With the promise that this show will "make an entire generation run away and join the circus", the performers from Les 7 Doigts de la Main have a lot to live up to.
And they do not disappoint.
As soon as the lights go down and a booming narrator announces "emergency exits are everywhere because something terrible could happen at any moment..." you know this is not going to be your typical circus act.
Set in a makeshift underground bunker - complete with two Chinese poles, naturally - the five characters hide from the impending nuclear disaster outside with only each other and their own creativity for company.
Using an array of awe-inspiring skills, they bound from one sketch to another, hoping to leave 'traces' of themselves behind.
This French-Canadian circus troupe are a multi-talented cast - and not afraid to show it.
With decades of professional circus training between them, the quintet's acrobatic displays are quite literally breathtaking (confirmed by numerous sharp gasps from the mesmerised, and at times fearful, audience).
The young performers jump, climb, dive, tumble and fly as though the human constraints of gravity do not apply to them.
They master Chinese hoopdiving, Chinese Poles, chair balancing, corde lisse, German Wheel, teeterboard and hand-to-hand balancing with the same grace and expertise you would expect from a sell-out, glitzy Cirque Du Soleil production.
But this is not simply an acrobatics show.
Contemporary dance, basketball and skateboarding, piano and guitar solos, video and narration all combined with witty snippets of performers' real lives make this quirky and energetic show a must-see.
Budding linguists will relish in the substantial amount of French dialogue, although do not let this put you off as no meaning is lost in translation.
While criticisms are few and far between, the plot, although intentionally haphazard, was difficult to follow at times with so much going on all at once. Considering that there were only five performers on stage, it was easy to miss one part of the action while concentrating on another.
Founded in Montreal in 2002, Les 7 Doigts de la Main translates as 'The 7 Fingers', referring to the seven founding directors. All seasoned circus performers, they combined their distinct talents and experiences to work towards their common artistic goals - "with the beautifully awkward dexterity of a seven-fingered hand".
Traces was launched in 2006 and is the company’s second production. It aims to create an intimate circus experience but with an urban flavour. And with a brand new cast for 2010, it is a show that must be seen to be believed.
Les 7 Doigts de la Main are championing a new brand of circus with an eclectic mix of skills blended with a striking human element. There is no way this group will disappear without a trace...
Traces is showing at the Liverpool Empire Theatre until the 20th February. Tickets are priced between £12-£26. For more information visit www.liverpoolempire.org.uk.
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