Walkabout performances
Get ready to set sail on a sea of silliness as the Serious Nonsense Festival returns, bringing giant seagulls, hapless holiday makers and performing pirates among a host of other nautical-themed entertainment to the streets of Prescot
For the third year, the festival had been programmed by Bev Ayre, Senior Producer from Walk the Plank and visitors can expect spectacular interactive street theatre and musical performances.
Here’s what you can expect to see:
Giant Seagulls
These cheeky sea birds have had audiences in a flap all over the world! They’ll strut around like they own the place, rummage in bags and pockets, steal food from plates and picnic baskets, squabble amongst themselves and generally cause a fuss… these pesky birds get everywhere!
Lifeboat
This ‘street boat’ is based on an 8ft clinker-built skiff with a shipwrecked Captain and Boatswain’s mate. They’ve been adrift since 1786 and are more than a little confused! Batten down the hatches as we re-live every seafaring cliché from Treasure Island to Moby Dick.
Jolly Holiday
Join the Jolly duo on their jolly holiday. Big Mam and desperate daughter Dolly are taking in exciting, new and beautiful sights, together with their puppet companions Nanna and Wee Dad. With 1950s music and seaside sound effects, the Jolly's infectious dance routines and witty banter will have you bursting into spontaneous conga, hokey cokey and rock ‘n’ roll dancing. They just want to have a jolly good time and it’s irresistible not to join in.
Lifeguards
Have a feeling you are being watched? The lifeguards perch on their lofty ladders and will enforce any rules that they make up on the spot. Forget dive bombing, heavy petting and ducking, these two will call you out of the event just for walking too slowly, drifting without purpose or just eating an ice cream. Rules are rules! And if that doesn’t get you to toe the line, then some good old fashioned warm up and stretching exercises will be enforced. Don’t expect a kiss of life from these two -they’re too busy looking at their own reflections.
The Van Dunk Brothers
The famous Van Dunk Swimming supremos are here to perform their one and only dry swimming synchronised swimming competition, with a little help from the audience. They are fully prepared with armbands, rubber rings, goggles and verruca cream. Marvel as the boys perform the routine that won the brothers the gold medal at Burnley Baths Swimming Gala, using only a kitsch soundtrack, physical comedy and two bottles of still mineral water.
Beach Patrol
Always ready to rescue any passers-by, you’ll be dazzled by their daring drills. You'll need CPR after these moustachioed musclemen have bared their biceps while diverting danger. Swim outside the flags at your own peril. These huge, cartoon-like characters use powerskip stilts to enable them to leap and bounce up to 2 metres in the air whilst guarding the streets.
Pedalo
Two hapless ‘pedalists’ and their hired pedalo have left the boating lake and are lost. Can you help get them back to the seaside town of Rhyl before one of them goes overboard? Wherever they go they will attempt to impress with their sporting prowess and dreadful stunts. The worse they are the funnier they get.
Flock
Meet Heidi and Henrietta, two Herdwick sheep who have ventured down from the Lakeland fells to proudly show off their quintuplet lambs nestled in a beautiful old-fashioned pram, bringing the serenity and beauty of the Cumbrian hills to Prescot. It is a little-known fact that Herdwick sheep are really good at dancing, so why not join in?
Long Time No Sea
Sea dogs don’t come much saltier than these two.
Fresh from their travels round the globe the Fairly Famous Pirates perform a comic mix of cannon ball juggling, magic, escapology, hornpipes and outlandish thigh slapping. All swashes will be buckled, and timbers thoroughly shivered!
What The Tortoise Taught Us
Life lessons from the wisest creature on the planet. Meet Zelva, the incredible, animatronic, giant tortoise who has walked the earth for hundreds of years and now she wants to share her time and wisdom with you. Zelva’s beautiful shell becomes a magical stage, as she and her loyal companion recreate their favourite adventures together using miniature props, puppets... and a few special effects!
Dinotopia
Meet the adventurer Captain Jon Voyage and his beautiful dinosaur, Odysseia the Parasaurolophus. Help the Captain as he studies his map, in an attempt to return the beast to the late cretaceous period of The Land that Time Forgot. Or make friends with Odysseia and help her understand that not all humans are barbaric cavemen & women. Whether you join them on their quest or pose for a selfie you are sure to have a Jurassic lark!
There will also be a Helter Skelter outside the Deanes House pub for both adults and children to enjoy.
Ye Birdz
Two beautiful birds have travelled far from a time long, long ago in search of song and dance and drums and a meadow where yellow flowers grow! On their way, a drummer they found who vowed to tag along, and entertain the people they meet with drums and dance and song.
The Fire Fighters
The Fire Fighters are always ready to entertain with their hilarious walkabout act. Equipped with a 10ft ladder and pole, they perform live acrobatics, comedy, and slapstick humour that will leave your audience in stitches. Don't miss out on the fun!
Live music on the Market Place Stage
Mama Mania!
2.30pm & 5.35pm
Dust off your dancing shoes… Mamma Mania! recreate and perform all the classic Abba songs you know and love, from Waterloo, Abba's international triumph, to Dancing Queen and of course Mamma Mia!
Twisted Tubes
1.50pm & 4.30pm
This genre-bending brass band boasts unrivalled sound and explosive, energy-packed performances. Performing at venues in Seoul, Paris, Milan, Bermuda, Beirut and Dubai (to name a few) they have earned a reputation as one of the finest brass bands around.
Flat Pack Music
12.40pm & 5.10pm
Classical music like you’ve never heard before! Flat Pack Music have introduced new audiences, young and old to classical music and opera by making their performances as accessible as possible.
Splintered Ukes
1pm & 3.50pm
Expect the unexpected from 4 ukeleles, a bass and a drum kit playing eclectic covers and banging tunes from one of the best dance-along bands in the North West.
Dead Belgian
12pm & 3.10pm
Dead Belgian have been re-imagining the songs of Jacques Brel since 2007.The current line-up features, from Liverpool’s alt-pop trio Stealing Sheep Lucy Mercer (vocals, bass) and Micky Dunne (guitar) with Liverpool Django Reinhardt specialists Manouchetones.
Strawberry Fields Ukeleles
11.30am
A group of amateur ukulele players who meet at the iconic Beatles venue each week to share their love of music and life.
Pop Vox Choir
11am
Merseyside’s favourite mass choir will be performing around town.