Land of Giants Awakens Belfast at Titanic Slipways

A couple of months ago I heard rumours of an epic new show coming to Belfast, 

Land of Giants'. 

Yet when I asked around, no one seemed to know what it was about. "Uhhh, there's cranes and acrobatics and fireworks and music and stuff I think" was the usual reply. This was obviously going to be a show shrouded in mystery and I would just have to go and find out all about it for myself.

After booking and paying for tickets for this long awaited event, I recently received news that "in a GIANT act of generosity, Legacy Trust UK has announced that they are making the huge Land of Giants event...free to everyone", with refunds for everyone who had paid for tickets. Happy days.

So on 30th June we didn't really know what to expect and as we headed towards the Titanic Slipways we were still none the wiser. We were greeted with the sight of scaffolding that ran the length of the slipways with a massive crane at each end. The scaffolding was lined with red ribbons and as it neared the starting time of 10.30pm the tension built as night set in and the distant sound of snoring giants could be heard overhead.

Shortly after 10.30pm the wind picked up, the rain came down in sheets and with an explosion of fireworks, the show began once and for all. At first we looked in awe as a girl in a red dress ran the length of the scaffolding, breaking through the red ribbons and being chased by red fireworks until she reached the end where she was hoisted into the air by a crane and somersaulted into the air. From this moment it was clear that Land of Giants was going to be something special.

As our main character hurtled through the air, musicians assembled along the "stage" and as the heavens truly opened on us, the sound of the drums exploded in our ears like thunder. The drummers were perfectly in time with each other and they played belligerently as flames whipped around them from torches nearby and red flags were whipped through the air. The atmosphere was haunting and personally, I think that the relentless rain added to the drama of the whole event.



At this point in the show large lit-up letters were passed down the scaffolding from person to person, while projections were displayed on the Titanic Belfast building itself. (These projections were top-notch and even better than the ones seen at the opening of Titanic Belfast at the Titanic Light Show).

A home-grown voice-over could be heard of a poem or collection of words which seemed to  hypnotise the crowd as 'Land of Giants' acknowledged Belfast's industrial past and we saw linen workers pass a large sheet of linen down the line.

Next up, four massive frames were hoisted onto the 'stage' and with the flashbulb clink of a family photograph we were introduced to several ordinary people from Belfast and their personal stories as they came, went and lived in Belfast.  As the stories progressed we were eventually introduced to the ancestors of our protagonist Grace who worked at the shipyard.

The frames drop and the 'stage' fills with performers dressed in workers clothes as they begin to beat out rhythms on the metal bars of the construct. Once again, it's hypnotic and terribly fitting as we are standing on the slipways, a few yards from where the works of Harland and Wolff would have carried out their daily grind.

Then, Grace is back and everything comes together as hydraulics cause lit-up funnels to rise majestically into the air. As performers hold light-up discs which represent port-holes, the crowd suddenly sees the Titanic, Belfast's most famous export recreated before their very eyes, on the exact spot that she stood 100 years ago. The choir sings and the voice-over waxes lyrical about the great ship as only three of the four funnels puff smoke (on the real ship one funnel was for aesthetic reasons only and didn't function as a real funnel). It is this precision and attention to detail that makes Land of Giants a truly spectacular show.

The voice-over repeats its poetic mantra of "longer than life - higher than space" over and over and over again as the drummers assemble once more. We are back at the beginning, we have gone full circle to where we once started. The cranes lift six performers into the air as spectacular fireworks mark the end of the show.

The 45-minute spectacular was held as a part of the London 2012 Festival and was under the artistic direction of Mark Murphy, featuring a cast and crew of over 500 local performers and musicians. This project was the culmination of over two years work and a hell of a lot of talent from our local performers, all performed to a crowd of 20,000.
Land of Giants was truly a show worth waiting for, it told the story of the people, of industry, of life and how words and letters bind us to each other. We live in a land forged by giants, a land dependant on history and storytelling and Land of Giants truly showcases both.

The show finishes, the crowd are rapturous with applause and as if right on cue, the rain stops. As the crowds filter out, someone knocks over a barrier and as everyone trips over themselves getting out, it is clear that the magic is lost and we are back to reality.

By Laura Caldwell

Five Things To Do In Northern Ireland this Summer

Whether it's one of those rare sunny summer days, or a typical rainy day off, there's something for everyone in our list of five things to do in our fair province this summer!


