Giant puppet granny comes alive on streets

GENEVA, Switzerland: Crowds thronged the car free streets when an eight-metre tall grandma along with her six-metre tall grand-daughter puppet from the French street theatre group made it to Geneva, Switzerland.

The giant puppets were greeted with cameras as they moved through people-packed streets and stopped occasionally to talk to the audience.

“The grandmother speaks a language comprising of Arabic, Roman, Asian and Anglo-Saxon, smokes a pipe, likes whiskey and even spits.” Informed the director Jean-Luc Courcoult.

The giant grandmother is supported by a team of 60 aerialists, crane-operators, puppeteers and volunteers. Wherever she moves, a band of musicians, a wheelchair and her equally giant grand-daughter. The team also translates grandmother’s unique language to the spectators.

Some 700,000 spectators are likely to visit this three-day display on the streets. The giant puppet show will  make various stops along the way in Geneva.