Big in Falkirk, Scotland's National Street Arts Festival which attracts in excess of 100,000 people has launched its most exciting and diverse line-up to date for the ninth year of the Free event, taking place at Falkirk's Callendar Park on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May 2008 to further establish its reputation as a key date in the cultural calendar. Provost Pat Reid joins nutkhut's Bollywood Steps performers Alison Alexandra Ho Chee and Cem Ahmet to mark the launch of Big In Falkirk 2008 in Callendar Park, Falkirk. (Photo: Alan McAteer.)
Highlights include the World Premiere of Full Circle, a new commission by Festival favourites and master pyrotechnicians The World Famous who delighted Falkirk audiences in 2002 with the breathtaking Sticky (with Improbable Theatre). There will be a major outdoor theatre performance courtesy of nutkhut's Bollywood Steps - a unique British Bollywood outdoor dance spectacular bringing together stunning choreography, pyrotechnics, water effects and lighting to create a visual feast. Closing the Music Stage on the Sunday will be the legendary 10cc who will be performing all of their famous hits and many more. Full Circle will astound audiences with its combination of fire, pyrotechnics, special effects and live music courtesy of Slovakian musicians Terrafolk to present a story of seasonal change and the relationship between humanity and the environment. Featuring giant pod-like flowers built by Graeme Gilmour inside which Terrafolk will perform, Full Circle promises to be a completely original piece of outdoor theatre. This will be The World Famous' third visit to Big in Falkirk following their highly memorable Sticky in 2002 and a spectacular firework display the following year.
Bringing an abundance of colour to Callendar Park will be nutkhut's Bollywood Steps which will use Callendar House as its backdrop. Inspired by the iconography of the Bollywood films: boy meets girl, their courtship and of course, the wet sari scene. Bollywood Steps features a myriad of costume changes with 140 different costumes altogether adding to the glamour. The stylish production presents a cast of exciting young British dancers performing numbers that fuse many different styles: folk, classical, Bhangra, hip-hop, jazz, salsa and contemporary dance as well as touching upon Busby Berkley's Hollywood and combining this with an array of outrageous props, a clever use of smoke, pyrotechnics and gigantic water effects throughout that are not to be missed.
As always, Big in Falkirk will present a whole host of street theatre performances from acclaimed companies with many Scottish premieres. France's brilliantly eccentric Cacahuète will perform two walkabouts, Mama's Funeral and Rock Stars, around Callendar Park. Mama's Funeral is black comedy at its finest and will see a funeral procession weaving it's way through the crowds as a family carrying their dead mother's casket desperately searches for the way to the cemetery. The Rock Stars will be on parade, trying to draw the attention of the paparazzi and showing off their fabulous lives. Returning to Big in Falkirk following last year's Duel in the Song and Alice & Alice which both delighted and disturbed in equal measures, UK/Australian company Cocoloco will also be bringing two shows to the Festival. Mafia Wedding is a walkabout performance in which the don will need to rely upon the generous support of the Callendar Park crowds in advance of the imminent arrival of his daughter's baby. The Sir Tom Jones Experience will enable people to step into a mobile karaoke unit and come face to face with Tom as they sing along or even throw a pair of pants at him.
Also returning to Big in Falkirk after amusing audiences in 2007 is world-renowned clown Fraser Hooper who will be joined by Matt Rudkin for Inside Out - a hilarious, mad-cap show which will see the two friends locked out of the one place they call ‘home', the street. Surreal McCoy will be taking to the crowds with Big Rory & Ochie as the 9ft rascal attempts to control his wayward mongrel from getting a little too friendly with passers by.
