Where To?
The Grand Theatre of Lemmings, Surreal Stilt Walking
Entertainment.
|
The Grand Theatre of Lemmings
|
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
(right click on the above link, then save the file to your computer) |
||||
|
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE LEMMINGS Dedicated to creating original comedy theatre, the Lemmings have been touring since 1984. The first stage show 'Laugh I could have died opened the same year and performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1985 to excellent reviews. Due to Dave's association with the Smallest Theatre in the World they were also invited to perform at the First National Garden Festival in Liverpool during the same year. This quickly led to appearances at festivals throughout Britain and the Lemmings soon managed to balance their work, by touring festivals in the summer months and touring indoors during the winter. By 1986 the Lemmings had started touring internationally and played to audiences in Israel. In 1988 their international reputation developed further when they became on of very few British companies invited to perform at the World Exposition in Brisbane, Australia and at the Silk Road Exposition, in Nara, Japan. This led to numerous bookings in Japan during the following summers. The Lemmings produced another three Stage Shows, which toured theatres and Arts Centres before deciding to concentrate on Rural Arts Touring. In recent years they have toured extensively in Britain's rural venues, to appreciative audiences and excellent reviews from the organisers. In addition, with an extra-ordinary track record behind them they are considered one of Britain's foremost Street Theatre companies performing at major British and European festivals. There is also a strand of the Lemmings work which is peculiarly British and over the last eight years they have also worked extensively promoting Britain on behalf of the British Tourist authority though out Europe and on cultural exchanges between Lincoln and Alnwick and their European twin cities. More recently they have been touring for the British Council performing arts department. Apart from touring theatres and festivals the Lemmings have been involved in many unusual theatrical productions. They have been regular cast at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East's Variety nights and performed at the Eros Party, Piccadilly theatre, London. They produced a silent comedy version of the 'Tell Tale Heart' as part of an evening of Edgar Allen Poe at the Purcell Rooms, South Bank. They co-produced "Boxes" a touring road show for the Glasgow City of Culture Festivities and collaborated with Avanti Display to produce the now legendary "Hydro-maniacs" a large-scale human fountain. They worked with the Mugon Geki Theatre Company on stage at the Honda Theatre in Tokyo and on the recommendation of the Singapore Arts Council they wrote and produced a special Christmas show for the Tiong Bahru Plaza. |
||||
|
|
THE OSTRICHES RIDERS This was one of the lemmings first stilt acts. It has proved so popular that now street theatre companies around the country are riding around on colourful birds. The lemming's ostriches remain a big hit however, because of their fun qualities. Like all lemmings' acts, they interact with the audience in playful and entertaining way. They can be seen chasing people, stealing food and pecking 'ass, to the great enjoyment of onlookers. |
|||
|
|
THE CAMEL STILT ILLUSION An elegant illusion that has proved popular around the world. People are truly mystified ~ are there two people inside? And does it have batteries? Are two frequently asked questions? For those who are not used to stilt illusions it can take some time to work out. As for the performers it really does take skill to move around while tied together on stilts. |
|||
 |
THE AMAZING MECHANICAL MORRIS MEN Finally they assemble their life size mechanical dancers and to the amazement of the audience the dancers leap into action, a mass of arms and legs moving in complete harmony until disaster strike and parts of the mechanical dancers fly off. Our reluctant heroes continue to dance until the bitter end and eventually (to the rhythm of the "Can can") mechanical heads shoot into the air amid clouds of smoke and applause. Our heroes have turned the dance into chaos and chaos into a dance spectacle. It has recently been performed in Turkey and India where it was a huge success. |
|||
|
|
KNIGHT RIDERS The knight riders stilt illusion takes the appearance of pairs of jesters apparently riding "piggy back" on Knights in armour. The knights are eye-catching, colourful and big, while the jesters are small and mischievous. |
|||
|
|
THE TUBMEN STILT ILLUSION This new act has proved to be a splash hit at Nautical and water themed festivals in the UK. At festivals such as Navy Days in Portsmouth and Cowes Regatta, crowds have been amazed at the apparent sight of two old servants carrying a bath full of water containing two happy go lucky aristocrats. The two playful characters are armed water pistols, bubbles and a shower, which aims itself at any one except themselves! It is a fun event for sunny days. |
|||
|
|
THE PUSHMI-PULLYU
This is a new and stunning stilt illusion, in a similar way to the camel, it is created by two stilt walkers tied together and with a surprising challenge ~ one of them has to walk backwards! The pushmi-pullyu is a fictitious animal from the pages of Dr. Doolittle, which has now been brought to life. |
|||
|
|
THE WILD STUNT SHOW The Wild Stunt show is a collection of tricks and stunts with a distinctly wild edge. Based around bar tricks, they involve pints of beer, eggs and bricks as well as a very unorthodox method of getting up onto stilts. This is a lightweight robust stilt show that goes beyond any language barrier and has been performed around the world, in countries as diverse as Japan and Canada.
|
|||
|
|
THE BRITISH "BOBBIES"
Now the police are also accompanied by beefeaters and guardsmen. |
|||
|
|
OTHER STREET ACTS IN THE LEMMINGS REPERTOIRE Years of creative experience enable the lemmings to generate original and innovative ideas and theatrical experience means that they can also make them work. Pandora's box is a simple "Jack in the box idea" which has travelled the world and shows can be tailored to most situations. If not we are quick to say so, so don't be afraid to ask. |
|||
|
REVIEWS 'Within minutes they had the whole audience in hysterics and at one point totally terrified. David and Mandy have been causing chaos and nonsense for the past 10 years. They had us worried for a wee while, but these fellows are not amateurs when it comes to circus tricks.' The Shetland Times.
"Mixing comedy with magic, often ineptly done On purpose, was the
trademark of the great British performed Tommy Cooper. There were
moments when they reminded me of Cooper - which is high praise indeed." "The Lemmings are madly funny. I was stunned, shocked, deeply fascinated and with a pain in the stomach muscles from laughter. An outrageously good show." - Ekstrabladet, Copenhagen. "Real stunts and clever Illusions interspersed, with feats of daring do, delivers moments of inspired idiocy." - The Economist
"This is a delightful comedy, a show that will, literally lift the shirt
off your back... There follow some wildly daring stunts and this leads
to one of the funniest moments I've seen so far. Its hilarious." "The most outrageously funny double act of the year. Two hours of frantic fun. Its a show that boldly goes where no entertainment has gone before, that defies description but certainly makes you feel you have been to the theatre." - Liverpool Post TRACK RECORD
Some of the places that the lemmings have performed include:- |
||||
Contact one of our entertainment experts now to request further information.
Call FREE on:- 0800 781 3343.