PLATINUM JUBILEE PAGEANT

REVIEW

PLATINUM JUBILEE PAGEANT

THE MENAGERIE ON THE MALL

WORDS | STEPHEN SPARK

There was a purple snake, elephants in varied hues, giraffes, flocks of swans, horses real and imagined, a pack of disobedient corgis, lions, ravenous pigs, a bull, a fish, ravens, flamingos and a large but graceful dragon. On 5 June 2022, the Mall, the UK’s only purpose-designed ceremonial road, which runs straight as a ruler from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace, hosted a menagerie fit for a Queen to celebrate her 70 years on the throne.

If you’d lined the railings alongside St James’s Park (or, like an estimated one billion people around the world, watched it on TV), you might also have glimpsed banners, flags, umbrellas, roller-skaters, sousaphone players, Brazilian baterias, steelpan players, dholak drummers, Daleks, JCB diggers, Bollywood dancers, trampolinists, PacMan, a wedding cake, drag queens, hippies, a motorised orange… and plenty more.

Commentators made much of the event’s “eccentricity”, but in truth this was a demonstra-

• THE HATCHLING

PHOTO CREDIT | TRIGGER

tion of a deep-rooted love of the carnivalesque in Britain. It was effectively a mashup of innumerable garden parties, village fetes, carnivals, street festivals, fairs, enthusiast rallies and semi-ceremonial pageantry. It’s what goes on in every corner of the country all through the summer, but here it was all piled into one vast, heterogeneous parade for the world to boggle at. One wondered what President Putin thought of it all.

CELEBRATION, CHAPTER BY CHAPTER

Act III Let’s Celebrate started in spectacular style with Chapter 1 The Princess and the Dragon. The beast in question was The Hatchling, a vast, human-powered and manipulated dragon from Bristol-based Trigger, under creative director Angie Bual and kite-designer Carl Robertshaw. It was led a merry dance by Janice Ho – appropriately enough, as the idea for a dragon was inspired by a trip to China. As Bual noted, however, dragons are not exclusive to China, for they exist in British and Irish legends too. It was an unexpectedly moving performance, perhaps because of the contrast in size and also the dragon’s graceful movements.

It's worth exploring Trigger Stuff’s website, as it has some fascinating insights into the challenges of constructing the Hatchling – partly at British Aerospace’s former Filton factory, where Concorde was built – and of getting it to move realistically. The dragon was ‘road-tested’ and actually flown in Plymouth - there’s a breathtaking video of the flight on the website.

More creatures, real and mythical, appeared in Chapter 2 The Queen’s Beasts. Under the leadership of Paul McLaren, Shademakers made a huge impression at past Notting Hill Costume Galas before crossing the water to the Isle of Wight. Skeletal unicorns – each of which bowed to the royal box as it trotted past – carried flags depicting the animals of heraldry. These were accompanied by, as Paul told Soca News, “a host of beasts of the field, insects and animals of the lower orders to represent us all in a bucolic scene of immediate post-war pastoral Britain. In amongst the costume sections were clues, double meanings, signs and signals of an alternative world as befits any self-respecting Carnival band sending messages.” The creatures included lions (the lion partners the unicorn on the Royal Arms), a red Welsh dragon, a purple and silver snake representing Ireland (despite the reptiles being permanently banished from the island by St Patrick), jolly sheep, fierce-looking green-jacketed pigs, intricate swans and ravens – so much, in fact, that it was hard to take it all in.

Each tier of Nutkhut’s gorgeously decorated 6m-high, four-tier wedding cake represented a regal jubilee – silver (1977), gold (2002), diamond (2012) and platinum (UK plant manufacturer JCB also referenced those jubilees with a quartet of diggers). The cake was the centrepiece of Chapter 3,

• PRIDE - FROM TINY ACORNS BY MANDINGA ARTS AND EEA

PHOTO CREDIT | LAIMA ARLAUSKAITE

The Wedding Party, referencing the wedding of Princess Elizabeth to the Duke of Edinburgh in 1947. Nutkhut’s cake contained a sound system whereas Elizabeth and Philip’s version contained three gallons of Navy rum! Now the Pageant is over, you can hire the cake for your own wedding or festival, along with the beautifully modelled 4m-high bride and groom puppets that also formed part of Nutkhut’s presentation.

Altogether 250 performers took part, some wearing a specially commissioned, organic ‘Platinum Jubilee Sustainable Sari’ that added a welcome splash of colour on this rather grey day. Simmy Gupta, artistic director of the presentation, said the aim had been to bring a mix of people together “to create a high-energy party atmosphere of an authentic Asian Bollywood wedding on the Mall”.

