Friday, August 21, 2015

The Guillotine

When last we left Queen Marie Antoinette (otherwise known as the busker Kate Mior), she was just getting started in a baguette duel with the commoner she'd picked out of the crowd. He was no doubt wishing he had been further back in the crowd.


There were feints and footwork, baguettes coming close to a strike from both sides...


And then the commoner struck a lucky blow, knocking the Queen's wig straight off her head.


This could not do, of course. There had to be punishment. So the commoner was hooded and led to the guillotine. Oddly his bindings seemed to vanish at the last moment.


La Reine brought out a line of spectators to bid adieu to the condemned. Music was being played- most fittingly the operatic Time To Say Goodbye. 


And then she dropped the blade.


Of course he didn't die. Can you imagine the headline- unwitting bystander killed during busker act? What came out when the blade fell looked like red confetti (I wish I'd gotten a shot of that in time!), the Queen announced that he was alive, and took a bow to the applause of the audience. It's a great way to end a show, and a delightful act by Kate Mior.

33 comments:

  1. A great spectacle. But think, if the blade should be genuine. :D
    Lovely photos !!

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  2. I guess this got lots of applause. Great show!

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  3. Nothing beats a little "staged" drama in the streets, on a summer afternoon. Fun!

    Janis
    GDP

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  4. Very entertaining and delightful act!

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  5. I think next time I would stand in the back of the crowd for sure!

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  6. @Orvokki: it's been awhile since I've seen how the trick is done.

    @Halcyon: it was a splendid show!

    @VP: very much so!

    @Marianne: they certainly did.

    @Janis: it was a whole lot of fun.

    @Marleen: definitely!

    @Nancy: it was such fun seeing her here again.

    @Janey: I have noticed some buskers tend to wade deep into the crowd to pick out their help!

    @Tex: it certainly was.

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  7. Buskers seem to be able to raise the tension so that people are very involved in the act. I'm sure the red confetti did the trick.

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  8. This looks like a very involved busking act!

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  9. What an ending! Sounds exciting!

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  10. @Red: she has great stage presence, and it really shows in her performance.

    @Sharon: it certainly was!

    @Aimee: it was a treat to see her!

    @Stefan: thanks!

    @Cheryl: I really enjoyed it.

    @Linda: it was cool!

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  11. The lesson is to always stand at the back and look away when they want volunteers.

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  12. It looks like fun...but only as a spectator!

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  13. Lol, now that would be a headline! Marie-Antoinette is coming up on VDP next week!

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  14. Whew! Glad that it turned out to be a paper guillotine! I was afraid ISIS had invaded Ottawa in the form of a busker! :)

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  15. This looks like such an incredible performance. Though, I'd definitely be sure to stay far back into the crowd to avoid being an unwilling participant!

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  16. @RedPat: definitely good advice!

    @Norma: I'm sure the victim had a whole lot of fun!

    @Ciel: I look forward to that!

    @Lowell: not in this case.

    @Meradeth: it was such fun watching her at work.

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  17. A baguette duel! I'd would have liked to have seen that, sound very slapstick...

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  18. that would b a crazy scary highline, indeed!!! ( :

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  19. I hope no one was disappointed that he didn't actually die.

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  20. Fun action shots. I assume that little group of waving people were friends or family waving goodbye.

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  21. Made me smile William, duelling baguettes, I'd rather eat them :) I kept hearing 'off with his head' :)

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  22. Quite an entertaining performance complete with food as weapons and thankfully a happy ending. That will teach onlookers to best the queen!

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  23. @Geoff: it was hilarious.

    @Beth: I enjoyed it.

    @Mari: nope!

    @Whisk: it's fun to see.

    @Kay: other participants from the crowd.

    @Linda: indeed!

    @Grace: me too!

    @Beatrice: true!

    @Shelly: it was fun.

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