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Steampunk on Steroids
For the first time since returning to Oz there has been two gorgeous mild normal days. No icky sticky cloying mugginess where simply breathing is sufficient to break out in a hot clammy pool of sweat. I actually feel almost human although I did manage to get a nasty patch of sunburn while in the city.
February is festival time in Dursleyville. In the good old days this used to mean half price tickets and lots of fun, fabulous French street theatre. Some of the shows were so good that I would see them four or five times and consider it well worth paying $20 for a taxi home in order to watch again on the March long weekend when the buses finish before 8pm.
The yuppies then took over and that was the end of the freebies. Thank God the Fringe festival came along to bring back a bit of good cheap fun.
But this year was different. The organizers decided to go back to the good old days of street theatre but this time on steroids. No funny freaks or mannequins up to mischief in shop window nor the wonderful swords and sandals Biblical epics in makeshift arenas like the previous performances from Royale de Lux. This time they would bring over two monstrous steampunk giants with a supporting cast of Lilliputans in steampunk outfits to pull levers and gears and generally jump up and down to get the show moving.
These two creatures and their legions of minions would spend several days pounding the pavements, peeing on the streets and getting up to all sorts of silly mischief. All for a mere 5 million silver sickles.
The 'little' green girl had the biggest fan following. Personally I think she looked seriously creepy sort of like Chucky the doll's very big sister. The strange tapes near her mouth made her look like she had just escaped from Christian Gray's 'play' room. The more I saw her the less I liked her especially when she started playing with the children on the streets instead of eating them like any self respecting giant should do. But she did have a lovely steampunk scooter and other accessories and it was fun watching the little red ants scurrying around to get her moving.
Her partner in crime, the Diver spent his first day snoozing outside the main railway station. He was wearing an outfit that looked straight out of a Jules Verne film. He was due to wake up at 10.30 on Saturday morning but of course the lazy bugger slept in. This giant was definitely the one to watch.
It seemed half the city had the same idea as Izzie as even the extra long trains were packed like sardines.
While the sheer logistics of lifting an 11 meter long creation of wood, steel and lead would be interesting in itself, seeing the little red ant people swinging up and down to make him move and walk would just add to the adventure. Then there was the minor matter of a bridge to jump at the end of the street. The sky scraper high crane provided a pretty big clue.
The grand plan was to watch him get up and then head down to the bridge. Every other bridge in the area was packed with spectators. Here's hoping that none of them collapse. It would make a giant size mess.
So the little Lilliputans turned up in a red double decker bus, started crawling and climbing around to the spooky sound of didgeridoos and bubbling gurgling sounds of the deep sea.
It was an amazing sight to see this wooden giant arise and come to life. But size along would be nothing without all the bells and whistles and the atmospheric music that was part of the show.
Had hoped to follow the diver down the street and then sneak off on a detour to the park for his afternoon siesta. The girl had a deck chair, surely he would have something even larger and grander. But it became pretty obvious that the city had been turned into a giant sardine tin. Not even Betty Windsor could get the crowds out in such numbers.
So resorted to Plan B which involved slinking off to the relative peace and quiet of the museum grounds and the Fringe festival gardens before pottering down to the grand finale near the river where both giants would be meeting each other for the first time, well at least officially.
The side streets were teeming with people even at 7pm. Hill Street is strategically located at the best spot and also very steep so got to see the drama at a distance and a monstrous sea of people.
It was all very beautiful and most magical at a distance. But soon the hordes came crawling up the hill on the way home.
By that stage a lot of the rug rats were tired, squealing, whining and completely feral. Figured it would be less hassle and one would see more watching the next day's adventures on youtube.
Still amused to think that so many Aussies came out into the streets to celebrate something that wasn't a football match. But now the secret is well and truly out. No one does street theatre quite like the froggies. They can make even enormous lumbering wood and metal mannequins look fun and elegant.
The giants were impressive but they will never quite match their predecessors "Mephistomania" for sheer melodrama and magical spookiness. Such a pity the show was from the old days before decent online videos.
