For promoters and agents.
Open the tabs below for additional information, technical specifications and hi resolution images for all our current shows.
HYDROMANIA
Description.
The idea was to develop the end of the 20 min street show by increasing the scale and exploiting the immediate environment. We turned the terraces into a cascade of water, creating water effects from all three levels. The piece was a success and led us on to developing the idea to include other elements with a singer (Sea Ming To) live musicians, other performers and more and more water!
In Manchester in 2001 we animated the whole of the clock tower of the town hall, embedded 10 performers from Arden Theatre School into the audience. Hydromania has now become a site responsive piece that is reworked for each set of circumstances at the venue. In Bradford we paid homage to Busby Berkley with twelve professional dancers in a piece choreographed by Ruth Jones. In Ryeka we worked with a local dance company, creating the show on the opera house.
In Angers we created the largest version to date with our friends Les Grooms. 17,000 people saw the show over two nights it featured forty local volunteer performers, some professional some not and the Mayor! With the help of some amazing French technicians we produced a water effect that made the theatre disappear.
Over the years we have amassed a wealth of technical experience, how to animate buildings with beautiful water effects, how to light them and how to integrate this with other performers. We have gathered around us a crew with unparalleled experience in putting the show together in new circumstances from the ever-growing list of possibilities.
Adam Povey: Lighting / production management
Pa Boom: Pyrotechnics
Sea Ming To: Music and Performer
Pete Finegan: Pyro performance and rigging
Jonney Goodwin: Lighting design
MR LUCKYS PARTY
Devised by:
Bill Palmer
Trevor Stuart
Helen Statman
Directed by: Brian Popay
Designed by: Bryan Tweddle
Description.
Mr Lucky’s party was commissioned by Watch this Space at The National Theatre in 2003 and its development supported by the Arts Council of England. Mr Lucky’s Party has toured to festivals in the UK, Europe and worldwide (see below). One of Avanti’s signature shows using water as both a poetic and comic medium Mr Luckys Party is performed without text. A series of comic interactions are delivered under a continuous rainstorm, which lead to a spectacular mechanical transformation as the umbrella rises to five metres to become a fountain whilst the dour characters become glamorous, ballroom dancing lovers. Three people on the road.
Here for a short video of Mr Luckys Party.
International appearances.
Shizuoka Japan
WOMAD Adelaide
Melbourne Commonwealth Games
Bilbao
Tampere Theatre Festval
Festival aan de Werf
Vallalodid Spain
Ales France
Dortmund
Kortrick
MYSTIC MONTY
Description
Mystic Monty features beautiful automata construction from
Bryan Tweddle, (I.O.U, Whalley Range Allstars, Hoodwink) the surreal and oddball literary skill of Neil
Hornick (Phantom Captain) and the comic insight and experience of Brian Popay (Natural Theatre Company, Fine Artistes) The performance lasts ten minutes and is designed to be repeated over the day or evening, making it partly a walk act and partly a show. One person on the road. Suitable for any event indoors or out.
RELIQUARY
Conceived and devised by: Bill Palmer & James Macpherson
Designed: Bryan Tweddle
Construction: Ian Broscombe
Writer/Composer: Lou Glandfield
Taxidermy: James Dickinson
Contributing Artists: Dave Southall, Paul and Chris Cyzainski
Description.
An intricate and beautiful casket is paraded through the streets. There are two attendants, serious and deadpan, there is a clanking percussive sound track. They choose six lucky passers-by to wear headphones and peep inside where they hear a short poem an argument and a song. The casket contains a stunning illusion which will baffle and charm even the most cynical as they witness the birth of a new species. When the inner story ends the six look back to the surrounding audience who have been transformed. The show, which lasts around ten minutes, then repeats over a forty to sixty minute period. Funded by The Arts Council of England and supported by Without Walls Reliquary is part of a two year collaboration with Artizani. Two people on the road.
