Behind the scenes at Cirque du Soleil’s new Dubai show Varekai

• 

• 

  Varekai – which is set in an enchanted forest, complete with fantastical creatures, and based on the Greek myth of Icarus, the boy who wanted to fly – is in its 14th year but still sells out wherever it is performed. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  There are the 330 bamboo trees (actually made of metal), a precarious wooden stairway designed to look like the “spine of an immense bird”, three Russian swings and a hot-air balloon, all of which have to be painstakingly rebuilt wherever Varekai lands (Beirut last week, Istanbul next month, Europe next year). Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  Varekai, like many of the 30-plus shows Cirque du Soleil operates around the world, requires two planes to be chartered to transport its freight. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  The show’s crew of 95 – including 48 artists, many of them former athletes and gymnasts – travel with an enormous circular stage, complete with five trapdoors, a lifting mechanism and two turntables, which has to be assembled at each venue, a process that takes about 12 hours. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  As all of the outfits are specially made in Montreal and customised to perfectly fit the artist, a process that takes up to three months, it is not easy to find a last-minute replacement. Pawan Singh / The National

• 

  Cirque du Soleil is a global phenomenon that has made its Canadian co-founder, Guy Laliberte, a former busker, stilt walker and fire-eater, a billionaire. Pawan Singh / The National

The National was given a rare glimpse backstage to see first hand the gargantuan effort it takes to take the show around the world.