If you went for a walk around town last Sunday, you’d have been excused a few double takes! Not an ordinary Sunday by any stretch of the imagination.
Seventeen different acts took part in “Daidogei”. No idea what it means, but the result was superb. At nominated locations throughout the afternoon, street performers of all shapes, sizes and styles did their thing. It was difficult to catch all that was going on due to the diversity & eye-catching nature of the performances – you really didn’t want to leave one before it finished..so you missed the start of another one or got stuck at the back of the crowd. Nevermind, all part of the experience, bumping into friends in the process.

Never mind; half-hour stints meant acts moved around and you could catch them somewhere else. Casually walking around, you were likely to bump into something quite extraordinary.
The Pterodactyl lookalike “Nani-sole” was my favourite: cameo moment was this weird thing leaning down to peck an old guy on the shoulder, as he waited for the lights to change. Poor soul leapt out of his skin!

The Chinese acrobats were a big draw – some incredible strength & agility. At one point the lad was in a crab position with the acrobat doing a handstand on his hands…amazingly he lifted her from there in balance to standing.

Members of “Le Circque des Gueux”, appearing at the Performing Arts Centre all week, showed snippets of their show. The mime act was particularly entertaining in front of the Kura on Nakamachi; the pair of Finnish girls showed off their balance and power down on Frog Street, gasps from the crowd.

I missed a pair of walking eyes, but found mime/statue artist Shiva sweating in the sun by M-Wing, resplendent in all white. Loved the moment he `shushed` the election campaigners.
Another mime/clown further up the street was busy scaring the ladies; passers by were encouraged to get the autographs of five clowns, though I don’t know what the prize would have been.

A pair of masked characters on “blades” (like the South African athlete) – only a lot taller, trailed a massive blade-wielding dude scaring children…but they did wait for the green man to cross the road! Sensibly, the Wraith-looking thing by the river got security to help him across a zebra crossing. Never realised how much of a stride you have on stilts – these things can shift. Guess motorists don’t usually look up, up for pedestrians!