Actors appearing as statues have performed on the theatre stage for hundreds of years. They stand perfectly still, but the occasional slight movement indicates that they are human and not made from stone. Today, they can regularly be seen in public places entertaining the crowds, young and old. It’s a challenging and demanding job, having to be so still for such long periods of time; standing there, hoping your audience may drop some money into a bucket to show their appreciation.
Did You Know?
An experienced living statue can stand still for over two hours without moving.
The very first World Living Statues Festival began in 1996 in Arnhem in the Netherlands and now takes place in October every other year. This year, 200 carefully chosen professionals will arrive in the city to entertain 200,000 visitors who come to enjoy the street performances.
Being a living statue is not just about being able to stand still for long periods of time. A performance requires lots of planning. Costume design is very important, as is the make-up the performer wears. Choreography and the interaction the actor has with the audience has to be well thought through. It’s not easy, and it takes a particular type of person to be able to perform this kind of street theatre.
If you think this is something you may be interested in, here are a few tips:
- Create an interesting character that you think the audience will be interested in;
- Decide what kind of costume the character should wear. It should be very comfortable and appropriate for the weather;
- Make-up will make your character much more realistic;
- Find a pose that is comfortable and easy for you to keep. Standing with your hands in the air may soon become very uncomfortable!
- Learn to breathe deeply without showing much movement;
- Choose a simple action that you can perform to surprise your audience;
- Select a good location where lots of people pass by;
- Don’t forget to place a bucket in front of you so the audience can show their appreciation!
Question:
Enjoy watching the Stone Stockmen, iconic living statue street performers in Melbourne, Australia
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