Groups of people in a single design and colour were effective, as were the larger-than-life-size figures, but to hold your own against this ceremonial setting you need big expanses of material providing bold splashes of vibrant colour. Mahogany has mastered the art of communicating mas across large spaces, as we saw in Chapter 4, The Coronation. The audience appreciated its big yet ethereally light elephants and appealing giraffes, whose long necks can reach over barriers to interact with onlookers. These were examples of mas that worked really well in that challenging space, as did the buggy-based flamingos – there used to be a flock of the birds in the gardens of Buckingham Palace until they were eaten by foxes. No wonder Clary Salandy’s group keeps getting commissioned to appear at big public events.

As well as Clary’s now-familiar style of mas, there was an interesting collaboration with wirebending maestro Carl Gabriel. From his Yaa Centre studio, in conditions of great secrecy, Carl created a wonderfully intricate and accurate bust of the Queen, flanked by a golden orb and sceptre, behind which trailed her ermine-edged coronation robe composed of Mahogany masqueraders in white and purple. The combination enthralled TV commentators and gained applause from the otherwise rather unresponsive audience.

The amount of collaboration needed to put on street arts at this scale was demonstrated by Chapter 5, From Tiny Acorns, which combined work from at least 12 groups and 260 costumed participants. Holding it all together was Mandinga Arts, led by the South London-based, Anglo-Colombian team of Charles Beauchamp and Julieta Rubio, while Rhythms of the City provided the percussive energy to keep everyone on the move. The section was led by a rainbow flag (by Flag Warriors), to honour the LGBTQIA+ community, and traditional Brazilian style baianas in fluorescent green, orange and pink hooped skirts and headdresses (Gangsta Grans from Preston and Iberian Folk Dance Group from South London).

A solid-looking but oddly squat oak tree was surrounded by 16m-long maypole ribbons (Emergency Exit Arts, who described the piece as “a challenge to design and create”). That was followed by a cute field of pansies (andwhatarts for Proud Interventions). The pansies aimed to turn an insult against gay men into a positive, as the flower represents both platonic and romantic love, and also community and togetherness - yet more carnivalesque symbolism that was lost on, and by, the TV commentators. Hip-hop group House of Wingz (HOW) wore Mandinga’s neon skeleton costumes including an elaborate blackand-white Day of the Dead skeleton wearing a skirt. Iguanas, dancing strawberries, chickens, a fish, a pig, golden ostriches and several cows and cats were part of the cast too.

• PARADE - FROM TINY ACORNS BY MANDINGA ARTS AND EEA

PHOTO CREDIT | LAIMA ARLAUSKAITE

Night-time carnivals celebrating ‘Bonfire Night’ (5 November) are a long-standing fixture in some parts of England. Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival’s interpretation of Chapter 6’s theme, Happy & Glorious, was an extraordinary threesection, 100ft-long juggernaut of a float; had it been adorned with some near-naked dancers it wouldn’t have looked out of place in Rio. The float (known as a ‘cart’ in the West Country) was called Jubilation and portrayed royal insignia, crowns, carriages and the Yeoman of the Guard. It was created by 200 ‘carnivalites’ (the local term apparently) from 17 carnival clubs in the town, including 20 engineers, 10 carpenters, 15 painters and 10 electricians (it had 1,500 lights and lots of moving parts). The modelling and painting were impressive, and reminiscent of traditional fairground styles. You may be able to catch the cart in its native habitat in November, either at Glastonbury or one of the other Somerset carnivals.

The centrepiece of Have Faith (Chapter 7) was Jeni Cairns’s sculpture depicting hands offering up flowers, butterflies and doves, representing the “nine interfaith religions”. Constructed from an interesting combination of willow and steel, it was beautifully painted in delicate, muted shades, but needed more time and closer examination to appreciate than was possible within a moving parade. It was accompanied by representations of temples, a mosque and a synagogue, plus masqueraders with Same Sky’s hand-painted umbrellas and a rather nice brass group.

More than 200 dancers, drummers and flag bearers took part in Chapter 8, A Sharing of Gifts. This was co-ordinated by Manchester-based Global Grooves under the creative direction of Leon Patel, choreography by Adriana Rosso and musical direction by 21-year-old Emma Marsh. The mas highlighted the North West region’s ties to the Commonwealth and the city’s own industrial past through use of cotton and silk-print costumes and flags referencing Africa, South Asia, the Caribbean and Manchester.

