On most nights a flabby Frenchman in a leotard walking around a stage on his hands would be considered something out of the ordinary.

But at the Krystal Dinner Show it is barely enough to raise an eyebrow.

It is not like ordinary nights out. Unless, of course, your normal night out includes Russian mind-readers.

Or Chinese contortionists.

Or Greek women hanging upside down from a trapeze in the roof of a tent singing jazz classics.

Yes, it is fair to say that unless you are a character in a David Lynch film, the Krystal Dinner Show is not like most nights out.

Especially not in Dubai.

The touring cabaret show is so different, in fact, that there isn’t a single building in the Dubai skyline that can act as a suitable home for the three-week visit.

So the organizers have constructed their own.

And that is why, if you go down to the beach today you’re in for a big surprise.

Make that a ‘Big Top’ surprise.

A ‘spiegeltent‘ has appeared at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi hotel. Translated from German this means ‘mirror tent’ and it is an apt name. Hundreds of mirrors line the walls of the circus-style tent and velvet drapes and theatre-in-the-round stylings create an atmosphere of carnival abandon.

When Time Out spoke to the organizers a week before the show began we were told to expect surprises and the opening weekend did not disappoint.

We don’t want to spoil the show.

But here are five reasons why you should make a leap into the unknown:

1. Bolas: Set to the beat of an Argentinean drum the bolas is a high speed musical display in which a gaucho spins steel balls past his head at speeds of up to 100mph. A thrilling act that can really set your heart thumping.
2. Half man, half woman: A, frankly, bizarre duet. No need to explain - it is exactly what it sounds like.
3. Good music: A five-piece jazz band from Poland provide the soundtrack to the entertainment and singer Wendy Mae Brown literally gets the party started with strong, earthy vocals.
4. Powerful stuff: While you chomp your way through course after course of food you’ll be slightly in awe of the dexterity and physical prowess of what is happening in front of you. Women doing ballet while balancing on a man’s head, a contortionist tucking her feet around the back of her neck or the couple of guys flexing around in white leotards are all enough to make you balk by the time dessert comes around.
5. Family fun: Whatever you might think about silent European comedy, one fact has been proven to be true time and time again. Kids love clowns. Eric Boo (pictured below) relies on audience participation to get the bigger chuckles but seemed to be the pick of the acts among the younger section of the audience.

A low point of the Krystal Dinner show, unfortunately, was the food.

It seems unlikely that anything on the plate could be as strange as the cabaret. But, in all honesty, not even a mind-reader could work out what the chef was thinking when he came up with the apple and brie foam.

A bizarre dish for a bizarre night out.

If the kitchen can bring itself in line with the standard of cabaret on show this could become one of the smash hit shows of the year.

And hopefully we will have more Frenchman in leotards. Because that is always a funny sight.

Tickets for the show are available here.