Toruk: Cirque du Soleil, O2 Arena

If you’re fed up of waiting for the sequel to James Cameron's hit film Avatar, you’re in luck: Cirque du Soleil’s prequel to the movie is on its way to the UK. Toruk was conceived four years ago, as an acrobatic continuation of the highest-grossing film of all time. Set 3000 years before the events of James Cameron’s blockbuster, Toruk tells the story of how the Na’vi were threatened by ‘a predator feared by all’.

Unlike previous shows, which use a thin plot to string together spectacular acrobatic sets, Toruk is plot-driven. For the first time, a narrator guides Cirque du Soleil’s audience through the show, translating the Na’vi language and giving context to the events. This innovation might be the show’s downfall. Audiences and critics have complained that the story isn’t strong enough to make up for the conspicuous absence of daredevil acrobatics, which are usually a given in the Cirque’s productions.

At heart, this is a family show which tells the story of three teenage boys on a quest to save the sacred Tree of Souls, with 14 different puppets representing Pandora's creatures. The show’s strength lies in its aesthetics and immersive qualities.

Toruk uses projectors and sound recordings, allowing audiences to enter the world of Pandora – no mean feat, given the scale of venues like the O2. Ticket holders also have the chance to download an app that prompts them to turn on their phone flashlight at key moments in the drama, allowing active participation in the show. Avatar fans hoping to see and step into an intricate rendering of Pandora are likely to be impressed; Cirque connoisseurs expecting to see acrobatics, or those hoping for some good story-telling, less so.