Last updated at 15:16, Sunday, 19 August 2012

More than 2,000 people enjoyed the delights of Masquepony, a family-friendly street arts festival that took place in Cartmel for the first time on Friday and Saturday.

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The event brought circus, music, comedy and magic to the beautiful Cumbrian village through a range of fun activities, giving people a chance to get a flavour of Lakes Alive’s smaller scale, more intimate outdoor arts events.

The action got underway on Friday, with an afternoon of street theatre in the centre of Cartmel village.

Performances included Syrovy by Artizani – a solo show that combines silent movie clowning, acrobatics and slackrope walking.

Encore’s One Minute Masterpieces are quick-fire performances covered Swan Lake, Bohemian Rapsody and Star Wars in 60 seconds.

There was magic, storytelling and bags of charm from the enchanting pedlar woman Gracie, performed by Dans Le Poche.

And Barnarby Bear With Me made a big splash with his show Razor Sharp Bananas. The bonkers performance featured a giant fly, jelly babies and exploding bananas in one intoxicating mix.

A Big Top hosted a Festival Circus on Cartmel Racecourse at 4pm and 6pm on Friday and again at 11am, 2pm and 4pm on Saturday.

A company of circus performers presented the fast-paced family show with acrobatics, trapeze, hula hoops, juggling, aerial skills and clowns.

There were also children's circus skills workshops between performances.

Friday evening saw a musical double bill at Cartmel Racecourse by bluegrass band The Coal Porters supported by Tongues of Fire.

The Coal Porters are an authentic, all-acoustic bluegrass band whose original style has wowed audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.

It’s impossible not to start toe tapping to their sounds of fiddle, mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitar and doghouse bass accompanied by three-part harmonies.

Their live performances have been described as “pure dynamite”.

They were supported by Tongues of Fire who create a celebratory ‘joyful noise’ from reeds, brass and percussion.

After the Festival Circus shows on Saturday, The Banquet came to town as visitors were encouraged to enjoy an evening of alfresco dining accompanied by a free helping of street entertainment.

Tables and chairs were laid out and audiences encouraged to bring along picnics or sample some of the food stalls on offer.

While enjoying their banquet, guests were able to enjoy the likes of Bread and Butter Theatre’s Sports Day, which took audiences back to the eighties for a PE class in which it’s not the taking part but the winning that counts.

Bread and Butter also surprised passers-by with their Green Fingered Folk show, a madcap spectacle which saw the duo lurking in two giant terracotta pots disguised as garden fairies awaiting gardening enquiries in their special version of Gardener’s Question Time.

Festival favourites Ramshacklicious performed FinkSoup, with scientist Mercival and her ungainly assistant Bile taking on time travel in their home made, music-powered machine.

Frolicked were also on hand with their puppet show, Never Too Old, in which a cheeky Grandpa and a feisty Grandma battle it out for your attention and affections in a love story with a difference.

For more on the Masquepony event, see Monday's Evening Mail.

First published at 14:00, Tuesday, 14 August 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk

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