GENTLE GIANTS
Puppets land in Montreal
1. They are big
The two characters are monumental marionettes that stand more than 10 metres tall: the Deep Sea Diver (Scaphandrier) and the Little Girl- Giant (Petite Géante). The girl’s dog, Xolo, also towers over humans. They’re all moved mechanically by dozens of Lilliputians using ropes and pulleys.
2. There’s a story
The Deep Sea Diver is arriving from the St. Lawrence River.
“Just like the coureurs des bois, he moves his encampment regularly, an old container filled with useless treasures found in sunken ships: a submarine compass, a ship’s wheel, a captain’s hat and many other souvenirs that he looks at every now and then,” the organizers explain.
In Montreal, he’s about to meet up with his long-lost niece, Little Girl-Giant, who, “just this spring, was among the glaciers of the Great North, trying to free her boat, which was wedged in the maws of two icebergs.”
3. The event runs for three days
They’re not spending the entire summer here. Like tourists on a weekend getaway, the giants are in town only Friday to Sunday.
4. They have a busy schedule
The giants have set itineraries. On Friday, for example, the Little Girl-Giant wakes up at Jeanne Mance Park at 10 a.m., then makes her way downtown via Parc Ave., de Maisonneuve Blvd., McGillCollege Ave., and Ste-Catherine and St-Urbain Sts. before taking a nap at Place-d’Armes around 1 p.m. Along the way, she’ll ride a boat, take a stroll, and jump onto a car. In the afternoon, she’ll ride a scooter and cool off with a shower at the Old Port.
For the full schedule and map showing streets that will be closed at various times of the day, visit 375mtl.com.
5. They’re world renowned
The colossal puppets are the brainchild of Royal de Luxe, a street-performance troupe based in Nantes, France. More than 20 million people have taken in the giants on the streets of more than 170 cities. This will be the giants’ first visit to Canada.