Oiseau Rouge 2 & Mixter Maxter

Last night, Snow and I went to OR2 in the Spiegeltent. I can't really say too much without spoiling it for others, but I can say it was a very worthy sequel to OR1. I guess the differences were: more audience participiation - well done to local councillor Mike Drever (picked twice in a row!), Lord Wallace, Lisa and Owen, all of whom were excellent sports; the audience was a bit different too - with OR1 people had no idea what to expect, but this time they were more up for it I think; the humour was a *lot* more fruity than last time, so be warned! Snow and I laughed so much our sides were sore by the end.

There were two things which slightly dented my enjoyment. First was the drunken group of women near the front. They started off well, helping build a lively atmosphere, but gradually it descending into heckling of the kind which disrupts the flow of the performance. They were asked to leave. The second thing was more serious: the quality of beer on offer was very poor. For the kind of show this is, IMO people are going to expect a better choice than Tennents, Export or Budweiser. OTOH the prices were fairly reasonable and the bar staff were very nice.

So congratulations to the Magfest team. The tent looked brilliant, inside and out. The show was great. And it was warm!

After OR2 we went to the Festival Club to catch the end of Rock Salt and Nails. Not my cup of tea musically I have to admit, but I was firmly in the minority: the dance floor was full and people were shouting for encores by the end. Afterwards we entertained visitors until the early hours, so today was a late start ;)

We spent the afternoon at the Mixter Maxter exhibition in Garden Square. I was truly wowed by it. In particular the audio guide was very impressive, albeit I think it helped that I listened alongside my young cousin Connor and therefore saw the effect in part through a primary-school-kid's eyes. We were both genuinely spooked by the creepy story-telling (I hope they make a video of it and put it on the web). All the different parts of the exhibit were of a very high quality. When I think back to some of the "art installations" I've seen (both here in Orkney and during my many years in Glasgow & London), I can't remember seeing anything better. More than that, I think the techniques they used in the audio guide would be a brilliant way to engage kids at museums. Do not miss seeing this.