After the success of the inaugural Festival of the Sea last year in St James Square Grimsby, the same returns this year but finds a new home at Heritage Square outside the Fishing Heritage Centre. Once again the partnership between Culture House and Walk the Plank is present and the event is sponsored by Orsted.
As the Festival runs throughout the day, Review Culture was only able to sample some of the entertainment on offer today but nevertheless got a real flavour for what is happening. With a mix of street theatre, music and walkabout acts, there was the addition of a giant screen which was able to show films during the day at suitable breaks in proceedings.
The family audience was having a terrific time as some wacky walkabouts kept them entertained. Coco Loco presented Madam BonBon and her man servant, Nobby epitomised the off-the-wall nature of such acts bringing Shakespeare's sonnets, song and witticisms to individuals and small group. Madame Bonbon resplendent in a cup cake bodice, a hair do resembling Ferrero Rocher and licorice all-sorts cushions and yet still managed to resemble pre-revolutionary French nobility.
Street theatre company Calf 2 Cow presented their zany family show,The Wave. Combining music and clowning to great effect, the humour often appealed to the inner child in us all and occasionally slipped into very silly, yet funny toilet humour. The kids were loving watching adults making fools of themselves and talking about being sick or needing a poo. Set on a ship split cleverly into two halves, with comic strip costuming, the songs and knockabout, slapstick won the day and each performance was greeted with real enthusiasm by the crowd who gathered.
For sheer spectacle, the audience gazed in awe at CastAway by Highly Sprung. This was truly a tale for our times with its mocking condemnation of casual consumerism which uses and disposes without a second thought.
Creating waste without a care in the world, two cartoonish dancers raced around the playing area shedding garments and adding to the waste collected by an increasingly weary collector of waste. As the waste increases, they awake the Keeper of the Waterways who rises up from the waste as a champion to challenge such idle disposal.
The performance was visually stunning, employing a gyroscopic flying machine which allowed an aerial performer to rise above the Earth and fly gracefully overhead at dangerous heights but making everything look effortless.
The illusion of swimming and an underwater seascape polluted by waste were conjured stylishly and the overall impact of the show will stay with me for some time to come. It truly was a stunning piece of theatre.
For music fans there was much to enjoy. We saw Mambo Jambo performing at the band stand. Their aim was to transport audiences far overseas with their music. They describe it as embarking on an upbeat sea voyage that tours the globe and demonstrated a high level of musicianship including many instruments besides guitar.
We also managed to catch a set by Celtarabia whose musical influences seemed to be incredibly varied and we witnessed numbers being played on the hurdy-gurdy and hammered dulcimer. They created a seriously impressive sound and kept the audience entertained right up until the films began on the screen.
On screen, the crowds were treated to Illuminated Films' The Rubbish World of Dave Spud and a cartoon created in collaboration with Cleethorpes Academy entitled Where Do All The Boats Go? A piece that considered the vessels seen daily travelling the Humber Estuary. It was a charming piece with a great voice over from local children.
Also on display was a film from North East Lincolnshire's own Breakwater Theatre Company. Sea Fever written by Review Culture's Andy Evans, introduces us to Paddy and ex-fisherman who recounts some fond memories of his time at sea now that he has returned to land. Paddy was played with dignity and power by Jeremy Smith. The short film premiered at last year's festival but seemed to capture the interest of many who stopped to watch, recognising many local landscapes within the film.
The special treat for audiences today, was the Grimsby debut of Drifters by John Grierson, a Scottish film maker. This 1929 silent film about the hardship of the fishing industry as ships fished for herring from Scotland down to to the Humber and beyond, was a new version of the film presented by vocal accompaniment by Jason Singh. Singh is an award winning artist and beatboxer. With the help of a loop machine, Singh provided all of the music and sound effects and vocally painted a haunting picture. Many people wandering into the square after the film began might not even have realised that EVERY sound heard came from Singh. It was quite magnificent and a joy to see created before our very eyes.
Further special mention should go to acts such as The Grimsby Fishermen who wandered around towering above their audience in their rubber and waterproofs on stilts stunning many of the small children who felt like they were confronted by giants. Equally amusing were the members of Rhubarb Theatre Company from Lincoln as the dotty Admirable Admirals wearing the very ships they claimed to command and showing off their magnificent moustaches. The Deep Sea Divers must have been roasting inside their diving suits whilst walking on stilts. My favourite walkabout act though had to be the immensely creative acrobatic act Octopus Ocean by Circo Rum Ba Ba. A life size octopus rode a tricycle carrying two acrobatic fish who swam around and performed feats of skill and balance, or aquabatics as they like to refer to it. I loved it and it brought out the inner child in me with its creativity, vision and foresight.
The whole event is a joyous one. The carnival atmosphere reminds us of Grimsby's nautical heritage and spreads joy - free of charge - among old and young alike whilst bringing the town some of the best street theatre in the country. Long may it continue.
Andy Evans 16 July 2022
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