FATE
Last weekend, and for the third year running, I had the pleasure of attending Festival at the Edge (FATE) in Shropshire. Whilst FATE is primarily spoken of as being a storytelling festival, there’s a lot more that goes on too. Before I go any further, let me assure you that this isn’t a sales pitch, though it may come across as such. In 2003 I attended FATE with chums Marie, Leeds Joe and Pete – a small posse**. In 2004, following broader enthusing from Marie (and a little from self), our gaggle** had risen to about 15. This year, we reached 27 fellows of gorgeous and wonderful soul. Over the whole festival, my guess is that there were 1000+ people in attendance – many camping (spread across a big site) whilst others visited for the day. Official entertainment included storytelling, storywalks, live music (celtic, folk, irish, pop-rock, rhythm and blues, and jazz, no gospel), children’s entertainers, circus skills tents (for having a go), workshops in belly-dancing (I saw sequined ladies), clog-dancing (I heard reports of a clog-dancing goth – fully blacked and purpled up, with face powdered white and footwear rather wooden), tai chi and more. There was a beer tent, a variety of caterers, a market, and more. And it was sunny and warm – all weekend.
Whilst I only skimmed the surface of the scheduled entertainment, I managed to see a performer whose physical and sparely worded comic skill and timing, charm and broad appeal was incredible. The performance went under the title ‘Pete White’s Suitcase Circus’ (PWSC). Official blurb read: ‘Pete’s a welcome return to the Festival with his Suitcase Circus. Whether he’s spinning plates as Trevor Organ, or doing wonderful things with a handful of ping-pong balls and a chocolate biscuit, Pete is a true genius of physical humour with brilliant comic timing and a suitcase full of wonder stuff and riotous entertainment. See him at both the Adult and Children’s Festivals’. This does not do justice to the man (web-searching yielded no sign of a personal or professional PWSC website). In particular, Pete’s attempt to break the world record for the most quick eating of an apple whilst juggling was superb. Anyone who can get away with ‘accidentally’ spraying an audience of under-10s with half-munched apple must be talented. Pete White's Suitcase Circus is an act that appeals to children, but appeals more to adults. The kids laughed, the adults guffawed. Exemplar moments:
1.
(Much enthusiastic shouting out from children in the audience)
Pete: (calmly) Alright, let’s not descend into a rabble.
2.
(Pete about to reward a child volunteer (James, 6, one of our crowd) with a balloon animal)
Pete: So, do you have a favourite animal?
James: Yes.
(Pete awaits embellishment, James awaits next question, they raise eyebrows at one another)
(Laughter from adults at back of marquee)
Pete: Okay. Er-. Can you tell us what your favourite animal is?
James: Veloceraptor.
(More laughter from audience)
Pete: Ah (Scratching of head, mock discomfit and desperate ‘plan B-ing’) (Pause) Ah! (Pete produces a balloon dog) There you go! (Hands over balloon, James looks unimpressed) It’s a veloceraptor on its way to a fancy dress contest dressed as a dog.
(Laughter and applause…)
Outside of the formal entertainment, there were many amusing and fascinating to-be-treasured moments. For me, these included:-
- Watching a group of the children in our party (ages 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12) bond with one another through a not very dippy-hippy, though entirely organic, series of (plastic) sword fights
- Taking a surprise plastic sword blow to the elbow (from behind) whilst carrying a beaker of red wine, thus depositing contents on right size 10 (US male size 11, European 44.2)
- Being duped by a toddler into reading stories for said toddler (what cunning!)
- Incidental chit-chat, with familiars and unfamiliars (including a most entertaining tale that featured a bath tub full of soaking chick-peas that was directly related to this 1989 story – the stuff of a Tom Sharpe novel)
- Getting to see contrasting styles of parenting (all admirable in different ways), and thinking about this (though that did ultimately induce headaches)
- Achieving the spinning of a plate – without cheating
- Meeting good egg new people
[** Pick a definition, any definition (paragraph 1)]
*****
I love the refreshing charge of a campsite cold-bucket-of-water hair-washing experience. Bracing stuff.
Whilst I only skimmed the surface of the scheduled entertainment, I managed to see a performer whose physical and sparely worded comic skill and timing, charm and broad appeal was incredible. The performance went under the title ‘Pete White’s Suitcase Circus’ (PWSC). Official blurb read: ‘Pete’s a welcome return to the Festival with his Suitcase Circus. Whether he’s spinning plates as Trevor Organ, or doing wonderful things with a handful of ping-pong balls and a chocolate biscuit, Pete is a true genius of physical humour with brilliant comic timing and a suitcase full of wonder stuff and riotous entertainment. See him at both the Adult and Children’s Festivals’. This does not do justice to the man (web-searching yielded no sign of a personal or professional PWSC website). In particular, Pete’s attempt to break the world record for the most quick eating of an apple whilst juggling was superb. Anyone who can get away with ‘accidentally’ spraying an audience of under-10s with half-munched apple must be talented. Pete White's Suitcase Circus is an act that appeals to children, but appeals more to adults. The kids laughed, the adults guffawed. Exemplar moments:
1.
(Much enthusiastic shouting out from children in the audience)
Pete: (calmly) Alright, let’s not descend into a rabble.
2.
(Pete about to reward a child volunteer (James, 6, one of our crowd) with a balloon animal)
Pete: So, do you have a favourite animal?
James: Yes.
(Pete awaits embellishment, James awaits next question, they raise eyebrows at one another)
(Laughter from adults at back of marquee)
Pete: Okay. Er-. Can you tell us what your favourite animal is?
James: Veloceraptor.
(More laughter from audience)
Pete: Ah (Scratching of head, mock discomfit and desperate ‘plan B-ing’) (Pause) Ah! (Pete produces a balloon dog) There you go! (Hands over balloon, James looks unimpressed) It’s a veloceraptor on its way to a fancy dress contest dressed as a dog.
(Laughter and applause…)
Outside of the formal entertainment, there were many amusing and fascinating to-be-treasured moments. For me, these included:-
- Watching a group of the children in our party (ages 2, 4, 6, 8 and 12) bond with one another through a not very dippy-hippy, though entirely organic, series of (plastic) sword fights
- Taking a surprise plastic sword blow to the elbow (from behind) whilst carrying a beaker of red wine, thus depositing contents on right size 10 (US male size 11, European 44.2)
- Being duped by a toddler into reading stories for said toddler (what cunning!)
- Incidental chit-chat, with familiars and unfamiliars (including a most entertaining tale that featured a bath tub full of soaking chick-peas that was directly related to this 1989 story – the stuff of a Tom Sharpe novel)
- Getting to see contrasting styles of parenting (all admirable in different ways), and thinking about this (though that did ultimately induce headaches)
- Achieving the spinning of a plate – without cheating
- Meeting good egg new people
[** Pick a definition, any definition (paragraph 1)]
*****
I love the refreshing charge of a campsite cold-bucket-of-water hair-washing experience. Bracing stuff.
posted by Shane @ 1:45 pm
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