Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2012

Even as former Cirque du Soleil acrobats go freelance in Tokyo following the end of Zed, entertainment giant Avex is unveiling a new, Tokyo-only adult-themed circus show. Le Noir unfolds on a tiny four-square meter stage in an intimate theater in Shinagawa. While this isn’t the first circus show with a bit of suggestive frisson, it looks to offer a midpoint between the standard pole-dance club act and the harder SM shows available in Tokyo. After the closure of the giant Zed theater at Tokyo Disneyland, Noir should recapture some of the market with a more readily accessible production.

Oct 26-Dec 26, various times, ¥8,500-30,000. Shinagawa Prince Hotel Club eX. Nearest stn: Shinagawa