Canada's famed Cirque du Soleil has set up its tent in Wallisellen near Zurich to give the Swiss a taste of its unique repertoire of dance, acrobatics and humour.

The circus, which has already attracted over 30 million spectators worldwide, will entertain visitors until the beginning of November. This year, it is featuring a unique character called "Quidam", which is Latin for "Someone".

That "someone" is a headless character, who wanders across the stage with his (?) right hand holding an umbrella, which protects the absent head from the woes of an earthly existence.

The performance blends several forms of the visual arts, including circus, theatre and musical, using a wide range of light and sound effects to enhance alternating modern and classic acrobatics.

The concept was developed by Franco Dragone, who has been director of the Cirque du Soleil for the past 16 years. He says "feelings in Quidam are more intensive, dramatic and personal than in previous editions".

The circus, which employs 2,100 people worldwide, was founded in 1984 in the French-speaking Canadian province of Québec.

It is currently running seven shows worldwide, two of which are in Las Vegas, one at Disney World in Florida, another on a North American tour and two in Asia. "Quidam" has been on tour in Europe since 1999.

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