"Millennium Eve - The Bug Show"
Castlefield, Manchester
1999-2000
This spectacular production was the centre-piece of Manchester’s Millennium Eve celebrations performed in front of a live audience of 15,000 and broadcast live around the world.
The Story - The nightmare begins. An 18ft chrysalis has been lurking underground for more than 50 years. At first few were aware of its existence, but as time passed its rumblings became too loud to ignore. The day of reckoning dawned and 15 000 people watched as it made its way along the canals to return to the creature that spawned it and to wreak havoc on the world. Intelligence warned that The Bug would first strike Manchester, the home of the first computer and the Prime Minister, Tony Blair addressed the people of Manchester to work together to defeat the evil.
A cast of a hundred performers defeated the evil Witch as she towered over the audience. A time-travelling scientist descended from the sky to re-programme part of the original computer, Mick Hucknall, Adam Rickitt, Sir Alex Fergusson and the whole Manchester United Squad to name just a few celebrities all joined forces to wish Manchester well. The eyes of the world were on the city. St George on his stead rode into the arena to fight the 20 foot hatched out metal monster before it fled the arena to destroy the Central Communications Tower. The scientist worked on to find the combination to re-programme as 15 000 people joined hands to add their energy to the failing power source.
In the nick of time as the calendar turned from 1999 to 2000 The Bug exploded and plunged into the murky depths of the canal basin amid fire and smoke. Then out of the dark a beautiful pyrotechnic Millennium Butterfly rose 200 feet above the arena. The Butterfly, now released from its prison within The Bug could deliver its message of hope, unity and peace for all mankind before it flew away into the night sky.
On TV screens across the land the world breathed a sigh of relief!
“...the greatest piece of street theatre the city has ever seen...” - The Manchester Evening News
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