STREET SHOWS
Coming from a tradition of street performance and carnival, it felt natural to take the music of Rabo de Foguete onto the street through developing exciting, high impact shows for outdoor performance. The shows created have varied in terms of their scale and form and the degree to which the full band is involved.
This work has been inspired by European companies like the Always Drinking Marching Band, Close Act, Deabru Beltzac and Compangie No.8. In 2012 members of Rabo performed as part of Close Act's 'Invasion', for the opening of the Norfolk and Norwich Festival.
The current show, Ulysses, is a daytime, medium scale piece. It tells the story of the return of Greek hero, Ulysses, from Troy, as an allegory of a soldier returning from war, fusing music with theatre, movement, performance and comedic interplay with the audience. Ulysses marked a move towards more more narrative pieces, working with Twisted Reality Productions., Mandinga Arts and artist/makers, Dom Patteson and Molly Barrett. A three-hander, it is rich in storytelling, comedy and audience interaction. More details on the project and the show can be found by clicking the link to the right, and there is a video at the bottom of this page - go to video.
ULYSSES STREET SHOW
Malandro, Rabo's first street show (2011/12), was developed with support from Arts Council England through Escalator Outdoor Arts and Grants for the Arts. Drawing on the Brazilian archetype of the 'malandro', the trickster who faces down the forces of oppressive institutions, surviving by manipulating people, fooling authorities and sidestepping laws, Rabo’s music is given a new edge and exposure. The band worked with Dende Collective on creating this anarchic show and building the performance skills of the group. Costumes were designed by Anna Patteson, with the show exploring alienation, tomfoolery and general misbehaviour. Malandro premiered at the Norfolk & Norwich Festival 2011 and performed around Norfolk.
Voodoo Hoodoo (2015-16) was developed for NORCA as part of Norwich City Council's 'Spooky City' for Halloween. The show mixed Day of the Dead, Voodoo and Candomblé themes to create a strongly visual and energetic, night time, processional show. A community participation element enabled the team to be supplemented by additional percussionists, dancers and other performers. Visual design, costumes and props were created by the fantastic maker, Molly Barrett, with Molly, Ali Mackenzie and Dom Patteson making the skull float. For these shows we performed with a 30-strong community bloco (Bloco Foguete) and 20 additional dancers and extras.
Mobile amplification: Key to the street work has been developing mobile amplification to meet the band's needs. Working with Dominic Patteson and Jake Staff, we have a developed a flexible, mobile sound system that can go onto a number of float bases, can work in parade or where there is no electricity supply, etc. We are still exploring the possibilities of this system.
Photos courtesy of Alex Lyons, Rod Penn and the Heritage Snapper
Ulysses Promo Video
