Greenwich & Docklands International Festival

Pi-Leau

In our third year with The Greenwich & Docklands International Festival saw it return at the end of June with a spectacular water-themed programme for 2009. The four day free event was packed with performances by UK and International artists using water-based interpretations to explore and reflect the unique identity of Greenwich and East London.

On the banks of the Thames, Dutch company Close Act transformed the historic Royal Arsenal in Woolwich, as they performed their Pi-Leau. Pi-Leau was set in a fictional Woolwich, submerged by water following rising sea levels. Part fairytale and part apocalyptic vision, giant structures and stilt performers combined with pyrotechnics to create an experience in which Waterworld collided with The Little Mermaid. Midas provided all production power with one of our truck mounted 200KVA diesel generators.

The impressive production also used ingenious staging, which put the audience right at the centre of the performance. Befitting of its theme, the rain came down heavily during the 80-minute performance, but the performers and technical equipment carried on much to the delight of the audience. This was the first time that Pi-Leau was performed in the UK by Close Act, a highly acclaimed professional group of actors, musicians, stilt-walkers, dancers, pyrotechnicians and acrobats.

Fous de Bassin

Midas also had two machines, a 30KVA and 60KVA diesel generator, plus mains and distribution working earlier in the festival week powering Fous de Bassin (aka Waterfools) Rivers, lakes, seas and ports have always inspired the imagination – they are places which occupy our dreams. Fous de Bassin (Waterfools) brought such visions to dazzling life in a journey which transported you through a watery world where street lamps emerged from the depths, cars and caravans floated past and a 5 metre high aquatic queen on a penny farthing bicycle held court, all created with extraordinary underwater stagecraft.