'Cirque Du Soleil Director' Unveils UAE Show

"Story of a Fort, Legacy of a Nation" is a live stage show created especially for Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. Conceptualized by Italian-Belgian theater director Franco Dragone, known for his work with Cirque du Soleil, the show combines music, acrobatic performances and special effects.

Published

3 months ago

Categories

Arts & Society, World

Topics

Arts & Culture, Middle East & North Africa

People

Franco Dragone

Places

United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi

Transcript

SHOTLIST: ABU DHABI, FEBRUARY 26, 2013, SOURCE: AFPTV SOUNDBITE 1 - Franco Dragone (man), theatre director (English, 17 sec): "I read and I learned about the facts, about the history and then I tried to say I'm not a documentarist. I don't want to do a documentary. I want to talk, I want to try to express what I feel." SOUNDBITE 2 - Franco Dragone (man), theatre director (English, 12 sec): "The challenge was to find a right tone, not to be above this subject, not give lessons to people but respect people." SOUNDBITE 3 - Franco Dragone (man), theatre director (English, 12 sec): "I really believe, travelling a lot, that there is a universal language and the universal language is a painting, it's theatre, and it's not words, it's what the people see, what the people feel." - VAR of Emirati musician playing the oud, the traditional Arabic wood string instrument - CU of theatre light - WS of desert sands transforming into a dance floor through special effects - CU of drummer - CU of the Qasr al Hosn Fort pop-up - VAR of acrobatics - VAR of actors dragging a big book to the centre stage - VAR of actors opening the book with a pop-up of the Qasr al Hosn Fort - VAR of camel herders walking through the desert