Date: 23 Oct 1999
Headline: Free Lunch perform at Cup Village
Author: Rachel Solotti
Hamilton street theatre performers are among 500 New Zealand entertainers helping to brighten up the America's Cup Village in the next five months.
Up to 30 performers from street theatre and performance art agency Free Lunch have been contracted to provide four weekends' entertainment at the Cup Village. Stilt walkers and gumboot dancers are among the performers.
Free Lunch began work at the Village two weeks ago and may be able to negotiate more work at the end of the month.
About $1 million has been spent by Cup Village Ltd on free daily entertainment during the next five months.
Free Lunch also has a 10-week contract with Auckland City Council, which begins today, for performances on the waterfront and Queen St.
Free Lunch agent Mark Servian said setting up a street theatre group had been the "logical outcome" after the cancellation of this year's Street Theatre Festival. "When it became apparent that the street theatre festival wasn't viable I decided to sell them (the performers) because they were being approached for work anyway," he said.
The group was awarded contracts with the Auckland City Council after performing for two days at a council function in Auckland in July. America's Cup entertainment co-ordinator Greg Lay heard of the group through word-of-mouth.
After its Auckland contract finishes, Free Lunch has performances at the Tauranga Arts Festival, New Year's Event The Gathering in Nelson and Hamilton's New Year's Eve party lined up. |
