Giant puppet tours Scotland after debut on Capital's streets

Published on Wednesday 29 July 2009 10:00

WEIGHING in at a hefty 1.5 tonnes, measuring a jaw-dropping eight metres and boasting all-seeing cameras in his eyes, the "Big Man" is preparing to make his mark on the streets of the Capital.

Exactly what he looks like remains a top-secret mystery, but under the lock and key of creators in a workshop in Leith, the giant puppet is being carefully crafted in advance of his first steps into the city in September.

The Big Man Walking is a 600,000 artistic project which is supported by a host of sponsors, including the Scottish Arts Council and the National Lottery.

Designed and created by The Puppet Lab and Puppet Animation in Scotland over the last two years, the mechanical giant will tour the country, filming people's reactions through his built-in cameras.

Artistic director Symon Macintyre said: "The Big Man is based on a myth that tens of thousands of years ago he arrived in Scotland, covering all our landscape and one day saying he would return.

"Here he is, to see what we have been up to since."

The nationwide tour will begin in Edinburgh, with an eager team of puppeteers then taking the Big Man as far afield as Invergordon and the Isle of Bute.

Made from steel, coated with a plastic mix and then covered with a durable shell, the Big Man is controlled by 12 puppeteers who walk with him on his travels, as well as an internal forklift telehandler, making it a creation on a never-seen-before scale in Scotland.

Mr Mcintyre, who lives in Leith, said: "The Big Man is a wondrous 25ft-high visitor who has awoken from another mythical world just beyond ours.

"He has come to Scotland to hear our songs, to take part in our celebrations and to enjoy our hospitality.

"This is him returning and part of the whole idea of this project is creating a response. If he's coming back after all of these years, what have we been up to? What are we proud about in Scotland?"

Mr Mcintyre is known in the puppetry industry for his innovative work, often striving to stretch the limits of convention over his 25-year career.

There are suggestions his latest creation may feature in the 2014 Commonwealth Games celebrations in Glasgow – possibly joined by a "Big Man" relative.

He said: "Maybe he could arrive with a wife or baby."