Main basse sur la Joconde, Theatre performance at Parc Asterix in Plailly, France
Main basse sur la Joconde is a live action show at Parc Asterix in Plailly, north of Paris, where actors and stunt performers stage a heist set aboard a cargo ship. The set is built around a full-scale replica of a freighter docked in a port, with a railway track running through the scene.
The show opened in 1996 and is set in a fictional 1930s port, built around a made-up plan to ship the Mona Lisa to New York. The decade and the setting were chosen by the park as a nod to adventure films from that era.
The story follows Marcel, a clumsy painter who accidentally gets caught up in a heist and ends up saving the day. The show mixes physical comedy and chase scenes in a way that works for children and adults alike.
The seating area is covered and can hold a large crowd, so sightlines are generally good even from the back rows. Arriving a few minutes early is a good idea, as the front seats fill quickly on busy days.
Some of the stunt sequences involve real pyrotechnic charges fired on stage a short distance from the audience. The heat and smoke from those effects reach the front rows, giving the show a physical dimension that is rare in a park setting.
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