Chris Spring – The Argus Brighton 2015
THE SPURTING MAN
Devised by Bill Palmer and Mike Lister
Directed by Emil Wolk
Performed by Bill Palmer and Trevor Stuart
Description.
Since 1995 when the show was first created, Avanti have presented ‘The Spurting Man’ on four continents and in nineteen different countries. One of the classic European street theatre shows The Spurting Man has met with popular and critical acclaim wherever it has played. Still very much in demand today after twenty years this show is designed to fly on the personnel baggage allowance for two people, punching well above its weight in terms of scale for a two-person show. It is poetic and spectacular, funny and beautiful and after all these years, as the layers of greasepaint build up on the costumes, it seems more and more poignant. Two people on the road.
From an essay by Cath Staincliffe from Paul Herrmann’s book ‘Playing with Fire’.
Here for a short video of The Spurting Man.
Technical Sheet (Overseas) Here
FULL CIRCLE
Devised by: Bill Palmer, Paschale Straiton and Peter Finegan
Technical help Dave Southall
Supported by Arts Council England, 101 Creation Centre, GDIF, Bath Fringe The New Vic Theatre and Appetite
Description
A series of actions intrigues the audience; each action draws them into the evolving performance. They are asked to understand and help. They become more than a group of strangers watching a show they become complicit in it and ultimately have to decide how the performance will end. With their help we construct a four meter high, tower of metal buckets. The tower contains 120 buckets and will have a volunteer, selected from the audience, walled up inside as part of this process.
The volunteer for this role is a performer from the host festival or city who will be rehearsed and trained by the company before the performance. They will be given instruction in the safety and structure of the piece. It will not be obvious to the audience that the volunteer has any prior knowledge of their involvement. They will apparently have been chosen at random from among the audience.
When the tower has been completed cords are attached to the base and passed to four members of the circle of spectators giving them the power to collapse the tower.
The audience members have to decide what to do, pull the rope and collapse the tower?
The final decision ‘pull or not’ is literally in their hands.
- Self contained
- No technical support required
- Two people on the road
- An opportunity for a local performer
- Duration 40 mins
Funded by Arts Council England and supported by 101 creation centre, GDIF and Bath Fringe
FAB Bedlam 2017
CROW
Devised by: Bill Palmer, Paschale Straiton, Semay Wu, Seaming To and Chris Squire
Music by Seaming To and Lou Glandfield
Poems by Lou Glandfield
Technical help Dave Southall
Funded by Without Walls supported by 101 Creation Centre, and SIRF.
Description
Joining Avanti to create Crow are two hugely experienced outdoor artists, Chris Squire and Paschale Straiton and the extraordinary musical talents of Seaming To and Semay Wu. Years of artistic knowhow and a shared sly humour are combined and taken to a new place. This evening performance is designed for twilight into darkness and features video projection, live music and fascinating gadgetry. There is also a daytime offer of a roving musical act, which functions as a trailer for the evening show. The evening performance has a forty-minute duration, the daytime is ten to fifteen and can move between locations. There is minimal text with five people on the road. The performance takes the form of a music concert interrupted by acts of comic conjuring.
- Five people on the road
- Duration 40 mins
- Fascinating Gadgetry
- Exquisite music
Here for the Touring Pack
A BIT OF CROW
Devised by:
Bill Palmer, Paschale Straiton, Semay Wu and Seaming To.
Funded by Without Walls.
Supported by 101 Creation Centre, SIRF.
Description
Three musicians arrive at a gig but there are four chairs. Someone is missing. Late? Lost? Or has simply not turned up? The three need to decide what to do, time is ticking. Do they wait or busk something? The expectation is building, they had better do something soon……anything.
A Bit Of Crow, is a self-contained musical act featuring Cello, Guitar, musical Saw and Clarinet. This performance, which also functions as a trailer for the evening show has a 20 min duration and can move between locations. There is minimal set up and no text.
- Self contained
- Three or four people on the road
- Duration 20 mins
- Three times in one day or once if there is an evening show
Here for the Touring Pack
Here for The Video
