Pearl of the Middle East

Ananya Bahl

In a large 1,300-seater theatre, darkness is broken by a sudden gush of what seems like millions of gallons of water, cascading from beyond the eye’s line of vision. A few moments later, a dainty girl, clad in a powdery-blue dress, appears, holding a glowing orb in a delicate embrace. Suddenly, a man dives head on from a height of at least 30 feet into what looks like a tiny puddle, disappearing into nothingness, followed by dancers dangling from the ceiling, like stars of every colour, twinkling in a shadowy sky. This is not an enigmatic dream — although, it feels that way — but Franco Dragone’s La Perle: Dubai’s first-of-its-kind live extravaganza.

Sixty-five artistes from all over the world make up the ensemble cast of this show, which is staged at the city’s Al Habtoor City. They range from acrobats and actors to dancers and stunt experts, all of them working together to put up a gravity-defying, jaw-dropping show.

The show doesn’t follow any chronological storyline. Rather, it is an amalgamation of different larger-than-life acts. Several moments stand out. First, there’s the recurring joker, reminiscent of Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland — there’s no guessing which way this character will swing as the show progresses. There’s also a stunt which involves bikers speeding inside a circular structure suspended from the air — a high-tech version of “Maut ka kuan” that is a common sight at melas across India. They zip so fast, seemingly dismembering every law of physics, and when the structure finally opens, spectators will be spellbound to see just how many bikers emerge from it! At one point, a male member of the cast mesmerises the audience as he runs in, balances, and manoeuvres a contraption that can be best described as a humongous hamster wheel — and, this one, too, is hanging high up in the air! Spectators feel like they are a part of the unfolding mise en scène. This is evident from the resounding claps and gasps that can be heard when a gutsy acrobat does a crazy stunt. There’s also an underlying feeling of surprise as the audience never knows what’s going to happen next. The show draws viewers into a web woven by this fantastical tale. 

There are many more moments in this 90-minute masterpiece. It’s safe to say that future visits to Dubai will be incomplete if one hasn’t spent an evening being regaled by Franco Dragone and his marvellous team.