theartsdesk in Limerick: A Royal Visit From Grandma | reviews, news & interviews
theartsdesk in Limerick: A Royal Visit From Grandma
theartsdesk in Limerick: A Royal Visit From Grandma
Royal de Luxe put on gigantic show in City of Culture
The traffic warning signs into Limerick City from Shannon Airport told their own story: first “Giant saga in progress”, then “City of Culture giant event”, followed by “Giant’s diversion”. Had Finn McCool made a return visit and started reciting ancient tales? No, but French street theatre company Royal de Luxe had come to town and Grandmother was walking the streets.
In July the company took over Liverpool for a few days to tell a deeply moving First World War story based on a Pals' Regiment there. Grandma reappeared to tell a different tale on the streets of Ireland’s first ever City of Culture, and it was transfixed – everyone, but everyone, was talking about Grandma. It’s estimated that by the end of her three-day perambulation almost every one of the riverside city’s 100,000 residents – and many from beyond its borders – will have seen her.
Actually it was difficult to miss her as she’s 6.5 metres tall and wears ginormous slippers, and was always accompanied by a float carrying musicians or one pumping out a mix of europop, ambient and Celtic-lite music at high volume. And when the 85-year-old needed to take a rest she was wheeled along in a giant chair and slept in a huge bed, contentedly snoring. Oh, and she occasionally stopped to have a pee in the street, much to the amusement of the children watching, many of whom did school projects on her.
The stories, told at intervals during her wanderings around town, were parlayed by members of the company. In truth, these were confused, confusing and rather lame - even lazy on Royal de Luxe’s part. The company's performers “translated” her words from a form of old Gaelic that no one nowadays understands, the company’s programme notes told us, so when she spoke it was incomprehensible. How convenient.
That saved Royal de Luxe the trouble of creating a story in Irish that many of the audience would understand. The stories – involving, among other things, Grandma falling from the sky into a potato field, an exploding safe, a wall of lights made from car headlamps (pictured above), double-decker cars with drummers on top and some business between a mad doctor, his “attractive” assistant/lover (dressed in a cut-off white coat and high heels, for goodness' sake) talking about a magic stone sucking the life force out of them – mostly ignored Ireland’s rich history of gods and monsters, heroes and, erm, giants.
But that’s to cavil, as Grandma was a total hit in Limerick, and deservedly so. The animatronics are astonishing, giving her a range of movement and expression that is eerily lifelike. As one delighted child said after her team of 27 Lilliputian helpers, dressed in red velvet and brocade, had manipulated her facial features and arm movements: “She waved at me! She waved at me!” The magic of theatre indeed.
There was a lot of humour – Grandma occasionally farted and was partial to a swig from her whiskey flask, while the performers got drenched in a Guinness shower or Irish rainfall (water hoses standing in during three blissfully sunny days) – but also moments of great poignancy too. There was real emotion in the air as she went to bed one last time when the show wound down yesterday afternoon – and as the bed remained for a while in the middle of one of Limerick's main shopping streets, it was as if she was lying in state.
As a piece of immersive and promenade theatre, it was hugely impressive, and the company moves next to Perth, Australia. Limerick spent a rumoured €1million to bring Royal de Luxe to town, and in terms of changing the public perception of this troubled city, it’s probably money well spent.
Last week if you asked the average Irish person what they associated Limerick with they would probably have said drugs and feuding family gangs (indeed, it was for the past two decades known as either Stab City or Shotgun City, which has proved a rich seam of satire for local comics Rubberbandits), but now they will, one sincerely hopes, associate it with a unique arts event.
The visit by Royal de Luxe is the most eyecatching in a year stuffed with performances across the arts in the City of Culture, in a place that has much to offer in terms of history, art and architecture. Events continue until December, and many aspects will remain on permanent display or in legacy form. The medieval King John’s Castle (pictured above) has been home to a production of Sense and Sensibility and performances have taken place on the River Shannon, which runs through the city. For future visitors, the Hunt Museum has a fine collection, with works by artists including Renoir, Picasso and Jack Yeats.
Limerick may have its edgy areas – which city doesn’t? – but the revitalised riverside and docks areas, and the Georgian architecture of the city centre (which rivals that of Dublin), are a delight. Music plays a big part of the city’s cultural life too, with a large range of live music, including traditional, in pubs around town. Later this month the Limerick Jazz Festival plays out over four days and The Pigtown Fling will showcase the diversity of local live music (Pigtown is a wry nickname that references Limerick's long association with the bacon industry). Royal de Luxe may have packed up Grandma, but Limerick’s celebration of culture continues.
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