Leaping lizards! Look who's joined in the festivities
These are three chaps from a Nottingham arts group called Reactor which specialises in projects in
which audiences become active participants.
This makes Reactor perfect for the Wunderbar Festival and it is as a Wunderbar star that Big Lizard
and his Big Idea Fun Bus pay us a call.
I met the lizard wranglers when they visited a few weeks ago and they weren't giving much away.
Daniel Williamson, Niki Russell and Jonathan Waring enjoy a puzzle and a tease as much as their Big
Lizard creation likes a cuddle.
They explained that the lizard appears in various formats including 2D animation and the 3D
character who will be walking the streets.
"Big Lizard has his own history and obviously he is very attractive to children," said one of the
Reactor trio.
"But there's this element of what is he trying to make you do or sell to you?"
Big Lizard and his enigmatic Big Idea, it seems, are an appealing comment on the widespread use of
big cuddly creatures to tell us or sell us - and our children - stuff.
The Big Idea Fun Bus will be at Monument from tomorrow until Sunday, 10am to 5pm, and may pop up at
events during the evening.
David Whetstone
The Journal
Wednesday, November 11th, 2009
http://www.journallive.co.uk/
A BIG green lizard will mingle with shoppers in Newcastle tomorrow. This is Big Lizard. He's a
cheerful looking chap with a long red tongue and big eyes. Give him a hug, urge his minders.