Got the t-shirt: La Perle by Dragone

A fusion of vertigo-inducing acrobatic stunts, motorbike tricks and world-class special effects, this show captivated me from start to finish. But let me go back to the beginning…

After entering the theatre, ticket in hand, I instantly felt a certain energy – a buzz if you like – of excitement… and I could tell that this same anticipation for something extraordinary was infectious. One sweep around the foyer I could see a varied mix of guests, yet each had one thing in common – a coy look of eagerness, enthusiasm and a dash of wide-eyed wonderment for what Dubai had marketed as a ‘one-of-a-kind live masterpiece’ and a ‘new era of entertainment’. Promising to ‘transport audiences into another world’ my expectations were extremely high for La Perle, and thankfully from the first chime of the specially composed music, I was hooked.

Following the story of La Perle wasn’t easy, however unlike most other shows, for La Perle, the plot is a minor detail to the grand performance. The best way I can describe the storyline is like visual poetry. It can be interpreted in many ways, with no distinct right or wrong. The general understanding was that a girl was being chased and that two objects, a pearl and a doll, were much sought after by other characters… but like I previously mentioned, the outdated storyline is trivial. It’s how the story is carried out that I’d come to see.

My stress levels skyrocketed at multiple intervals during the 90-minute production. In an instant, my amazement for the production and special effects washed away as I witnessed a man without a visible harness leap and glide across a giant spinning wheel –  but it was this constant change in emotion that had me enchanted from the get go.