A wide variety of street performances are presented at the UK pavilion every day, including the evenings. Stewart Collins, the Chair of British Arts Festivals Association, as well as the consultant to the UK Pavilion, tells his story on street theatre in the UK.
The UK street performer scene has both ancient origins as well as a more recent history. For thousands of years there has been popular theatre in the streets in the UK going back to the ‘mummers’ and medieval mystery play traditions not to mention the many types of traditional folk music and dance that have always taken communities out into the streets to celebrate both religious and pagan celebrations.
The contemporary scene has additional antecedents, many of which relate closely to the world of circus arts: buskers who put their hat down in the streets and ‘perform for their supper’ whether juggling, riding mono-cycles, tight rope walking etc etc. In more recent times this has developed into a fully fledged performance sector as Britain has developed a more commonly European example of street fair and festival. Also influenced increasingly by street carnival traditions from around the world there is now a huge mix of acts in the British scene who make their living at festivals and events throughout the UK and Europe in the Summer months, many acts also travelling to the southern hemisphere for the southern summer to make up an annual schedule.
The acts selected for the UK Pavilion in Shanghai come from a number of differing traditions although the bulk of them have been selected for two particular qualities – skill and/or absurdity. In the latter category, there will be performers from one of Britain’s pioneering street companies – the Natural Theatre Company of Bath –throughout much of the Expo period. Founded in 1969, the Natural Theatre Company creates miniature eye catching and frequently absurd interventions wherever they go. Policemen trailing small plastic dogs, walking characters with flower pot heads, fake historical processions featuring figures from history… the idea being to surprise wherever they go, and subtly to change the way people think about the open air environment. Everywhere can be a place for theatre. Never just expect the normal and the predictable.
