Events: one million

Brighton Festival offers up a fabulous mix of mediums in its last weekend

Outdoor events are always a highlight of Brighton Festival. They’re usually free and often have a real buzz, like you’re part of a city-wide event. In previous years we’ve seen a mock hotel built on The Level, a pack of blue men running wild through the streets and a line of painted cars hung on a giant clothes line. This time, the open air finale of the festival is a firework-and-theatre performance at Black Rock, down Madeira Drive.

One Million is a mixture of music, poetry, acrobatics and sheer spectacle. A crew of 100 dancers perform on a huge-scale structure of ladders, girders and movable stairways. The night sky is lit up by lights and pyrotechnics, while a live soundtrack booms across the beach. The latter has been composed by members of UK indie band Clock Opera and instrumental post rockers The Monroe Transfer, along with the words of North London slam poet Anthony Anaxagorou.

All these elements are brought together by the over-arching theme of youth unemployment; apathy and aspiration in uncertain economic times. The name of the event itself is derived from the number of unemployed 18-25 year olds currently in the country. Reflecting the difficulties faced by young people in finding work these days, the piece is built around a shifting platform, never as stable as it seems. You can guess what the ladders represent.

Produced by Tangled Feet (“probably the most accessible and original physical theatre company in the country”), One Million looks like it might be one of the most memorable Festival finishes to date.
Black Rock Car Park, Madeira Drive, Fri 23 & Sat 24 May, 9.45pm, free