Worthwhile addition to the Avatar universe
It seems like a perfect match: Cirque du Soleil and Avatar. The phantasmagoria of the Canadian new circus comes together with James Cameron’s vision of beautiful aliens in the show Toruk The First Flight, which will land at Impact Arena from tomorrow until June 24, with 16 shows altogether in the programme. While fans still await Cameron’s long-promised Avatar sequel, Toruk — The First Flight is a fantastical trip that should fulfil expectations. Cameron himself serves as a consultant on the show and said he gives Cirque du Soleil “pretty full rein to just riff on what they had seen in the Avatar world from the first film”. Set in Pandora, a thousand years before the events in Avatar, Toruk chronicles the adventure of three Na’vi boys. When a natural catastrophe threatens to destroy the sacred Tree of Souls, Ralu and Entu, together with their new friend Tsyal, set out on a quest high up in the Floating Mountains to ask for help from Toruk, the feared red-and-orange predator who rules the Pandora sky. And like Avatar, Cirque du Soleil’s phosphorescent actors, shimmering sets and strand of spiritual mysticism make Toruk a natural follow-up to the acclaimed film. Highlights include the appearance of Toruk, a firebird of many colours; the Tree of Souls, a willow-like luminescent tree; and the Giant Loom, an exotic loom by which all things are woven into the cloth of life. Having premiered in 2015, Toruk is considered part of the Avatar brand, which now also includes video games and a theme park. When Toruk was first launched three years ago, Cameron said the Avatar sequel will hit the cinemas around Christmas 2018. That is unlikely to happen now. Maybe Toruk is the closest we can get to Pandora at the moment. Showtimes on weekdays are at 7.30pm, with a 3.30pm show from tomorrow until June 24 (no show on June 18), and 1pm and 5pm on weekends (no 5pm show on June 17). Tickets cost 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 and 4,000 baht, and can be purchased from Thai Ticket Major (visit thaiticketmajor.com or call 02-262-3456).