All photos courtesy of Cirque Le Noir

Some two dozen acrobats, performers and musicians will offer a “dark” take on the circus with a new show in Doha next month.

Le Noir – The dark side of Cirque will have a three-day run at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Center (DECC) in West Bay next to City Center mall from April 7-9.

This is one of the first shows to be held at the newly-opened center, following the Jadine in Love concert over the weekend.

The production, which is not related to Cirque du Soleil but includes many past performers from those shows, is part of a world tour that also stops in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

Cirque Le Noir will feature acrobatic stunts at 30 feet in the air, roller-skating tricks and performers who display balance, contortion and aerial artistry on a 360-degree stage, with the audience close to the action.

There’s also the “Colombian wheel of death,” which features two acrobats performing inside and atop spinning wheels high above a circular stage.

Though highly acclaimed, the show has been criticized by some for trying too hard to be “sexy,” due to the skimpy costumes worn by performers.

However, organizers said the performers will wear custom-made costumes while performing in the Gulf.

Tickets

There will be six performances, including two matinees, with tickets priced at QR145, QR350, QR850 and QR1,750 per person. They can be bought online through Virgin Megastore.

Billed as an intimate event that brings the audience much closer to the action than conventional shows, Le Noir is a modern take on the circus with acrobats performing fast-paced feats and stunts.

With the help of special effects, the show uses color to take the audience on a journey from pure white, through the passions of red to dark “noir,” according to its promoters.

The Doha show is being put on by Dubai-based organizers Tape Events.

Previous high-profile circus events in Qatar include Cirque Du Soleil, which had its first show here in 2012.

However with the cheapest ticket for its Dralion show in 2013 starting at QR250, the circus attracted some criticism, with residents calling for more affordable family shows.

Who’s planning to check out Cirque du Noir? Thoughts?