Almost two years after curtains went down around the world, circus troupe Cirque du Soleil is preparing to return to the high wire for the first time on Thursday with a performance in Valletta.

Musicians, dancers and acrobats will walk the tightrope of performing in the middle of a pandemic for FIERI, the show inspired by the history of Malta and which runs from November 25 to December 19.

“We haven’t been in front of a crowd for nearly two years. You can feel they are all eager to be on stage in front of a live audience,” Stacy Delince, Cirque du Soleil’s marketing director told Times of Malta.

This is the second time Cirque du Soleil, the largest contemporary circus in the world, is performing a show exclusively created for Malta, following its last show ‘Vitori’ in 2019.

After just two weeks of rehearsals in Montreal, Canada, during the summer, all 39 cast and crew members packed their bags for Malta.

For the past 13 days, cast and crew have been creating and rehearsing at the Mediterranean Conference Centre to make sure that everything, from costume, light and choreography, is accurate down to the last detail.

When Times of Malta went along for one of their last rehearsals, crew and cast wore a face mask throughout and followed strict COVID-19 protocols to make sure the show goes on.

“All cast and crew are vaccinated and take a swab test every week to make sure everyone is safe. Really and truly, a mask doesn’t stop the excitement for being on stage after all this time.”

FIERI, is inspired by Maltese history and was created by Jean-Guy Legault, who visited the country in March 2020, just before the first COVID-19 cases.

“He was inspired by the architecture, the culture and was so curious about the story of Malta,” Delince said.

“After nearly brainstorming the show all this time, him and the team are super excited to finally make his dreams a reality.”

It is set in eight scenes, one for each of the eight points of the Maltese cross, and represents milestones in the country’s history and those countries that left their mark on the island.

“Each scene has different costumes, make-up and music, reflecting the period,” she added.

“Our main character, Jiffy, an orphan, travels through time to understand her heritage and Maltese roots.”

Different to any other Cirque du Soleil show is the introduction of an all-female band, including two singers, a violinist, guitarist and drummer.

Tickets for the 75-minute performance of FIERI by Cirque du Soleil, are available at www.vistmalta.com.

This event is being organised following the COVID-19 protocols currently in place by the health authorities

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