Programmes

The 7 Fingers—Duel Reality

The Canadian troupe The 7 Fingers presents a bold and electrifying fusion of acrobatics, dance and music. Inspired by Romeo and Juliet, this romantic yet high-octane production transforms the stage into a sports arena of love and rivalry, reimagining classic circus arts with thrilling intensity and emotional depth.

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The 7 Fingers—Duel Reality

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The 54th HK Arts Festival ．Feature

2026.01.16

The 7 Fingers: A Québécois Vision

Text / Shao yi Chan

After more than two centuries of evolution and global movement, circus arts have taken root around the world, developing distinctive styles. Influenced by the Nouveau Cirque movement, humans have gradually replaced animals as the focal point of circus performances. Jaw-dropping acrobatic feats are no longer the core of this art form; instead, it emphasises theatricality and the humanity of the performer.

Quebec has largely been at the forefront of the global resurgence in the circus arts thanks to the success of Cirque du Soleil, which took the world by storm with its exuberant glamour and high-profile collaborations with big international names such as the Oscars. The Cirque has served as a springboard for a growing number of young artists, including Shana Carroll, who went on to co-found one of the biggest troupes in the Québécois circus scene, Les 7 doigts de la main, or simply The 7 Fingers.

Carroll and her six friends behind The 7 Fingers share a simple vision: to resist definition and to put the focus back on the human. Whereas Cirque du Soleil invites viewers into a fantastic realm populated by superhuman characters, The 7 Fingers seeks to reveal the human performers as they are—real, troubled individuals who have hopes and anxieties. Loft, the troupe's first production in 2002, showcased the seven founders as themselves, establishing a kind of personal intimacy with audiences that had rarely been seen in earlier circus acts.

Now, in a bold retelling of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Carroll pits the rival houses of Montague and Capulet against each other in a nerve-wracking collection of hand-to-hand sequences, hula-hooping and juggling, and audience members are led to side with one team in an almost tribalistic fashion. But beyond its deceptively simple premise of "sworn enemies as sporting competitors", there lies a universal message at the heart of Duel Reality. "Unfortunately, warring tribes in whatever form they take will never fade in relevance," Carroll said in an interview with the Seattle Rep, "but these two young romantics see past their families... and we know love is what curbs our worst urges and gives us hope for the future."