The 2009 Vivid Sydney Fire Water saw a spectacular show with a re-enactment of a convict ship rise from the deep dark waters and burst into flames. This year’s spectacle can be dubbed as Bad Bollywood comes to the Rocks.
Crowds around Campbell’s Cove
After a dramatic start with talented indigenous performances and tunes that held an audience captive, and a nostalgic dance by an early settler washerwoman and an undergarment, the show deteriorated into a YouTube-like video of a self-absorbed teenager who spoke, “like, you know…” and referenced characters from Twilight.
Indigenous performers
The eleven year old Australian-Indian girl was set to educate us about her heritage and cultural links to the voyage of the Sydney Cove tall ship that was sent in 1797 from Calcutta to Sydney Town by merchant Robert Campbell. Instead, Stargirl 99 as she calls herself, blabbered to a yawning audience.
Two minutes into her too long a soliloquy and people were chatting among themselves. The story, told through her annoying delivery and school project graphics was lost on me. I zoned out for a good few minutes staring at the colourful projections on the Sydney Opera House sails until Bollywood dancers took to the stage in repetitive moves and a tall ship with acrobats, light, fire and smoke filled Campbell’s Cove.
The Rocks Fire Water is part of the Vivid Sydney event. The show which concluded today ran from 11 to 14 June 2010 with performances at 6.15pm, 7.15pm and 8.15pm. The Lighting of the Sydney Opera House Sails continues until 21 June 1010. Macquarie Visions runs nightly from 27 May to 20 June 2010.
Light, colour and movement
Tall ship arrives with acrobatics on board
Bollywood dancing from the heights
Flaming fire hearts
Smoke on the harbour
The colours of Sydney
[…] Sydney runs from 27 May to 21 June 2010. The Rocks Fire Water show in Campbell’s Cove runs from 11 to 14 June […]
[…] Conservatorium of Music, it joins the colourful lighting of the Sydney Opera House sails and the Rocks Fire Water show at Campbell’s […]
[…] events that make up the Vivid Sydney festival was well worth the effort. At the conclusion of the Fire Water spectacle, an announcement was made to lure the crowds towards the historical area of Sydney known as the […]
[…] tourists market, the Rocks Village Bizarre, and the incredible hydraulic, pyrotechnic sinking ship Fire Water a few years back. I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in both […]