TUESDAY AFTERNOON: Typical afternoon at work and a good friend calls and asks if I want to go and catch the Circus tonight. Let's rewind quickly for a minute, My mate was at a bar a couple of nights ago and got chatting to a woman. Turns out she's one of the performers featured in the 'Big Top' as part of the new arts festival in Milton Keynes titled "International Festival". This ha swallowed up Milton Keynes for a week and I've loved every minute of it! The only way I can describe it, would be to say it has been like sunset strip - no, no drugs - (although saying that it would explain some of the artwork I've seen.) But a long strip from the train station right up in to the shopping centre and ending up at campbell park at the other end of the city. Everyday there's been events of some kind, street performances to workshops.
Ok, so getting back to my friend. The woman (who turned out to be Ula) had put my mate's name on the guestlist +1 hence his phone call on Tuesday. I've been to the Circus before and loved it, so without hesistation I was going to head up to the 'Big Top' in a shot! The only thing is...it didn't quite turn out to be a Circus at all.
The two of us approached the box office and my mate began to panic.
"I can't remember her name for starters! What am I supposed to say?"
"Hmmm." I say, follwed with a genuis plan:
"Just say I'm on the guestlist - say your name +1" Genius, they'll never catch on!
So we wonder on up to the box office and we give our names and the tickets are there waiting for us. We take the tickets and look at each other a little conufused by how easy that actually was. We're running a little late, so we pass our tickets to the stewards and head inside the 'Big Top' where the temperature is that of a Sauna. It looks like a simpler version of a circus, there's a few ropes tied back on each side of the arena..but that's about it. There's a white horse at the centre of the ring walking around - looking like he's greeting the audience as he gallops around with bells on his legs, impressive!
We take our seats and the lights go down - my mate still can't remember the woman he met at the bar but it might be the woman who greeted us on the way in, he can't be sure. The show was not of a Circus format, but an interesting blend of storytelling, trapeze artists, gymnastics, dance and Diablo's. You know the ones, everyone had one in school but could never get it right, especially when it came to tricks and being able to through the diablo in to the air without it knocking you out on the way down.
Trying to describe the show won't do it justice, but check out this link to view a trailer for the amazing show titled: InSTALLation:
http://www.ifmiltonkeynes.org/festival-programme/2010/07/17/installation.html
You'd be pleased to know that my friend DID recognise the woman once she was performing and he met her briefly afterwards to thank her for the guestlist and asked her for a drink afterwards - Nothing came of it and it wasn't until our walk back home that we realised her name 'Ula' was actually on the back of the programme!
So that was a great night but it didn't end there. My mate and I were chilling outside the 'Big Top' discussing the perfomance and having a beer when one of his old friends (who was working the event) had two spare tickets for the Comedy Showcase that was taking place next door to the 'Big Top', so another 2hrs of entertainment for free!!
Strangly enough, 'Stand Up' Comedy night was actually on my list for another month, so it seems I was going to cover two experiences in one night! We started off by the bar, bought ourselves a pint each and sat at a table at the back of the room. (Safe from the eagle eyes of the comedian, just looking for his next target to mock and destroy in front of a sold out audience.) Three 'warm up' acts and then the headline. It was during the first act my mates friend approached us and invited to join them. "Sounds great! Thanks" we both said and started to follow him closer and closer to the stage! I was constantly thinking "here's great or here will be fine, no, he's going in even closer! I don't have any protective gear or witty remarks prepared as backup! I'm gonna get ruined if I sit down the front. I've got glasses dammit! They always find a way to get the guy with glasses!"
Tonight would be my lucky night, a couple in their thirties (wait for it!) were just a few seats away from us and the comedian had spotted his ridiculously pointy beard. He had it coming! When the comedian asked the gentlemen "How do you keep the spark in your marriage" he replied "I've no idea". At that moment the air was silent then the bombers dropped from the sky hit after hit destroying their target. Poor bloke, he only wanted a few laughs and a night out with his wife. That'll teach him. Maybe he'll re-shape that beard now?!
The following acts weren't much to watch, mildly entertaining but I did force a few laughs to avoid being seen on their radar as "oh, he didn't find that funny. Are my jokes not good enough for you? Let's get him boys..."
So that was Tuesday night, an unexpected but very entertaining evening! The Festival continued for the rest of the week, closing on Sunday and on Saturday afternoon, I went back for more!
When it comes to Festivals (Music) I HAVE to write a timetable of events. I sometimes enjoy wondering around from tent to tent and stumbling across a new act that takes my ears fancy but this was different. So much to see and only a day to enjoy the best of it! So Saturday morning was spent searching for YouTube videos, performers websites etc. Then done! My schedule was complete and ready to rock! Living in Milton Keynes, it was also the same Saturday that 'The Prodigy' had come to rock our outdoor arena known as 'The Bowl', but this time I was walking in the opposite direction of all these dance fans heading towards a venue I'd normally go and check out. Not this time! This time I was off on a cultural journey!
My first stop is at a place called 'The Hub'. A mixture of restuarants and bars with a swanky fountain right at the centre. Today, "Stopgap" A group of peformers mixed of abled and disabled members where putting on a display of their recent production. The idea of the show was that everything is not as it seemed. Basically before the show began, (we didn't know this at the time) but the performers were already in the crowd, looking like the rest of us, curious of the upcoming performance and enjoying the afternoon sun and then they all burst into action and the show began and was an entertaing mix of comedy and dance.
My next stop was to view the installation titled "Asleep at the wheel". A thought provoking installation of multiple cars lined up as if they were all in three different lanes, you could sit inside each car and you would then hear soundbites of different topics of debate or interest from the war in Iraq to Global warming. Each car had a different theme which was quite bizarre as the entire room was in darkness and all you could see was the bright yellow flicker of the cars blinker lights to guide you. I left there feeling 'educated' i guess, but defintely thought provoking.
Next Stop, to view a carousel in the city car park known as "The Magical Menagerie". Basically a carousel that looked like it could've been designed by Tim Burton.
An incredible design and it seemed the adults were more excited than the children! The ride was accompanied by French themed accordian music which added a new dimension than the usual 'fairground' soundtrack. As you can see from the photos, these creations were something else!
Two more sites to visit! First up "The Dukes Box". That's right, a three piece band that sit inside a converted Caravan. You choose the tracks from their playlist and they'll do their own version for you! It drew in quite a crowd and was a nice mix of banter with the crowd as well as some 'interesting' covers!
Then it came to see my Festival Finale : "Against The Tide"
The easiest way to describe the show is just to type you part of the synopsis. 'Imagine an Island seperated from the world not by an ocean but by a vast desert. The tribe that survives here has almost forgotten what water was and every day they assemble to tell each other their stories and share memories'. The acrobatics were incredible and definately a sight to witness! A great performance to end a fantastic and insightful week!
