News Archive

Perth International Arts Festival is thrilled to announce the story of The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth.

In commemoration of the Centenary of Anzac, the Festival - founded and supported by The University of Western Australia - has commissioned world-renowned French company Royal de Luxe of Nantes to create one of the biggest professional live arts events Australia has ever staged.

The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth will run over three days in the streets of the City of Perth for the opening weekend of the 2015 Perth International Arts Festival and we anticipate it will be seen live by an audience of around a million people over this time.

The story starts before we meet the Giants. At the heart of the story is the Little Giant Girl, a 6m high character who will explore the city, looking for The Diver. Long ago, the Little Girl Giant fell from the sky into the desert and was cared for by the Noongar people.

It is also the story of an Australian Diver, 10,000 miles away and 100 years ago, sent to recover soldiers from the bottom of the sea off the coast of Gallipoli. Over time he becomes an 11m high Giant.

The Little Girl Giant is given a storybook about a girl in a lighthouse watching Anzac troops sail to war, and seeing images of Gallipoli, she realises she must sail across the desert to Perth to call the Diver Giant home.

And so it is that 100 years after he sailed from Western Australia, the Diver Giant is lifted by a tornado of bubbles and is carried back to Perth.

To find out what happens next, and whether they will find each other, audiences need to join us in Perth from Friday, 13 February to Sunday, 15 February.

This story is a poetic narrative written by Jean-Luc Courcoult, Artistic Director of Royal de Luxe. It tells the story of what happened before our event, and why we find The Giants in Perth.

Royal de Luxe are the world's leading creators of live events which deliver - with sensitivity and power - performances on a massive scale to commemorate historical moments. Previous creations have commemorated 20 years of the fall of the Berlin Wall in Germany, the sinking of the Titanic in the UK, and the centenary of World War One in the UK. Now, they bring to Perth a fitting tribute to WA's role in World War One and at Gallipoli for the centenary of Anzac.

Perth has been busy preparing for The Giants' visit, with Perth Festival bringing together members of the community to create elements that will be incorporated into the performance. Western Australians involved include the Noongar community; the Returned and Services League of WA and hundreds of volunteers.

As part of Perth Festival's Rio Tinto Family and Education Program, schoolchildren of WA have made a gift for the Little Girl Giant, participated in the Postcards From Home project and thousands of students will attend the parade with their schools.

The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth is a parade-style theatre spectacular, where the story unfolds over three days. No two days are the same and there are surprises along the way. We suggest you choose your favourite places in the city to see each Giant and plan your day accordingly.

The first thing you need to decide is whether you put on some comfortable shoes and walk with the Giants, or take a picnic and pick a spot, or both. Then it's time to plan your trip carefully. We recommend you leave plenty of time to get into the city and arrive early. Don't forget to pack a little water and plenty of sunscreen. Start planning - The Giants are coming!

Read the story , by Jean-Luc Courcoult, and view the route here to plan your journey.

WHAT: The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of The Giants to the Streets of Perth

WHEN: Friday 13 February - Sunday 15 February 2015

FREE

Media references

Rosita Stangl (Media, Perth International Arts Festival)                                                (+61 4) 409 117 157

David Stacey (UWA Media Manager)                                             (+61 8) 6488 3229 / (+61 4) 32 637 716