Hot Air

I did wonder, before I went, if a play about the Bristol Balloon Fiesta, famous and spectacular as the event is, could be made to appeal to anyone not either a Bristolian or a "Balloonatic". Well, it can, and it has. More than that, Myrtle have skillfully constructed a play mixed with a bit of music and movement, that would appeal to people whatever their background or age. Visually interesting and with multiple interwaving storylines we look at a day in the life of the festival from the view of pilots, organisers, hangers-on and the viewing public. The storylines are played out with a lot of actor doubling that somehow managed never to confuse.

A most enjoyable evening, if a tad long (with a 20:00 start) it always kept my interest and had some lovely moments of theatre in it (the Red Arrows for example!). As my wife pointed out, there's a lot of similarity with other enthusiast groups, the dynamics and relationships have many common threads, she's right, looking at other "clubs" they do feel the same be they (from my own experience) amateur dramatics, The Cactus and Succulent Society, The Camera Collectors or, to add a local flavour, the Bristol Owners' Club ;-)

Just like the Fiesta itself, this is a great family outing, and with marginally less trouble parking!