My round trip August 2011-part 3-The Eden Project and Labyrinth

After disembarking at Fishguard I'm heading to Cheltenham for the night.

It's quite a long run,and I take a few hours out to visit my brother and sister in law in South Wales.

It's great to catch up on family news and after a lovely dinner I'm back on the road for the run up the M4 and M5.

A couple of drinks with the gang ends a long day.

Thursday the 11th of August and me and my youngest are back on the road to Cornwall.It's a pleasant enough journey.(The return wasn't so good,trust me to pick Saturday.)

Just before Bodmin we looked around a little village called Blisland.Pictures from there and the coastal village of Mevagissy will be the next post.

I'll be spending my two nights here in the Circus caravan camp.My youngest's partner is the lead musician on this tour of the Nofitstate circus ,remember my post from Edinburgh last year.

As well as Edinburgh they've had trips to Brussels and Montreal for performances.It's seasonal over the spring and summer months.This is a great setting for the whole of August.

The sound engineer for Labyrinth,Mr Pete Storer has kindly allowed me the use of this caravan for my stay.It's kitted out with turntables,tape decks, tons of music and of course a bed.

Cheers Pete,it was lovely to meet you,Katie and your oh so bonnie wee lassies.

A look around the Eden Project is the first priority and here's the first view I get of this enterprise.
Click here for their home page. Eden Project

It looks quite stunning as we walk down from the camp.It's locations is a disused clay mine.

The closer we get the bigger everything becomes.

In the foreground is the big top where Labyrinth will be performed.

Click on the map for full size

The area linking the two indoor 'Biomes' has a grass roof with these two cows on top. 

The Eden project is a social and environmental experiment and so green issues are topical.

WEEE man above is made from 3.3 tonnes of  Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (Weee)

which is thrown away by the average person in the U.K in their lifetime.

  

I don't think this is a real bee.

There's no way I'll be able to look around here in a couple of days.I'd suggest a week and you'd be getting to know the place.

There's colour everywhere.

The visitors centre is your first stop and a coloured wristband identifies your entry to Labyrinth

There's so much happening it's difficult to take it all in.The food is locally sourced wherever possible.The way the system works (top right),you help yourself to what you want,then at the check out you tell them what you had.Could that be open to abuse or are there cameras watching ?

Now we're going into the largest biome.

It's warm and tropical in here.The plants wouldn't grow otherwise.Doh!

The Rainforest Biome is the larger of Eden's two covered biomes. 100 meters wide, 200 metres long and 55 metres high, with an area of 15,590 square metres, it is the world's biggest greenhouse. The Rainforest Biome contains tropical plants such as banana trees, coffee, rubber and giant bamboo. The other biomes are the smaller Mediterranean Biome and the Outdoor Biome.


I'm stifling as we move towards the Mediterranean Biome.
The pre-show of Labyrinth is about to begin with something happening in all the Biomes.
Our coloured wristbands are for the Mediterranean Biome.

Could be fun.

Well, we know this musician.He's one of the the reasons I'm here.Have a look at Chris's Myspace here.
Chris Cundy

And the show begins.

We the audience have to follow the acts,so as well as in the diome,we watch the performances in one of the outer cafes and the outside gardens.

The pre-show continues until almost dusk,then we've a half hour break until we move into the big top.

Many of the acts I'd seen last year,but there were quite a few new ones.
2010 Edinburgh Post

The viewing situation was the same as last year in that the audience moved around with the acts.
Most of the pictures I took didn't come out because of the no flash photography rule.I'll finish this post with those pictures I feel I can post.

Once again I've been enthralled by the fast moving spectacle that is the troupe of artistes of nofitstate circus. 

I'm now on first name terms with some of them and on my last night I joined a celebration in the marquee that went on till the early hours of the morning.

Here's what the press have said.

