By Jim Fagan
Ian Mackellar is back. The popular former director of Noosa Longweekend and Noosa Alive is over his “sabbatical”and has created a sparkling, moving, joyful extravaganza of street entertainment for Hastings Street next month.
Commissioned by the Hasting Street Association and titled “Twelve Days til Christmas,” it starts on Friday, December 11, and ends on Tuesday, December 22. From 4pm to 7pm every day varied forms of fun and laughter will make Noosa’s most famous street buzz with excitement.
Just to give you an idea, you may expect to see on different days floating fish, living statues, Cabbage Patch dolls, illuminated butterflies, unicyclists, a flying angel, acrobats, English Bobbies, stilt walkers, Lollipop Ladies, a jazz band, clowns, carol singers, a harpist, a violinist, Bubbles the Baby Elephant … the list goes on.
“We want to reignite some positive energy into Hastings St and inject pre-Xmas joy and cheer after what has been a very trying year for all of us,” Ian told Noosa Today. “The challenge from the Association has been to produce something different.
“It is, however, a very big street so I thought roaming entertainment, coupled with several different zones like the Siebel Forecourt where singers, dancers, ukulele players, jazz and classical musicians from Noosa community groups could perform was the way to go.
“I am pleased to say among the groups are Noosa Chorale, Noosa Professional Dance Academy, Noosa Orchestra and Noosa Jazz Society.”
Ian said the living statues were something that had not been seen in Noosa. before “You have to pinch yourself. ‘Are they real?’ I just hope people will come to Hastings Street and be amazed.
“One of them is called Golden Girl. She carries an orb and strikes all these art deco poses we seen in figurines. This young lady was Australia’s representative to the European Moving Statues Competition in 2018. The costume is unbelievable and I’m really excited about her.”.
“Another is Snapshot, a 1920’s photographer complete with flashgun. He is an amazing, colorful and quirky statue. This statue won the World Championship in 2018. So just to be able to bring it to Noosa and our community to see this is wonderful.”
He said Bubbles the Baby Elephant whom Noosa last saw at the 2008 Noosa Longweekend is coming. “Bubbles is a Jim Henson designed life-sized baby elephant puppet, very cute, and she will be accompanied by her French ringmaster.
“She will be at the entrance to Hastings Street near the Police Station on the first day.”
And you can expect a floating fish to nibble the top of your head as you drink your latte. The fish are colored coral fish puppets which float down the street on Perspex poles carried by operators.
Ian said putting the event together had been an “enjoyable experience. When I left Noosa Alive at the end of 2018. I had been there ten years and I needed a break.
“I’ve been directing and performing at Noosa Arts Theatre since then and I’ve enjoyed the sabbatical. My passion is creating and when the opportunity came up to put together this 12-day program I jumped at it.
“I love things that are unpredictable. I think we are going to blow people away.”
