PREPARE to be amazed when an extravaganza of circus skills comes to town next week.

More than 30 international performers who form Cirque du Ciel will be taking their ShangHi production direct from China to the Gordon Craig Theatre stage in Stevenage.

The two-hour show, which runs from Tuesday to Thursday, June 14, combines acrobatics, modern dance, martial arts, original music and many other traditional and modern Chinese elements.

Originally directed in China by Cirque du Soleil’s Guy Caron, ShangHi is dubbed as an amazing fantasy adventure and as the next generation of Cirque du Soleil.

The routines include Mexican hat juggling, the terrifying yet beautiful aerial skills with the death-defying Chinese monkey poles, with a dizzying mix of balancing, tumbling, spinning, and live drumming.

The feats are intertwined with a storyline which follows the mysterious dreams of a little girl, as she delves into her fantasies.

The narrative is produced by former actor and Blood Brothers West End star Stephen Leatherhead, in a show which serves up a visual treat with more than 500 costumes, intricate scenery and evocative lighting.

Theatre critic website What’s On Stage said of the show: “Prepare to be amazed, prepare to be stunned, and prepare to be enthralled – but, most of all, prepare to be entertained.”

The three nightly performances of Cirque du Ciel’s ShangHi at the theatre in Lytton Way each start at 7.45pm.

For tickets, which cost �24.50 each or �60 for a family ticket for four people, contact the box office on 01438 363200 or visit www.gordon-craig.co.uk