16.02.09

Our father…can do 5

Posted in Juggling, Reviews at 9:09 pm by alby

We had an event yesterday.

Chocfest, my favourite one day convention (after Lestival of course), happened and it was more than a little odd.

On Friday late, Lufbra Graham arrived to crash for the first of 2 nights thus splitting up his drive from and to London.

Because of Graham arriving I had to say “no” to 2 American 20 year old female students who’d asked to kip here on a couchsurfing trip.  I should have said yes and made him sleep in the front room.

Ah well.

Saturday morning started with teh Biskups and Mats arriving to be given lifts by Graham and I zoomed off to pick up P&C.

Uneventful journey later we were in Selby and, unsurprisingly really, the Abbey wasn’t too hard to find.  What with it being the biggest building in the town by far.  And about the only interesting thing about the town at all.

Once in the building Clurb paid for me and then an Annabod said “ooh ooh here’s a special pass for Alby” and I was presented with my own special little pass.

The passes were bottle tops with a loveheart sellotaped into it with the message showing.  Was quite excited to read mine that she’d kept specially for me.  I couldn’t tell quite whether to be really pleased or to think that my hosts think that I’m deep into self-love (photo will explain this if I get round to photographing it).

The Abbey is a wonderful building with plenty of head room.  Quite probably the oddest place I’ve been in to juggle.

The pews were removed and this left a bit of space for hurling stuff around.

Old cultural taboos were being broken all round with clubs smacking down onto gravestones and people swearing like crazy as per usual.

But the day was pretty much as usual.  Throwing things around, nattering, eating a bit, wandering into the town and eating some more, wandering back and then going out for food.

In the afternoon a bunch of us headed for food which turned out to be somewhat disappointing.  Then we heard that we’d missed the cake testing session as they’d moved it to “during the show prep” time rather than “in the interval” time without telling us.  Grrr.

Oh but I did discover that I can make Jon Peat dissolve into fits of laughter really very easily.  In fact slightly worryingly easily.

The show was to be held in the abbey as well (after a long stand outside).

I’m giving them a pass for not having a proper stage on account of it being in a strange place but this did mean I missed a lot of stuff.  I gave up trying to keep moving to see after about half an act.  I did see a lot of swaying heads though.

The lights were a bit of a let-down too but they knew that.

The show was actually pretty sound.  One nice thing was that it wasn’t over-long.  7 acts, 1 of which did 2 bits, done, thank you.

I can’t remember the order though so sue me.

Welsh Mats from Leicester did some gnarly ball stuff despite looking terrified and apparently forgetting his 5 ball bit.

Some acro bods came on to do something cattish that seemed to be taken well by those at the front.  I didn’t see a lot of it must be said.  It even took me an age to realise that there were in fact 2 cats on stage.  I know it puns well (Catrobatics) and cats are lissom n’all but I don’t like the ubiquity of cats in the acro world.  It just seems a little unoriginal.

Donald Grant did his new thing which instantly reminded me of Matt Hall crossed with Arron Sparks.  Top diabling in the first half, funny diabling with disturbing outfit in the second.

Second half had teh Biskups flailing around with rings and struggling with the lights.  A shame as we know she’s got the moves.

Bekka Rose did some grand club juggling with excellent movement and mad hair.

Headliners were teh Frenchiez (summat like QWERTY or summat) doing a duo white bods with black tops on wotsit.

They did move awfy well and they juggled rather niftily n’all.

A very smooth end to a pretty decent, all things considered, show.  In fact I’d go further.  The show had 3 very good female jugglers – 3 of them!  Great to see more women on stage.  Let’s hope it starts a trend.

In conclusion the day was pretty good in a very intriguing venue.  But (sorry there’s a but) the atmos just felt off to me.  Maybe it was the reduction in numbers or the plain weirdness of juggling in such a place; I really don’t know what it was but I didn’t feel desperately comfortable for large parts of the day.  I’m sure it’s nothing to do with the orgs or their efforts though.  Kudos is earned for them.

A strange one.

Pics here.

Permalink