At least the wicked cackling Diva of another amazing French group - Les Arts Sauts is still lurking in Cyberia
February is festival time in Dursleyville. In the good old days this used to mean half price tickets and lots of fun, fabulous French street theatre. Some of the shows were so good that I would see them four or five times and consider it well worth paying $20 for a taxi home in order to watch again on the March long weekend when the buses finish before 8pm.
The yuppies then took over and that was the end of the freebies. Thank God the Fringe festival came along to bring back a bit of good cheap fun.
But this year was different. The organizers decided to go back to the good old days of street theatre but this time on steroids. No funny freaks or mannequins up to mischief in shop window nor the wonderful swords and sandals Biblical epics in makeshift arenas like the previous performances from Royale de Lux. This time they would bring over two monstrous steampunk giants with a supporting cast of Lilliputans in steampunk outfits to pull levers and gears and generally jump up and down to get the show moving.
These two creatures and their legions of minions would spend several days pounding the pavements, peeing on the streets and getting up to all sorts of silly mischief. All for a mere 5 million silver sickles.
The 'little' green girl had the biggest fan following. Personally I think she looked seriously creepy sort of like Chucky the doll's very big sister. The strange tapes near her mouth made her look like she had just escaped from Christian Gray's 'play' room. The more I saw her the less I liked her especially when she started playing with the children on the streets instead of eating them like any self respecting giant should do. But she did have a lovely steampunk scooter and other accessories and it was fun watching the little red ants scurrying around to get her moving.
Her partner in crime, the Diver spent his first day snoozing outside the main railway station. He was wearing an outfit that looked straight out of a Jules Verne film. He was due to wake up at 10.30 on Saturday morning but of course the lazy bugger slept in. This giant was definitely the one to watch.
It seemed half the city had the same idea as Izzie as even the extra long trains were packed like sardines.
While the sheer logistics of lifting an 11 meter long creation of wood, steel and lead would be interesting in itself, seeing the little red ant people swinging up and down to make him move and walk would just add to the adventure. Then there was the minor matter of a bridge to jump at the end of the street. The sky scraper high crane provided a pretty big clue.
The grand plan was to watch him get up and then head down to the bridge. Every other bridge in the area was packed with spectators. Here's hoping that none of them collapse. It would make a giant size mess.
So the little Lilliputans turned up in a red double decker bus, started crawling and climbing around to the spooky sound of didgeridoos and bubbling gurgling sounds of the deep sea.
It was an amazing sight to see this wooden giant arise and come to life. But size along would be nothing without all the bells and whistles and the atmospheric music that was part of the show.
Had hoped to follow the diver down the street and then sneak off on a detour to the park for his afternoon siesta. The girl had a deck chair, surely he would have something even larger and grander. But it became pretty obvious that the city had been turned into a giant sardine tin. Not even Betty Windsor could get the crowds out in such numbers.
So resorted to Plan B which involved slinking off to the relative peace and quiet of the museum grounds and the Fringe festival gardens before pottering down to the grand finale near the river where both giants would be meeting each other for the first time, well at least officially.
The side streets were teeming with people even at 7pm. Hill Street is strategically located at the best spot and also very steep so got to see the drama at a distance and a monstrous sea of people.
It was all very beautiful and most magical at a distance. But soon the hordes came crawling up the hill on the way home.
By that stage a lot of the rug rats were tired, squealing, whining and completely feral. Figured it would be less hassle and one would see more watching the next day's adventures on youtube.
Still amused to think that so many Aussies came out into the streets to celebrate something that wasn't a football match. But now the secret is well and truly out. No one does street theatre quite like the froggies. They can make even enormous lumbering wood and metal mannequins look fun and elegant.
The giants were impressive but they will never quite match their predecessors "Mephistomania" for sheer melodrama and magical spookiness. Such a pity the show was from the old days before decent online videos.
At least the wicked cackling Diva of another amazing French group - Les Arts Sauts is still lurking in Cyberia