Circus of the imagination

It's a strange alchemy,' admits James Thiérrée, when asked whether being the grandson of silent-movie icon Charlie Chaplin has put pressure on his own theatrical career. 'Le Figaro ran a headline once that said: "Charlie Chaplin's grandson is against vulgarity." It made me laugh, the fact they had to define me like that!'

These days, the Chaplin connection is increasingly irrelevant, as Thiérrée's considerable talents as a creator of magical theatrical spectacles enable him to carve out his own growing fan base. A blend of circus, theatre, dance, music and fantasy, a Thiérrée show is hard to pin down - and that's the way he wants it.

'When I create a show, I don't really think of a story; it's more a way of layering sensations and feelings. It's the imagination that knits it all together. I have this arrogance that, as the individual pieces of the production come together, it will form a show that will make sense somehow!'

Dominating his latest, biggest spectacle, the enigmatically named Au Revoir Parapluie, is a giant rope tree, hanging from the ceiling of the theatre, from which performers pop out at unexpected angles. It's the launch pad for an intriguing journey through ever-shifting landscapes, bizarre mechanical contraptions and surreal humour that's designed to wrong-foot the audience.

Where his previous show, 2003's La Veille Des Abysses, played like a waking dream and focused on Thiérrée's impressive abilities as a daring acrobat, Au Revoir Parapluie brings relationships to the forefront. The interplay between the cast of four, a multi-talented bunch of actor-dancer-gymnasts, puts a human spin on Thiérrée's imagination.

'There's a feeling of humanity trying to live together, however it can,' he says.

'For me, this show feels like the end of a cycle. I'm 33 now and the physical demands of performing get harder. In a way, this show is a reflection of the young man that I was, with all the hopes and dreams and desires of youth.'

To Thiérrée's credit, there's no hint of world-weariness in his remarks and he's in pretty fine fettle if his performances during the sold-out Paris run of Au Revoir Parapluie were anything to go by.

It's more an acknowledgment that his perspectives are shifting. He's been caught up in the world of circus since the age of four, when his parents, Victoria Chaplin and Jean-Baptiste Thiérrée, launched the hugely influential Cirque Imaginaire. He mastered a dizzying array of skills as a youngster, from the trick-bike to the trapeze, later adding music and dance to his enviable range of talents.

Cirque Imaginaire's re-imagining of the circus arts is credited with laying the groundwork for the success of Cirque du Soleil. But whereas the Soleil global franchise has embraced hi-tech production values, Thiérrée is very much in the business of keeping it real.

With Victoria Chaplin still having a major hand in the design of his productions, Au Revoir Parapluie has the spontaneity of an improvised event - albeit on a mind-boggling scale. Full of small details, intricate props and muscular ingenuity, it's a show that appears presented inside out, with the audience given a full view of how each trick and twist of the action is pulled off.