Bollywood Steps
Sin in in the
As Big in Falkirk, the free street arts festival, returns for its ninth year, Claire Sawers talks to two theatre directors who are incorporating Scotland's notoriously unpredictable weather into their work
nyone staging outdoor theatre in Scotland crosses their fingers — and toes and eyes — that the weather will behave
IN
of the plan. At one point. dancers peel off their traditional saris to reveal hotpants and skimpy tops, then frolic under huge water fountains. “You’ve got to understand; in India the summer heat is unbearable. When monsoon season arrives, it’s a time of release, and water represents something sensual and liberating.’
The multi-coloured show has been touring for the past three years, in locations like Trafalgar Square and Wembley Arena, but for Big in Falkirk, “Scotland’s national street arts festival’. they will perform in front of the dramatic
: backdrop of Callendar House. Chhabra believes
itself at showtime. But for Ajay Chhabra, co- .
artistic director of nutkhut, who is bringing the dance and pyrotechnic spectacle Bollywood Steps
to Big in Falkirk, a dramatic downpour is all part -
dance and theatre should be accessible to all, with no ticket price, and definitely no snobbish airs and graces. “We want to put on something vibrant and exciting, by no means just for Asian audiences.’ Just as Bollywood’s cinema has done for decades, nutkhut’s (which is Sanskrit for mischievous) show borrows from Eastern and Western culture, cutting and pasting salsa, hip hop. flamenco and street dance. The story
BIG IN FALKIRK
‘WATER REPRESENTS SOMETHING VERY SENSUAL AND LIBERATING'
Full Circle
follows a typically Bollywood boy-meets-girl format, with 140 different costumes, sets dripping in flowers. a lavish wedding scene and more colour and sparkle than a Las Vegas showgirl. “It’s a love story basically, but a very in-your-face, loud, breathable and memorable one.’
Going for the same pull-out-all-the-stops approach is Mike Roberts. director of The World Famous pyrotechnics company. Their world
1 premiere of Full C irc‘le also doubles as a finale to Falkirk’s two-day festival, which is expected to
attract crowds of over 100,000. “The theme of
Full Circle is how humans interact with the
environment,’ Roberts explains. “But not in a didactic “save the world” way.’ Taking place after dark, the spectacle moves through the seasons, using fireworks and live music to pull the audience’s senses in different directions. “We begin in winter, when everything is glistening and calm, with silver and violet fireworks. By the time the summer’s oranges and golds have arrived, it’s time for a huge storm, and everything gets very full-on and manic.’
Although the show has no performers — just balls of fire. huge props and massive light projections to fill the stage — the soundtrack is provided by Terrafolk, a Slovenian folk-pop group, who flip between classical music and gypsy folk via a heavy rock version of “You Are My Sunshine’. The band are hidden inside six metre-high flower pods that blossom as the show goes on. “Every year the weather takes you on an
emotional journey. and we’ve tried to recreate
that in 40 pretty dramatic minutes.’
Bollywood Steps by nutkhut, Sat 3 May, 3.45pm 8- 9.45pm; Sun 4 May 3.45pm 8: 9.15pm. See overleaf for more Big in Falkirk highlights >
24 Apr—8 May 2008 THE LIST 23