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P.I.P.O.T.O.T.A.L: rocking on a dream...

Friday 30 July 2010 , by Coline Bergeon , Yffic Cloarec (Translation  Mathilde Vautier)

All the versions of this article: [English] [français]

Spectacular! Magical! Captivating! The latest creation from Ariège-based company P.I.P.O.T.O.T.A.L moved everyone…For its world premiere in Amiens this Saturday 19th June, Basculoscopie completely hypnothised the crowd.

Where does he get the inspiration for it? Philippe Geoffroy, founder of P.I.P.O.T.O.T.A.L has invented yet another machine that only he knows the secret of. After Chepipoval and Source de vie, the Basculoscope continues the company’s tradition of creating mecanical and poetic allegories, now so typical of their work. As precise as a watch-maker, this mad-doctor put his Basculoscopie absolutely right. Despite the unforseen circumstances - his trapeze artist got injured the day before and the weather looks very unsettled – this premiere was a success.

Above all, this actual Basculoscope is beautiful. A sort of machine looking like it is coming straight from Jules Verne’s imaginary world or Léonard de Vinci’s drawing pad! This 10metre high structure, all curved and rounded, was inspired by the mecanism of Beauvais Cathedral’s organ and astronomical clock.
Mastered by Philippe Geoffroy’s inventiveness, the Basculoscope becomes a magical scene : a dreamlike theatre in which ‘acropuppets’ move around and the ‘mechanicians’ play. Portés, trapeze acts, Chinese pole, capers: every part of this musical rocking machine is an invitation for acrobatics.

Few words but smooth and powerful sounds plunging the audience into a world of dreams…Little by little, time suspends itself…The effect produced by the rocking machine is working, and the spectactor starts a virtual tour within this musical box as it turns round on itself. The Basculoscope is the Magister’s kingdom…He knows the machinery, how it works and he knows how to set the ‘acropuppets’ in motion. Watch you don’t intervene and mind the Arpète!

You can only but dream with this Basculoscopie! For almost an hour, Place Longueville, ‘wow’ was the word and the applause was generous. Young or old, age did not matter. That Saturday, everybody was like Peter Pan, gone to an imaginary world, to infinity…

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