Published: 16 July, 2010
by JOSH LOEB

CIRCUS loons and puppet-makers partied in the sun at the Pleasance Theatre for Holloway’s inaugural summer festival over the weekend.

The Big Day Out, which aims to become an annual event, featured a performance of The Butler by New Zealand company Loon Circus Theatre – described as “Pinter on stilts” and “like Cirque du Soleil for grown-ups”.  

Storyteller Rachel Rose Reid conjured up fairytales and there was comedy from the likes of Jack Whitehall, Islington-based Phil Nichol, Hattie Hayridge and Stephen Frost.  

Pleasance resident partner Islington Community Theatre also put on a performance at the event and there were puppet-making workshops, cabaret, live music, face painting and banner-making at a children’s “protest camp”.

In the evening, the theatre’s next-door neighbour, the Woodstore Bar and Grill, played host to Vive le Cabaret, a variety show featuring Tony Award-winner Frances Ruffelle. The Pleasance is celebrating 26 years of success at the Edinburgh festival.