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A spellbinding show celebrating life and light paraded the streets of Weymouth last night – with a second installment of the spectacular show returning tonight.
As night fell, the sound of the drums started in the Swannery parking lot as more than a thousand people gathered to watch the Sense of Unity show.
The crowds were dazzled by the Whitley Bay-based Worldbeaters drumming team, who were accompanied by the hypnotic giant puppet in the form of a man Dundu.
The Worldbeaters starting the parade from the Swannery car park
See more images on the interactive photo feature above
The show comes from Inside Out Dorset and is commissioned by Activate, which has provided a slew of performances across the county over the past few days – with the last event taking place tonight.
Inside Out Dorset coordinator Bill Gee said: “These shows are about bringing us together.
“Sense of Unity is made up of Worldbeaters from Whitley Bay and Dundu from Stuttgart, Germany.
“The concept of the show is about life and light, and about sharing happiness and joy.
“Sense of Unity shows how we want to spread unity. We do this by welcoming the Dundu from Germany. Even though we voted outside the European Union, we want to show that we are still part of the European family – and that we can still work together.
“The Worldbeaters and the Dundu have been touring the world since 2017, when we started.
“Everything has been put on hold during the pandemic, but Inside Out is from Dorset, so it’s great to bring such a happy spectacle to the unique areas of the county.â€
Baby Dundu with one of the Worldbeaters
Last night’s parade started in the Swannery parking lot before heading to Westham Bridge, then along Westham Road, then to Commercial Road, Park Street, Great George Street, before ending at the Jubilee Clock Tower on the Esplanade.
At the start of the show, the Dundu puppet takes the form
of a baby before he grows – to the sound of the Worldbeaters – into a hypnotic giant.
Baby Dundu transforms into Giant Dundu on Westham Bridge
This year Inside Out Dorset took place in five locations across the county including Moors Valley Country Park & ​​Forest (Gaia), Poole & Christchurch (Latest Commissions), Symondsbury (Gaia) and last but not least Weymouth (Sense of Unity).
“Puppets have been around for millennia, but what is unique about the Dundu is that it is lit from within and moves to the music of a West African harp called the Kora,†Mr. Gee.
“This is complimented by the Worldbeaters who bring their dynamic drums to the street parade performance.”
Giant Dundu at the jubilee clock tower on the esplanade
Mr Gee spoke about the challenges Inside Out Dorset has been facing in recent times.
“The uncertainty of the pandemic – coupled with leaving the EU – has cost us dearly,” he said.
“It was difficult to bring artists from Europe to perform, but we were able to get our star number, the Dundu.”
Next up for the Worldbeaters and Dundu is a trip to Milton Keynes, but not before playing their last show in Weymouth tonight.
Tonight’s parade will start at 7:30 p.m. in St Edmund Street and descend St Mary Street, crossing the junctions with St Alban Street and Bond Street, and will end at the Jubilee Clock Tower on the Esplanade.
The show will once again feature the Worldbeaters and the Dundu alongside the five puppeteers, who will make their way through the city.
The Worldbeaters and giant Dundu end the performance with another scheduled for Weymouth town center tonight
