Stage

Samba, sunshine and a great escape

From the Outdoor Circus to the curious ‘Mannekino’ show, there was plenty of fun to be had at this year’s Spraoi festival, writes…

Mon Aug 1 2011 - 01:00

From the Outdoor Circus to the curious 'Mannekino' show, there was plenty of fun to be had at this year's Spraoi festival, writes OLIVIA KELLEHER

BEING WRAPPED from head to toe in cling film is not something to be tried at home, but British street performer Gareth Jones made his heroic escape from 100m of plastic seem relatively effortless, much to the delight of an enthusiastic crowd at the Spraoi street arts festival in Waterford over the weekend.

This year marked his debut as a solo performer at Spraoi with Plastic Fantastic, a modern-day twist on the traditional escapology act.

Another big draw of the festival, which attracted more than 100,000 people over the weekend, was Oddlings, featuring John Kessels and Angela Dirven from Holland, who tell stories through movement and acrobatics. Their show, Mannekino, a comical tale of a window-dresser and a mannequin, was a big hit at the festival. Marvin is working in the window of his retro-clothing store and having trouble with Moon, his new mannequin, that appears to have more life in it than one might expect.

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One of the most intriguing acts of the festival was the Samba Mamas, a group of parents from Drogheda who formed their own samba band in 2009 and who have clinched a record deal with Rhino Records.

More than 40,000 people lined the route of the Spraoi parade yesterday which was a sea of colour, with hundreds of elaborately-costumed performers, spectacular floats, live original music and special effects. One of the highlights was An Bosco Beo, a show which tells of the circle of life from the cradle to the grave.

Spraoi festival director TV Honan said large numbers of people continue to support the festival despite recessionary times.

“Virtually all our events are free which helps but there is definitely a sense of people wanting to get out and be part of it. It is a very international festival with performers from Afghanistan, Spain, Holland, Germany and Italy.” Mr Honan said he is particularly proud of the inclusive nature of the festival. While Spraoi has a reputation as a family friendly festival he says the event also exposes large crowds of people to high quality performance.

Families looking for Spraoi activities today (Monday) should head to the Faithlegg House Hotel. The first annual Teddy Bears picnic gets underway at 2pm.