Feather storm returns to WOMADelaide, as French angels gear up for highwire circus act
At WOMADelaide this weekend, one of the headline acts is an intricate overhead ballet involving the use of five cranes, dozens of circus performers and ziplines strung 50m above the crowd.
A host of angels will descend on Adelaide’s Botanic Park each night from Friday to Monday as French aerial circus company Gratte Ciel returns to WOMADelaide festival for a headline performance of its spectacular art piece Place des Anges (Place of Angels).
The intricate overhead ballet involves the use of five cranes, large inflatable artworks and ziplines strung at a height of 50m above the crowd.
First held at WOMADelaide in 2018 – where it was an eye-popping thrill that has lived long in the memory of anyone who saw it – the upcoming festival run marks the first time anywhere in the world that Gratte Ciel has brought Place des Anges back to the same location, in this case for up to 30,000 daily attendees.
As before, it will conclude in a storm of white duck feathers – which have been washed, sterilised and dusted – as the mischievous, titular angels descend to Earth to party among festivalgoers.
“The invitation to perform the show at such a grand scale – with five cranes above the tree line and above a huge audience at a music festival – is something that has really marked the journey of our company,” said artistic director Stephane Girard. “To be invited to return is an honour for us.”
The company’s name is French for “skyscraper”, and this weekend will mark only the second appearance of this show since the pandemic interrupted mass gatherings; last year, Place des Anges was performed for about 8000 people in its home country.
With the cranes in place and two containers full of ropes, equipment, feathers and costumes unpacked, the travelling crew of climbers and dancers began rehearsals with ziplines earlier this week, with thrilling results.
“The feedback from the company up there is that they’ve found the birds again,” said producer Camille Beaumier with a laugh.
“To be 50m above the audience puts the performers in a state of hypersensitivity, where everything that they experience is quite overwhelming for them, as well.”
With variable nightly appearances ranging from 8.40pm (Friday) to 10.45pm (Monday), it’s unusual for such a performance to be given a prime-time, main-stage position among the headline musical acts, including US indie folk act Bon Iver (Friday), British indie rock band Florence + the Machine (Saturday) and African singer Youssou N’Dour (Monday).
Such is the uniquely all-ages attraction of Place des Anges, whose return to the South Australian capital was helped by a philanthropic donation from the Hackett Foundation.
As for what the angels themselves hope to feel after sharing this extraordinary gift with the crowd at WOMADelaide again, Girard replied with a grin: “It’s love, it’s euphoria, and after a performance we just want to dance together.”
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