La Machine: Les Mecaniques Savants
Friday 5th – Sunday 7th September 2008 (Prologue 3rd - 4th September)
La Machine: Liverpool is about to experience the biggest and most spectacular piece of free theatre ever seen in the UK, commissioned for the city’s European Capital of Culture celebrations.
SCHEDULE
The following times and places give an indication of the best moments to see the creature in action:
Friday 5th September
11.30am – 1pm Outside the ACC, Albert Dock
6.30pm – 9pm From the ACC to the Cunard Building, via Salthouse Dock
Saturday 6th Sept
11.30am-12.30pm Cunard Building
3pm – 9pm From Cunard Building to Concourse House, via Water
Street, Castle St, Lord St, Parker St, Ranelagh Place
Sunday 7th September
3pm – 4pm Concourse House
7.30pm – 10pm Concourse House to Queensway Tunnel entrance
HOW TO VIEW THE SHOW
It is not necessary to be close to the action to enjoy the show - in fact it is often better to observe from a distance. The show will move through the streets and public spaces of Liverpool.
SPECIAL EFFECTS
Please also be aware of the spectacular special effects that will accompany the creature: these involve water, pyrotechnics and loud bangs and flashes. You may want to bring a raincoat even if the weather is dry!
ROAD CLOSURES
If possible use public transport to see the show. However, if you are travelling by car please be aware that some roads will necessarily be closed to traffic during the show, and that there will be some disruption.
Friday 5th September, 6pm – Saturday 6th September, 4pm
The Strand will be closed. There will be access to the Strand Street car from the South only. There will be no entry between 6pm and 9pm. Exit is maintained at all times.
Saturday 6th September
2pm – 5pm
The junction at Water St, Dale St and Castle St will be closed, including Derby Square.
5pm – 10.30pm
Ranelagh St will be closed from Great Charlotte Street to Church Street & Bold Street, to include closure of Copperas Hill, Brownlow Hill, Renshaw Street, St. George’s Place as far as St. John’s Lane, and Lime Street as far as the junction with London Road.
Sunday 7th September
6am until 2am Monday
Queensway Tunnel will be closed, including including Byrom Street, Hunter Street and Old Haymarket
1pm – 11pm
Lime Street and surrounding roads will be closed to traffic.
TRAVEL
The best way to see the event is on foot. Local train, underground and bus services will run throughout the weekend, although there will be some changes to services due to road closures. Visit www.merseytravel.gov.uk for details.
National rail services to Liverpool are operated by Virgin Trains. The West Coast line between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street will be subject to some disruption on 6th and 7th September due to engineering works.
Visit www.virgintrains.co.uk for details.
PARKING
Strand Street Car Park
On Friday 5th and Saturday 6th the Strand Street car park will be the closest to the show and offers accommodation for up to 2000 cars. It’s a great place to park if you’re planning to see the whole event. Please note that from 6pm on Friday 5th to 4pm on Saturday 6th, entry to the car park is from the South only. There will be no entry to the car park between 6pm and 9pm on Friday 5th September.
Queen Square
On Sunday 7th September, the Queen Square car park will be the closest to the show site and will provide the most convenient parking for anyone coming to the show. However access will be limited so that visitors will need to arrive before 1pm and will not be able to leave until after 10pm.
St John’s Centre car park
There will be no entry to the car park between 5.30pm and 10pm on Saturday 6th, and the car park will be closed on Sunday 7th between 2pm and 10pm.
SECURITY
Artichoke would like to advise visitors that in any crowd vigilance is important. Please supervise young children at all times and keep valuables out of sight. We advise that visitors should not leave any property unattended, or on show in parked cars. Please help us by reporting any abandoned property to police or show stewards. It is not permitted to consume alcohol in a public place in the city centre; anyone carrying alcohol will have it confiscated. Visitors are reminded that event stewards and show ushers are there to ensure the smooth running of the show and the safety of the public. Please comply with their instructions.
ADDITIONAL ADVICE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
The three-day performance consists of moving parades which begin and end with large scale static set pieces. The parades take place in the city centre with audience members following the creature through the city centre. Access for these parades is as in daily life following the level access routes through the city. The structures are huge, up to 50 feet high and are often best viewed from a distance. The show is of a highly visual nature with live music but no spoken narrative. There is no seating provided; if you have difficulty standing for long periods of time, please bring a folding chair.
Artichoke, producers of La Machine, have released the information below in order to help visitors to the show over the weekend enjoy the experience.
FACTS & FIGURES
- THE CREATURE
Weight – 37 tonnes
Height – 50 feet high
50 hydraulic axes of movement
Made from steel and reclaimed poplar
Moves at 2 miles per hour
Took 1 year to build
- TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS INCLUDE:
16 DIFFERENT CRANES:
25 tonnes - 300 tonnes
300 different crane lifts
6 Forklift Trucks
8 Cherry Pickers
- PERSONNEL
66 people in the French company
20 British musicians
250-strong technical and support crew
The show is the work of French company La Machine, appearing in the UK for the first time. The company is led by engineering genius François Delarozière who, in 2006, engineered and built the giant, 42-tonne mechanical elephant that captivated London in The Sultan’s Elephant, a show by another French company, Royal de Luxe. Delarozière and his company have travelled from their huge workshop in Nantes to bring La Machine to Liverpool.
La Machine will be one of the most extraordinary theatrical events ever seen. This event is quite simply the biggest piece of free theatre ever mounted in the UK, and will feature a giant spider, 50 feet high and thirty-seven tonnes in weight, as well as a spectacular battery of special effects. The city is already being prepared for the event, with the removal of street furniture and even the odd roundabout to accommodate the giant creature. La Machine is produced by maverick UK producers Artichoke, who also produced The Sultan’s Elephant two years ago and The Telectroscope earlier this year.
The company’s directors Helen Marriage and Nicky Webb said:
“We are delighted to be bringing the theatrical genius of La Machine to Liverpool as one of the flagship events in this year’s Capital of Culture programme. Artichoke strives to mount events which, though spectacular and ambitious in scale, are appreciated by the widest possible audience. François Delarozière and his company have been inspired to create a new show especially for the people of Liverpool, to be played out against the landmarks of a great city. This event would have been impossible without the close collaboration and co-operation of many partners, including the Culture Company themselves, but also many other agencies and businesses.”
Fiona Gasper Executive Producer for the Liverpool Culture Company said:
“La Machine is one of the major artistic commissions from the Liverpool Culture Company for 08 and is the centrepiece of the hugely popular free outdoor programme of events which has been running throughout the summer. We are expecting record crowds to flock into the city centre to see this amazing event which is guaranteed to intrigue and delight.”
Cllr Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council and deputy chair of the Liverpool Culture Company said:
"La Machine is one of the highlights of Liverpool's year as European Capital of Culture and there is a huge sense of expectation in the city and beyond. We are very proud that more than 70 per cent of 08 events are free and I have no doubt that this unique show will provide even more excitement than usual!"
La Machine was commissioned by Liverpool 08, with funds from its major partners, including the North West Development Agency, the Arts Council and Liverpool City Council. Artichoke is producing the event in association with Unusual Services and the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, with the active collaboration of many event and operational partners including the ACC, Peel Holdings and Liverpool Vision.
