Stuntman to ignite fans with ‘burned at stake’ illusion
In an act billed as ‘Sacrifice,’ Steve Spade will be tied up and set alight at King John’s Castle in Limerick.
Spade, whose stage show combines magic with mentalism and escapes, has previously escaped from a padlocked box dropped in the Abbey River in Limerick, emulating his hero Harry Houdini.
The Limerick magician will have just minutes to make his escape from his burned at the stake illusion, which will be the culmination of a spectacular event entitled Night of Fires, running as part of the Elemental festival tomorrow.
“This effect has never been done in a public format, people do it on stage, but not in a big open setting. It hasn’t happened in 600 years, so I think it is overdue,” Spade explained.
“It is a traditional burning at the stake, it is an escape. I will be tied to a pole, it will be ignited, and I will have to escape. I can’t say how long it will take, but we are aiming for it to be under a minute,” he added.
With venues all over Limerick, Elemental, the latest addition to Limerick’s festival calendar, is the product of a team of volunteers working in the arts community in Limerick.
“We’ve provided something for everyone, from the world of street performance to music, comedy to drama and everything in between,” Zeb Moore explained.
According to another volunteer Jennifer Allen, there are also opportunities for the public to get involved too.
“There will be workshops taking place on the day and we would encourage participation in those. There’s also “In Your Element” where we want people to take photos at as many events as possible, with the caption: ‘I’m in my element’. The best, most imaginative shots will be displayed at Whelan’s Camera Shop on O’Connell Street.
The Night of Fires event will feature a number of fire-based performances throughout the evening.
* The event in King John’s Castle will begin at 6pm tomorrow. For a list of other events see www.elementallimerick.com
