Thumbs up for Spraoi at 21st birthday celebrations

Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Waterford last night for a massive parade celebrating street theatre company Spraoi’s 21st birthday.

People crowded the city streets to enjoy the Flotsam and Jetsam parade, and the annual weekend-long festival culminated in a magnificent fireworks display.

More than 200 volunteers took part in the parade, which returned to its roots this year. Harking back to its earlier days, the parade once again left Johnstown — an industrial centre — and cut through the now-pedestrianised Michael St, along Barronstrand St and Broad St, before finishing at the Bus Éireann terminus on the quays.

Festival-goers did a double take as a tidal wave washed up a woman surfing on an ironing board, a couch potato who refused to give up his TV, and garbage disposal workers who were swept along with their skip.

Performers from all over Ireland and much further afield ensured the city was awash with cheer.

Highlights of the festival included Delrevés, which saw two harness-wearing dancers from Barcelona manoeuvre love, neuroses, and each other, all while traversing the facade of the House of Waterford Crystal Menapia Building on the Mall to a live ambient score.

Paper Dolls saw three beautiful dancers climb from their beds and into spectators’ imaginations and nightmares.

Meanwhile, The Strong Lady from Australia, The Wardens from London, and Ireland’s Jack Wise ensured that the young and young at heart had a fantastic weekend in the city.

Various stages and the city’s pubs were awash with music over the weekend, while the festival club at The Forum last night summarised all that was great about Spraoi’s 21st birthday.

Torann, Crash, and the Spraoi Junior Drummers ensured that the festival stayed true to its tribal, rhythmic roots.

John Cummins, the mayor of Waterford City, said: “There have been fantastic Spraoi festivals that families from Waterford City and beyond have enjoyed tremendously, and they are certainly doing that again.”

Mr Cummins said that the public has in recent offered great support to Spraoi through the “Gimme 5” campaign, whereby members of the public have been urged to donate €5 to the theatre company during the festival.

Meanwhile, corporate sponsorship of the event has been “so, so important”, said Mr Cummins. “And I certainly hope they will continue to support Spraoi over the next 21 years.”