Drag artiste Cheddar Gorgeous, resplendent in her chariot, led the section and was followed by dancers with tall flags in brilliant yellow, red and orange shades, plus attractively modelled large walking puppets and the Wardle Academy Band, decked out in red. Again, this showed the value of designing on the right scale, and with the right colours, for the ‘stage’.

Kinetika Bloco presented under the Chapter 9 theme, River of Hope. Working with Thames

Festival Trust, schools made flags illustrating their hopes for the future. Costumes for the dancers and musicians were designed by Lesley-Ann Halls and choreography was by Leon Hazlewood. Musically, Kinetika Bloco was joined by Scottish street-band organisation Oi Musica to create a 130-strong band that included 12 sousaphones, which added a distinctive sound. Ten flag-wielding skaters from South Bank-based Muketibatch apparently proved useful in “filling those gaps that always emerge in carnival”.

Speaking to Soca News after the event, Tamzyn French, Kinetika Bloco’s CEO, said: “The opportunity to bring together so many young people to celebrate unity and togetherness at an event that had the eyes of the world on it, was amazing. It really gave them all a sense of value as artists and performers. After two years of very limited performances because of Covid this was a joyous opportunity to get back on the road.”

Tamzyn continued: “One of the loveliest moments was coming right outside the front of Buckingham Palace and seeing the UK All Steel Percussion Orchestra on the stage and waving at each other as they noted our pan players!”

Last year’s City of Culture, Coventry, presented The Queen’s Favourites for Chapter 10 in the Pageant – misbehaving corgis on sticks, ponies, horses with moving hooves, swans and boats. Towering above them, 20ft high, was a curiously stiff, though sweet-faced, figure of Lady Godiva – famous for riding naked through the streets, yet here demurely draped in a Zandra Rhodesinspired outfit. There was an industrial-looking horse behind her, however, carrying a crown adorned with cogs and gear-wheels to represent the city’s once-dominant role in bicycle and motor vehicle manufacturing. Thirty bicycles powered the whole ensemble, dubbed Cyclopedia.

The city’s interesting and unusual contribution was the work of Imagineer, fashion students from Coventry University and dancers and performers from Highly Sprung, Elite Dance Academy, Critical Mass 2022 and the appropriately named Godiva Academy of Performing Arts.

Chapter 11 Unity was rather different, being devoted to acrobatics, athletics and circus skills. The ‘wow!’ moment was an aerobat hanging from a balloon adorned with images of the Queen - absolutely the coolest way to drift past the royal box! BMX stunt bikers performed alarming feats atop moving Land-Rovers, trampolinists bounced off a wall on a truck, street dancers showed off their moves and several participants, including paralympians in Bristol-based Cirque Bijou’s section, demonstrated that disability is no barrier to extremely active involvement in circus arts and sport.

The final chapter, 12, The Thank You Dance, was a touching, and necessary, tribute both to the Queen for her 70 years of service and to all those who looked after us and kept us safe during the Covid pandemic. Thurrock-based Kinetika, under the artistic direction of Ali Pretty and Jeanefer Jean-Charles, contributed a mass of their beautifully fashioned silk banners, each incorporating the NHS shade of blue and held proudly aloft by key workers as “Thank You” was spoken in multiple languages. Those taking part included teachers, medical and care staff, a delivery driver, retail workers and a port worker, among others.

There’s another chance to see The Thank You Dance when it returns to Thurrock for the T100 Festival 2022 and Port Open Day (‘Pride: Port, Dock and Operation Workers’) at Anchor Field, Tilbury, from 1pm on Saturday 25 June. This would be a good time to head to the Thames-side town’s Cruise Terminal to see the Windrush-inspired Walkway of Memories.

After this, all that remained was the return of the ‘decades’ buses conveying their cargo of celebrities, the sadly overlooked, but magnificent, steelband performance, the gospel choir, Ed Sheeran and, of course, the star of the show, Her Majesty the Queen, accepting the applause and thanks of the multitude. This review hardly does justice to the sheer amount of work, creativity, energy and spirit that went into the mas on the Mall, and apologies to the many who have not been mentioned.

We’ll end with a comment from that most thoughtful of carnival designers, Paul McLaren of Shademakers: “The day itself passed so quickly; it happened and ended without pause or delay, with just a little bit of the monumental and overwhelming force of history, unbridled spectacle, observed by a world population of 1 billion folks and all too much to be absorbed at once… I felt our Elizabethan age was reaching its end and we were being cast adrift into a new world of opportunity. I wonder how much has changed, knowing that human values are key, that creativity remains constant and hope, enthusiasm and passion must be always kept by our side.”

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