Ilotopie perform on waters of Manchester Ship Canal

According to press material, “A car appears to float effortlessly on water as it tows a caravan behind, a giant bed is rowed gracefully by a person in their pyjamas and a refuse collector glides across the shining surface with his wheelie bin beside him.”

These visions will be made real as Ilotopie’s Water Fools brings “spectacular theatre and thrilling pyrotechnics” to the open water of The Quays, Greater Manchester’s waterfront on 20 July.

For the first time, theatrical performance will take place directly on the surface of the Manchester Ship Canal as Water Fools invites audiences into a world of “waterborne magic” between The Lowry and MediaCityUK, now home to BBC North.

The action starts as a man’s head inexplicably appears to burst into flames, simultaneously catapulting him from his humdrum life and triggering a dreamlike sequence of extraordinary happenings with each scene staged on the shimmering water.

Devised by innovative French artist, Bruno Roubicek, the performance will be punctuated by fireworks.

The backdrop of the dark night sky will give Ilotopie’s pyrotechnic experts a blank canvas on which to devise their rapid-fire light show, whilst Roubicek’s range of characters ride bikes, parade floating islands and walk giant paddle wheels across the water.

Presented by Quays Culture, the event is free to audiences and is the first in series of signature events leading up to the first edition of a brand new Quays Festival, set to take place for the first time in 2015.

Visit www.thelowry.com for further details.