Streets Alive : No Fit State Circus Community

Clifton Street in Cardiff was closed for the day last Saturday. Wise move really as the traffic wouldn't have been able to get through the hundreds of people who turned out in the pouring rain to see breath-taking stunts from No Fit State Circus alongside line-dancing grandmothers
and children breaking the street hula-hooping record for the city.

It was fantastic and a wonderful prelude to the opening of the Four Elms Centre this Autumn:
Wales' first permanent professional & community circus training facility.

Here are just a few images from the day - pity you can't hear the laughter, applause & gasps from the crowd. Some of the performers were really risking life & limb in the deluge: wet hands and flying trapeze don't mix well.

Adie Delaney back down to earth

these toddlers show the line-dancers a few new moves . .

there were workshops throughout the day

this young fellah in the crowd was watching the Chinese Pole act slipping in the torrential rain

the response from the local residents was overwhelmingly positive . . . I get the feeling the Four Elms Centre will thrive from the moment the doors open

Daniel Crute AKA The Mighty Moustache 

his tattoo spells 'Lion' in Hebrew

Daniel led the Finale . . .

for the Four Elms it's just the beginning.

all images are copyright panopticphotography 2013

if you would like to lift any images to re-post please get in touch first

paddy@panopticphotography.co.uk  or leave a comment  below thanks

Slightly Fat Features

I spent a great day at the Newport Big Splash event recently catching up with the 

Slightly Fat Features company. 

They performed their hilarious theatre show on the Friday evening in the Riverfront Theatre - bit of a coup for Newport this, ahead of an anticipated sell-out at the Edinburgh Festival. They were voted in The Times newspaper's list of the top 30 shows to see this year in Edinburgh. 

On the Saturday I watched  their solo and duo street shows to huge crowds in the sunshine. They are a very funny and talented bunch. If you are going to Edinburgh you can get tickets here.

You can click on the names above the images for biogs and more links

Rich Garaghty & Goronwy Thom 

                                                             Matt Barnard

Gareth Jones

Herbie Treehead

all images are copyright panopticphotography 2013

if you would like to lift any images to re-post please get in touch first

paddy@panopticphotography.co.uk  or leave a comment  below thanks

Celebrating a First

Last week I had the pleasure of playing Personal Paparazzo to a fine young comic actor Alex Griffin-Griffiths at his graduation ceremony from the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama in Cardiff. He has already played Richard III at the Shakespeare Globe Theatre in London.

I got the impression he cares a lot: about his family, profession, and everyone he works with.

Nightmare to photograph mind . . . after the ceremony he was moving quickly to greet all his friends and their families outside St David's Hall - from bright sun to shadow and back again.. . .

He  was still for a moment though, on his own, reading a message from someone who was wishing him well. 

I was struck by the way he was holding the card.

If you want to follow the career of the actor with the longest arm in the world  . . . .

. .  you can do so here Alex Griffin-Griffiths

all images are copyright panopticphotography 2013

if you would like to lift any images to re-post please get in touch first

paddy@panopticphotography.co.uk  or leave a comment  below thanks