The La Machine company and its fantastic creatures will once again take over the city center of Toulouse for a free urban opera. It will be the sequel to the one that took place in 2018: the Guardian of the Temple. The second Opus, The Gate of Darkness, will take place from October 25 to 27, 2024 and will present to the public a new exceptional machine: Lilith, a scorpion woman straight from hell.
An urban spectacle that left its mark on the minds of the people of Toulouse
6 years ago, 900,000 people came to observe the giant machines in downtown Toulouse with curiosity and admiration. Asterion the Minotaur, 14 metres long, and Ariane, the Great Spider, 13 metres long, took possession of the Pink City for three days. “It was a magical and extraordinary moment, thousands of people from Toulouse were there” remembers Jean-Luc Moudenc, Mayor of Toulouse. He continues, “We know that the second edition is highly anticipated.”"
If the stagehands presented two creatures in 2018, there will be three of them roaming around next October. Indeed, the star of the year 2024 is called Lilith and has many surprises in store for spectators.
A new machine: the Dark Guardian
After 2 years of work, it was during the second edition of Hellfest in Clisson that Lilith saw the light of day for the first time. The scorpion woman has crab legs and measures 8 to 11 meters in height. The Dark Guardian is covered in esoteric tattoos and has a piercing light gray gaze. “She is a disciple of Adès, she comes from hell. She travels the cities to build an army.” explains François Delarozière, artistic director. The creature will therefore set out to conquer the people of Toulouse through a unique show. All its limbs are articulated, its hands can even grab objects and watch out, Lilith can bite. Also watch out for its venom and its stinger that spits fire! You will need to be brave enough to face the Guardian of Darkness, because she can walk, rear up and even lie down.
“The machine will be able to sneak through the streets of Toulouse. It is very technical, we have developed an exoskeleton with sensors on its legs so that it can make as many movements as possible.” continues François Delarozière.
Theater, machines and music at the rendezvous
The three creatures will wander the streets of Toulouse, all in musicality and theatricality! 180 intermittent show business workers, 20 musicians and 40 singers who will form a choir will be there to deliver a unique street opera. “The goal is to make citizens dream by sharing a great party. Offering opera in Toulouse in his opinion because it is a marker of the city” affirms the artistic director.
Jean-Luc Moudenc adds “It’s a show that is directly linked to heritage and that attracts a lot of people”. Indeed, like in 2018, many tourists are expected for the event. Remember that images of the Minotaur have landed in the New York Times, so it’s a show with international renown that’s coming.
Concerning the route, it will not be revealed! Everyone will have to explore the streets of Toulouse to meet the machines. “We want the spectators to have a real feeling of surprise. On site, booklets in digital and physical form will be distributed to allow them to follow the story like a tale” explains François Delarozière.
An inclusive event: designed route, audio description, vibrating vests…
“This is an edition that is placed under the sign of accessibility. Various facilities are planned for people with disabilities.” announces Jean-Luc Moudenc.
To achieve this, 20 fixed stages will be distributed along the entire route with multiple on-site facilities:
- For people with reduced mobility: specific locations in dedicated areas.
- For deaf and hard of hearing people: French Sign Language interpreters and vibrating vests that transcribe the music in the form of vibrations.
- For blind or visually impaired people: an audio description system on the smartphone or personalized audio description support with the Murmure d’images service.
In short, everyone is invited to come and take part in this spectacular event! Young and old will discover machines with certain technical prowess, but above all with unique fantastic stories!