Bella.la.la.: Surreal.Underground.Experience.

Right well, this really was quite a while ago now but I honestly still have a good old chuckle when I remember the amazing performance by Wind-up Collective at Wilderness festival this summer. I was with the theatre company at the festival as their resident photographer, camping along side the merry bunch to ensure I'd get a snap of even their most out-of-character-portaloo-waiting-moments. The main purpose, of course, being to photograph them on stage at the bandstand, on a wonderfully constructed set of the London underground.

The London underground. Isn't it great? Especially at rush hour when somehow being in a complicated network of tunnels beneath the streets of London combined with the innate feeling that getting to our destination in the shortest possible time causes us to find it completely necessary & understandable to contort into yogic poses while the sweat of business men rubs delectably on our new shirt & a woman's work bag digs into our hip. Waiting for the next train in one minute isn't even a consideration. Such a fascinating ability to mess with the common sense we human's have a habit of priding ourselves on. Up above ground I am laughing at this absurdity, but at the same time am completely aware that in an hour or so I will be grumbling irritably about the 1 minute wait time for the next central line while giving evils to the man standing a millimeter over the yellow line...
Wind-up collective's performance shares a similar absurd thread as our rush-hour mindset - 'Box Junction' takes the audience - who sit along side the actors 'on the tube' - through a journey filled with shocks & scares as deep desires are realised through the unpackaging of a white cardboard box.

Performance at 1am, we hauled hay bails onto the Wilderness Festival bandstand to take centre stage as the tube seating. Two rows with long yellow (circle line!) poles creating a cramped awkward tube-like space. The aptly dress train guard then took to the microphone to call on all those festival dwellers ready to board the surreal underground experience to BOX JUNCTION.

1am at a festival? Can you imagine the audience we acquired? Drunk, high, fancy-dress, old, young...you name it, we had it.

I 
wish I could aptly describe the completely surreal experience that took 
place that night, but I'm afraid words just can't go there. However, if 
you check out these photographs, paying close attention to the 
audience's expressions, you may get some idea...And if you'd like your 
own face to make such expressions I'd highly recommend you keep an eye 
out for the next WIND-UP performance - it's bound to blow your mind.

http://wind-upcollective.com/Wind-Up_Collective/HOME.html