1. Belfast Film Festival

Running from 31st May to the 10th June Belfast Film Festival, "showcases both local talent, and the best in new International cinema" and will feature films shown in unusual places such as on a boat on the River Lagan or in St Anne's Cathedral. Opening and closing night films include Good Vibrations directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, and Whole Lotta Sole  directed by Terry George. The Festival not only features films but also workshops and talks by the creative teams behind Good Vibrations, Whole Lotta Sole and Shadow Dancer. A highlight of the festival is sure to be Stephen Rea in Conversation, where Marie-Louie Muir will conduct a public interview with Belfast born actor Stephen Rea who has appeared in ‘Nothing Personal’, ‘V for Vendetta’, ‘Michael Collins’, ‘Interview with the Vampire’, ‘The Butcher Boy,’ ‘I Could Read the Sky’, and ‘Breakfast on Pluto.' As the festival spans all across Belfast and will show such a wide variety of films, documentaries, interviews and workshops there's sure to be something for everyone.

2. Titanic Belfast

If you haven't already, visiting the world's largest Titanic visitor's experience is a must this summer. This £90 million building is in the heart of Belfast's Titanic Quarter and celebrates all that the Titanic had to offer, whilst simultaneously mourning the loss of lives on that tragic voyage. The building features 4 90ft 'hulls' which emulate the Titanic herself and the inside of the building contains ten galleries: Boomtown Belfast, The Shipyard, The Launch, The Fit-Out, The Maiden Voyage, The Sinking, The Aftermath, Myths & Legends, Exploring the Wreck and the Ocean Exploration Centre - each of which contain a series of interactive exhibitions. There's also a gift shop where you can pick up some souveniers of your day out, a cafe and a restaurant.

For a more comprehensive overview of what Titanic Belfast has to offer have a quick look at our previous article on our personal experience: http://www.pastiebap.com/2012/05/titanic-day-out.html

3. Ulster Museum

Situated at Botanic, the Ulster Museum is fun for all the family. Recently refurbished, the museum is worth another visit even if you've been before. It's free admission so you might as well give it a try on a rainy summer day (which sounds like most of our summer to be honest) even if you don't think museums are your thing. The Ulster Museum features exhibitions on everything from the Spanish Armada to Egyptian Mummies and with the new Age of the Dinosaur exhibition it's sure to excite and intrigue. The Age of the Dinosaur exhibition is running from 18th May to 16th September and features seven life-like animatronic dinosaurs which move and roar through a Jurassic forest. A video can be seen here.

4. Go to a Homegrown Music Festival

Times are hard, you guys and money's tight, so why not forgo your usual summer holiday or festival in England or Scotland for something a bit more local. This year's main festivals are Glasgowbury and Pigstock and PastieBap is heading to both! Set in the heart of the Sperrins, Glasgowbury just gets better and better and this year Northern Irish legends Therapy? will be headlining on Saturday 21st July. Other acts include Fighting With Wire, Axis Of, Kowalski and Pocket Billiards.

Pigstock this year will run from 1st July to 3rd July and acts such as Fighting With Wire, Not Squares, Pocket Billiards, Gascan Ruckus and Mojo Fury will be rocking Killinchy all night long. According to the Pigstock website, "there will be 28 bands playing across three stages over two days, a food village and the Pigstock bar. Local artist group Firsty! will be helping to make it visually the most colourful and interesting Pigstock to date!" And let's not forget the hog, the delicious suckling pig which gives Pigstock it's name!

For more info, check out our previous post of Northern Ireland festivalling: http://www.pastiebap.com/2012/05/pigstock-glasgowbury-local-festivalling.html

5. Land of Giants

On the Titanic Slipways on 30th June, Land of Giants will have arrived. Land of Giants is the largest outdoor arts event ever held in Northern Ireland. Featuring a cast and crew of over 500 people, Land of Giants is staged by Giant Events Company and features state-of-the-art digital animation, dramatic special effects and fireworks.

According to the Land of Giants website, "the theme for the event draws inspiration from the many Giants identified in the shared and diverse history and society of Northern Ireland – Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver, the legendary Finn McCool, Harland and Wolff’s iconic Samson and Goliath, the ships the Olympic and Titanic and of course the Giant’s Causeway – as well as the vision of Northern Ireland and its population as being giant in terms of ideas, talent and heritage."

Land of Giants is an event shrouded in mystery and we're very excited to see the epic spectacle on 30th June!

Other exciting events this Summer include Belsonic, the opening of the Giants Causeway visitor's centre, Gay Pride, the Irish Open and the Olympic Torch Relay, so get out and enjoy all that Northern Ireland has to offer.

By Laura Caldwell