Wheelers Rides
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Ride to see The Punchkin Enchanter at Three Mills
30 July 2003
Punchkin Enchanter?! The invite to attend The London Bubble Theatre Company's open
air performance of "The Punchkin Enchanter", was met with curious interest
not least because I had never met any of the Wheelers.
Meeting on the top of the "Green Bridge", warm greetings were generously
exchanged and we set off for the short ride to Three Mills Green where the
event was being staged, via some skilfully selected back roads and the
Limehouse Cut. This was the first time ever that I had ever ridden in any
kind of group and I found the experience empowering, not least because slow
as I am, there was always somebody whose pace I could keep up with. Not only
this but the pleasant opportunity to chat and observe from the saddle whilst
ticking quietly along greatly adds to the enjoyment of riding a bike.
At Three Mills Green we were met with what on first site seemed to be some
kind of festival with stage sets set up at different locations across its
expanse and I half expected to be entertained by a number of different
performances. But part of the art of the show was to journey, by picking up
you seat and following the exhaunting cast as they moved across the park
from Act to Act where the different stage scenarios were installed. Thus the
audience were drawn into the magic of the performance as we visited a Wooded
Glade, a Palace, the Heroic Journey of the Avenging Prince, this last
strategically if not ironically placed along the bank of Three Mills Wall
River. Hungry clouds started to swag, greyly massing, drifting and
precipitating above but nobody seemed deterred, least of all the actors.
Finally after a short stay in the Punchkin Enchanters secret abode, we, a by
now enchanted audience, trudged to see the Enchanters denouement. This
involved the Avenging Prince in an a act of "cosmic vandalism" during which
he decapitated a golden bird which was the symbolical source of the
Punchkins magical power.
There were some great performances from the cast and the Classical Greek
style chorus that sang some of the story enabled a small vision of just what
it must have been like to witness ancient Greek theatre.
In the pub after the show the consensus opinion was that the show could be
understood as an allegory of modern life. The Enchanter, unbridled modernity
based upon the morality of the free market, promises huge freedoms only for
those he enchants to become disillusioned with his promises.
In all it was a great and enjoyable social event to which large thanks go
out to Alix who got us all tickets.
The pics were a bit dark and I was prevented from taking many of the show by
over zealous "crew". Who said the Enchanter was dead???
"Soon to be Wheeler", James.
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