A new circus with a character called the 'Half Naked Asian Dude Wearing Pigtails from Japan' will begin touring New Zealand for the first time later this year.
Empire is the new circus-themed stage show from Spiegelworld and is billed as a collection of "somersaulting, slapsticking and stripteasing".
It will tour around New Zealand across October, November, December and January in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland.
The show is said to combine and modernise elements of circus, cabaret, variety and burlesque and first debuted in New York in 2012.
Other characters included in the 90-minute show are MCs Oscar and Fanny, Ukraine's Gorilla Girls, Ethiopian foot juggler Black Flintstone and his brother Big Mac Boy, Miss A in a Bubble and 3D Graffiti Guy from Canada.
Empire's run begins in Christchurch on October 21 until November 2, moves to Wellington on November 25 to December 7 and finishes up in Auckland on January 6 to 25.
Shows run on Tuesday and Wednesday from 7.30pm, and Thursday to Sunday at 7.30pm and 9pm.
Tickets are on sale from September 2 and cost between $59-$149.
- nzherald.co.nz