NELSON BUSKERS FESTIVAL
One of our city’s most energetic and crowd-pleasing annual events is the Nelson Buskers Festival. With a backdrop of the cathedral, as well as some ticketed shows at The Boathouse, the best of the world’s street performers strut their tricks and antics – no one works harder than a busker. Sarah Wilson presents a few of this year’s acts.
Magic, danger
–and bubbles Mr Spin
Bubble Laboratory
AU S T R A L I A
AU S T R A L I A / R O M A N I A
Mr Spin is a highly skilled, comedic vaudevillian street performer. He somehow manages to mix traditional juggling, Chinese devil-sticking with baseball bats, oneball manipulation and an eight-ball juggle with madcap antics and an incredible sense of fun, not to mention a few hat tricks thrown in. Mr Spin has a background in classical dance, and it’s clear he’s inspired by the vaudeville greats – giving him the fluid body moves that accentuate his own quirky style of comedy. He is also one of Australia’s best jugglers.
Who doesn’t love a bit of bubble magic on a hot summer’s day? Bubble Laboratory knows that bubbles bring out the best in kids, as well as the kids in all of us. These lab wizards have been touring the world since 2011, and along the way, more than half a million people have laughed, cried and gasped at the beauty of the bubble in its every conceivable shape, size and artistic sculpture.
Sport Suzie NEW ZEALAND
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Bust out those 80s moves when Sport Suzie hits the streets. Inspired by Jane Fonda workouts, Flashdance and the music of the 1980s, Suzie aims to get every audience member loose and limber so they feel all the benefits of a good bellylaugh. Sport Suzie is a total fanatic for aerobics, sport and circus, wowing any crowd with her tricks and amazing two-metre jump rope finale while balanced on a tall unicycle.