Britain wouldn’t be Britain without an international crowd. That’s what makes it great – full of flavour, variety and creativity. So I popped to my home town of Milton Keynes for this year’s International Festival, a week long ‘happening’ – celebrating music, theatre, comedy and art.
One of the most spectacular events on offer were the Fire Gardens produced by French theatre company La Compagnie Carabosse. Situated in Campbell Park we were invited to wander the maze-like gardens adorned in fire displays, witnessing mechanical structures housing the flames, early 1900s style automata and large hand operated fire blowers. The smell of wax, and the glow of fire, was almost hypnotic; with spectators of all ages agog by the illuminated gardens. The vest lanterns were witty and thrifty, and two one-man-band musicians created a mixture of old style Parisian music with moody, modern improvised sounds.
La Compagnie Carabosse have most recently been involved with the run up to the Olympics celebrations with their dazzling fire displays at Stonehenge earlier this year. If you ever get the opportunity to experience the fire alchemists then definitely do, it leaves you with a serene and awesome feeling.
Video © Joe Barefoot
Photo © Mubsta
Photo © Roy Riley
Photo © Sylvie Monier
Photo © We Heart
Photo © Mubsta
Photo © Mubsta
Photo © Boris Abalain
Photo © Roy Riley
Photo © Mubsta