Companies who will be making their Big in Falkirk debut include Plungeboom who will be performing two walkabouts, The Microscopic Animal Enthusiasts and The Vegetable Nannies. The Microscopic Animal Enthusiasts are a cross between Indiana Jones & David Bellamy who will invite audiences to examine the things living beneath their feet that you would never even know were there, such as the Mancunian Pavement Weevil, the Lumblut Chiddler Lizard & even a few Gargantuan Snazztacklers. Meanwhile, The Vegetable Nannies will be pushing their pram around Callendar Park, showing off their allotment cherubs and looking as pleased as any proud parent would. Artizani will perform Desert Island Discs in which twenty years passes in forty minutes for one hapless castaway. Circo Rum Ba Ba's Dragon Quest features the Goblin Queen and her smoke-breathing dragon that will be looking for volunteers to help incubate one of the dragon's eggs. Bureau of Silly Ideas will be bringing The Hole Job and The Streets to Big in Falkirk. The Hole Job stars three acrobatic brothers who will prove that blood is thicker than tarmac in this high-flying, hole-digging adventure. In The Streets, a menagerie of radio-controlled street furniture will navigate their way around Callendar Park, surprising all that stumble across. For those who want to let their hair down, The Village Disco is a small but perfectly formed mobile disco which will be situated in the Secret Garden with fancy footwork, competitions and requests all part of the package. Also housed in the Secret Garden, behind Callendar House will be The Insect Circus Museum. Undoubtedly the finest museum of its kind in the world, audiences will get to view a whole host of stunning specimens such as the worm-charmer, the wasp-tamer and the dancing snails.
New for 2008, the Secret Garden Market will specialise in homemade goods, crafts and holistic therapies to add to the relaxed, blissed-out vibes.
Falkirk's Children's and Youth Theatre will once again be performing in the woods of Callendar Park but for 2008, they will be joined by site-specific theatre virtuosos, Poorboy, who will work their magic on the secret corners of Callendar Park. Changelings will take audiences on a journey under the skin of real life where, hidden deep, far from the shadow of an austere house, lies a world where imagination runs riot and all are allowed to dream.
Big in Falkirk continues to show its commitment to visual arts with the largest programme yet. Barrelscape is a visually striking installation from Sri Lankan artist Chandraguptha Thenuwara of painted camouflaged barrels that will be situated within Callendar Park. The work was a response to the on-going war in Sri Lanka that has ravaged the landscape turning it into a place of barricades where freedom of movement is restricted.
Following on from the critical success of the inaugural Project in 2007, the Environmental Art Project will return, led by Guyan Porter and featuring work by Porter along with students from Glasgow School of Art. Utilising various areas of Callendar Park - a stunning, 140 acre site which combines many striking features that are inspirational to the public and artists alike, contrasting an imposing stately home with tower blocks, waterways, an extensive forest park and a significant section of the historic Antonine Wall.
Whilst the full programme is still under wraps, the legendary 10cc will be headlining the Music Stage on the Sunday, closing it in style courtesy of hits such as Dreadlock Holiday, Rubber Bullets and of course, I'm Not in Love. Also confirmed are the uplifting Peatbog Faeries whose unique brand of high-octane Celtic music will have everyone dancing along.
The Music Stage will also feature exuberant East/West fusion act Kissmet, Ross Fairweather and rising acoustic star Esther O'Connor, along with disco guitar band Danse or Die. They will be joined by the overall winner of Big in Falkirk's music competition, Making It (Grand Final taking place on 10 April).
The remainder of the music line-up which will include established and emerging rock and pop acts will be announced from the end of March. Big in Falkirk has a strong history of discovering acts just as they are about to break through with Amy MacDonald, McFly, Snow Patrol, Orson and Sandi Thom all having previously performed just before achieving chart success.
As well as all this, Big in Falkirk will feature other activities such as an abundance of sports including climbing wall, ski-slope, golf, basketball and an inflatable football pitch. The FairTrade Pavilion will also return, as well as the Festival Market, Under 5's Tent, a Fringe Tent programmed by Falkirk Council and a family funfair.
Provost Pat Reid of Falkirk Council said: "Big in Falkirk brings together a fabulous mix of street theatre, music and family entertainment and always manages to impress the tens of thousands of visitors who attend each year.
It has established itself as a truly international festival with artistes keen to come to Falkirk from across the world and present some amazing visual performances.
This year will not disappoint the audience and will continue to reinforce Big Falkirk as an event that is inspirational and dynamic."
Neil Butler, Artistic Director of Big in Falkirk said: "We intend to make your visit to Big in Falkirk memorable, remarkable and totally entertaining. We have some brilliant Scottish entertainment from The Peatbog Faeries and Big Rory, world-class pop from 10cc and a wealth of other groups, environmental art from Scotland and South Asia, spectacular dance from Bollywood Steps and a world premier pyrotechnic theatre performance by firework masters the World Famous."
Big in Falkirk has attracted new sponsors for 2008. First ScotRail comes onboard as Transport Partner.
