In 2017, the Cape Town Carnival designed an ambitious 2-part float for the first time – Sunken Ship and Cosmic Squid. Sailing legends and myths tell of enormous squids that would rise from the depths of the Ocean to take sailing boats down to their dark lair where they would feed off the doomed crew.
Bringing this magnificent artwork to life required combining an array of distinct creative elements: performance, puppetry, costume, float design and construction, music and dance.
NARRATIVE:
THE SUNKEN SHIP: Undead pirates ~ Limited Edition ~ beat their drums for the ghostly remains of a sunken ship and its skeleton crew ~ Eoan Crew ~ wrecked centuries ago, now lurking in the gloom of the ocean floor, its sails in tatters, overgrown with seaweed. The pirates are caught in an ongoing battle with a Giant Squid!
THE COSMIC SQUID: The intelligence of nature takes a new form: technology. Seductive, powerful & pervasive, the Cosmic Squid is rising to the surface of our awareness bringing hypnotic pleasure as it consumes and devours. The Cosmic Squid is the behemoth of the unchartered depths, controlled from the highest platform by Octavia, dominatrix and Octopus Queen. “Become one with me and the machine,” she says as her Jungle Theatre Company-puppeteered tentacles beckon.
The Squid’s tentacles were enlivened by the skilled Jungle Theatre Company puppeteers, who also created dramatic ‘life and death’ moments with the pirates on board the Sunken Ship. Her ‘voice’ was the sound of Tuba Player, Sifiso Langa (Cape Whalers Field Band) who added drama to each ‘attack’ with his playing.
“The Parade was amazing. You guys did it again in 2017! Thank you for the platform, the opportunities you create for the performers, I appreciate it, the family we’ve become working with the best Carnival Team – GOD BLESS Y’all.”
Uyanda ‘Ms. Purple’ Mchunu – COSMIC SQUID LEAD PERFORMER