Camden New Journal - News: Festival

Publications by New Journal Enterprises

Home

Archive

Competition

Camden New Journal - by SIMON WROE
Published: 25 October 2007

Harry Nelson, aged three

High old time at festival spectacular

MOST two-year-olds struggle with the laws of physics, but the Bloomsbury Festival was already standing tall, even spectacularly defying gravity, when it celebrated its second birthday last weekend.
More than 15,000 delighted revellers turned out to watch fearless dancers dangle precariously from the eight-storey Brunswick Centre, the tombstones come alive in St George’s Gardens and even to build a school from a flatpack.
The streets of Bloomsbury were transformed for the two-and-a-half day event as bands and other performers took over the streets on Friday afternoon.
Light Touch, an aerial performance on the Brunswick Centre by theatre company Scarabeus and SnakeOil, pulled in huge crowds while Brunswick Square was packed for performances by musicians Paloma Faith and Norwegian Hanne Hukkelburg.
Open-air salsa lessons and impromptu dances erupted in squares and historic side-streets and a 600-strong sing-along Messiah was conducted on the very site where Handel himself had conducted it centuries earlier.
Other activities among the 150 that took place included an informal gig in the candle-lit Perseverance pub in Lamb’s Conduit Street, an art gallery in a caravan and a lantern-lit parade by children from local primary schools.
Festival director, Roma Backhouse, said: “I’m already looking forward to next year and we’ve got loads of ideas about how to make it even bigger and better.
“But I think I’m going to have a few days off first!”

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment: