukranian Alexey Goloborodko) who introduces him to the Lantern Master (Ukranian juggler extraordinaire Viktor Kee). These two characters take ‘The Boy’ on a metaphorical journey as he searches for his identity and reflects on inner struggles about love, temptation, conflict and resolution, plus life and death. This very loose story line allows for the introduction of some world-class circus artists, who take turns teaching The Boy some of life’s lessons.
The performers are certainly stretching themselves and taking new risks. Kee, who won the 2003 Clown d' Argent award at the Monte Carlo International Circus Festival and spent eight years with the Cirque du Soleil starring in Dralion, is juggling fire for the first time and has added several new tricks into his award winning routine. Aurelia Cats, who plays the symbol of Love, combines the strength of a trapeze artist with the flexibility of a contortionist. She performs her graceful yet dangerous act at twice the usual distance from the floor without any nets or safety lines. Crossbow artist Peltonen has developed a new bow and arrow feat that involves him shooting 16 blazing arrows at himself with the last arrow piercing an apple on his head (the action goes so fast, a large video screen behind him replays it in slow motion), while Aunola, fresh from Barnum & Bailey Circus by the Ringling Bros in the United States, has created for the show a special cloud swing where she performs a forward roll of the cloud swing to catch a rope that hangs over the audience. To read the full story, check out the South China Morning Post