La Machine (production company)

La Machine is a French production company based in Nantes, France, which is famous for La Princesse, a 50-foot mechanical spider constructed in Nantes, France.

La Princesse as it first appeared at Concourse House.

Background

The group was formed by artists, designers, fabricators and technicians in early 1990s and is currently led by François Delarozière, Artistic Director and creator of La Princesse. They are known by its extraordinary theatrical machines, permanent installations, and also its own theatrical productions.[1]

Past Productions

2003
Symphonie Mécanique
A classical live performance in collaboration with industrial machines. Scores were composed by Dominique Malan.[1]
Le Grand Répertoire
Exhibition of machines created to be shown in public places. Has visited Nantes, Calais, Antwerp, Toulouse, and Marseille, as well as Paris in 2006, where it was seen by over 50,000 people.[1]

2007
Les Machines de l'Île
A gallery containing Le Grand Éléphant, as well as other creations by La Machine, which the public can visit. It is at the edge of the River Loire, in an old shipyard. Other productions are expected to appear there, with Le Carrousel du Monde Marins, a merry-go-round, opened to the public in 2012 but also La Galerie des Machines, a place where new productions are exposed to be tested by the audience.[1]

2008
Le Manège Carré Sénart
A square merry-go-round, which showed off insects and buffalo, appeared just outside Paris. It is scheduled to visit Madrid in late 2008, and St Petersburg in 2009.[1]
La Princesse
A huge 60-foot mechanical spider named La Princesse, visited Liverpool in early September 2008, as one of the main parts of the city's Capital of Culture 2008 celebrations. This spider was operated by a number of operators, controlling the 8 legs and other movements of the spider. It investigated the city, visiting landmarks such as St George's Hall and the Albert Dock, and walking down streets and climbing onto the side of a derelict tower block at the end of each performance, and was met with a very positive response, with seemingly all of Liverpool turning out to see it, as well as tourists visiting the city to see La Princesse.[1] The people of Liverpool took the great spider to their hearts and many thousands turned out to see the spectacle, regardless of the poor weather. Some estimates put the crowd at 150,000 over the weekend. This event therefore could be considered the jewel in the crown of the Capital of Culture celebrations. The crowds had experienced a once in a lifetime spectacle. Its £1.8 million price tag was criticised by some, however the event undoubtedly brought much more than this into the city in tourism. The city also received worldwide media attention from the event and many international visitors.

See also
  • Royal de Luxe - a similar French mechanical marionette street theatre company

References
  1. "lamachine.co.uk". www.lamachine.co.uk.
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