MAY | PREVIEW
F
or those who want to add
a theatrical spectacle to
their riverside event or
festival, Walk The Plank
might have just the answer.
Walk the Plank are outdoor arts
specialists who cater for mass
appeal. They empower artists
through creative development,
transforming people and the
places in which they live through
opportunities to engage with
accessible artistic experience.
Following the success of River
Stories at the inaugural Reading
on Thames Festival 2017, Walk the
Plank is now promoting its latest
project, River Stories, around the
UK as part of its mission to attract
more audiences to its illuminated
show.
The centrepiece to River Stories
is a 50m long illuminated River
Monster who joins forces with a
swan and a fish to create what’s
billed as an amusing tale animated
with pyrotechnics, special effects
and a bespoke musical soundtrack.
Designed for a riverside
audience of up to 5,000 people, this
Above: a 50m long
illuminated River
Monster
At the river
Outdoor arts company Walk the Plank has launched
‘River Stories’, its new river festival show
24
family friendly show is Instagram
friendly, with its trio of creatures
ready for their close-up.
“With the growing popularity
of river festivals around the UK
we wanted to create something
different that would delight people
of all ages. River Monsters’ debut
last year at the first Reading
on Thames Festival was an
astounding success with people
enthralled by the scale and
animation of what they saw. This
captivating show, which lasts up
to 45 minutes, can be adapted to
a range of sites and locations,”
said John Wassell, Walk the Plank
creative producer
“Walk the Plank continues to
be a trailblazer for outdoor arts in
the UK; combining a constantly
inventive artistic vision with
socially grounded practice, the
company brilliantly delivers true
delight for audience’s hand-in-
hand with authentic community
engagement, as well as being
an inspiration for everyone else
working in the sector,” says Angus
MacKechnie, executive director,
ISAN
Based in Salford, in the North
West of England, Walk the Plank is
a registered charity and a National
Portfolio Organisation of Arts
Council England.