Praise for the Labyrinth show at Eden:

• '...humour, magic and brilliance streak this show like lightning...'
  The Independent
• 'Gymnastic feats that make you gasp... a saucy melange of tightrope walks and acrobatics amid Eden's Biomes...The Eden Project is certainly celebrating its tenth birthday in style.'
  The Telegraph
• Watch the Guardian's audio slideshow about Labyrinth.
• '...a stunning final performance in the main arena - a perfect end to Company's Cornwall trip!'
  Company
• 'Sensual, beautiful'
  The Stage
• 'A stunning, awe-inspiring show quite unlike anything you will have seen before... a unique show perfectly matched by its unique setting.'
  Cornish Guardian
• 'Don't miss this show - it's phenomenal.'
  Western Morning News
• 'With tightwire acts, ethereal beauty Shaena Brandel on aerial hoop leading to an incendiary finale, hand balancing, acrobatic bicycle work and even a wall of bungeeing... this is a most extraordinary show.'
  The Cornishman

Praise for previous shows by NoFit State Circus:

• ‘The future of British circus…Cirque du Soleil without the Disney and the disinfectant…an invigorating [four star] performance to leave audiences both shaken and stirred.’
  The Guardian
• ‘An avidly entertaining and tumultuous new production’
  The Times
• 'It's jaw-dropping'
  The Independent
• ‘Less of a circus more a parallel universe’
  Sunday Herald
• ‘A no-holds-barred [five star] show, fusing circus, dance, music, theatre and audio-visual, all wrapped up in a spectacular silver tent.’
  Metro
• ‘One of the most shake-your-head-in-disbelief beautiful things I have ever seen. And one of the most soulful.’
  The Scotsman

I agree with all these reviews.

A day in Edinburgh-it's festival time

It's Wednesday the 11th of August 2010.
I'm heading to Edinburgh for the day.
I'm taking the bus over from Glenrothes.Parking in Edinburgh at festival time is at a premium,and i'll save myself the hassle.It's a nice trip over the bridge anyway.
My youngest daughter's in the city and she's at the bus station to meet me.

The first thing we did was to visit my 93 year old aunt at the Braeburn home for the elderly.She's a bit slower than when I last saw her,but she managed to eat a hearty dinner while we visited.
It's a bit drizzly as we head back towards the city.My bus pass comes in handy

Familiar landmarks are passed as we get ourselves to Waverley Station and the Nor' Loch bar for a spot of lunch.I heartily recommend the jumbo haddock and chips...only the Peacock at Newhaven surpasses.
Now we head over the North Bridge.We're going to take a look down the royal mile.
(My plan was to climb Arthurs Seat,but the weather and circumstances put paid to that idea)

There's a carnival atmosphere as we mingle with the crowds at the street shows and previews.Flyers for shows are thrust at us every few yards.
This young lady and her mum are happy to be pictured.All manner of characters are on display today.I've a feeling I may be mistaken in thinking the young lady with the camera was a performer.(No adverse comments please!)Charlie Chaplin was good.
All the hostelries are doing a good trade.
Representatives from every continent seem to be present.
There's a wonderful variety of costumes.I never got a picture of the bikini clad beauties...that's not like me!
Bottom right in the above collage...what about the man in the middle ? I can't figure out if he's part of the act.

Now we have a bevy of beauties and some musical Romans.
I must visit Japan sometime.Also above is a woman in traditional irish dress,and I guess Richard is the blindfolded one.
Now we head back over Princes Street to meet up with the lead musician performing in 'tabú' with Nofitstate Circus.See here
Chris Cundy
Ok.I'm biased,but if you see the show you'll see I'm right.
A welcome drink and a seat in the Guilford Arms on West Register Street follows.
After a while Chris has to get back for rehearsals,so we're still considering Arthurs Seat.We head back to the lower end of the Royal Mile.
The designer of the Herald advert above has created a magical picture.
Don't you just love the outfit and the shoes !.
You either love it or hate it.I reserve my right to remain silent.

The rain makes our mind up for us.We jump on a bus to Easter Road from where we walk to Shrub Place on Leith Walk.
The aliens have landed.(After watching the show later,I think I might be right.Superhuman at the least)
A few of the entourage above.
The circus is sited at Venue 155.It's a derelict piece of ground that was once a tram depot.
According to one previous circus visitor,it had a roof on the last time...
...which is probable looking at the ruins of the remaining sheds.Look closely and you'll see a real old wreck....
...but not this classic.

It's been a very enjoyable day up to now.
Stay tuned for the main attraction.
nofitstate
and the show 'tabú'