Leuven in Scène: Les Rates Mortes

One of the closing spectacles of Leuven in Scène at the Pentecost weekend was "Les Rates Mortes" by the Spanish group Xarxa Teatra. It was one of the eye-catchers with a parade through the main characters that landed on the biggest square.   The parade hosted a series of absurd figures, as if Leuven merged partially with Alice in Wonderland, without Alice being there. Turns out they were inspired by a carnaval painting by James Ensor.

With Dollar & Euro signs rolling by on fire,  casino & bank signs and their directors seemingly first been thrown into a huge toilet but in the end being hang and burnt, a huge snake & apple balloons rolling over the qsuare   under a joyful Spanish flute tune & drum gave this anti-capitalism symbolism a very absurd, sometimes creepy but mainly bewildering touch.  I wondered if they weren't firing off fireworks constantly if the crowd would have stayed & enjoyed?

It was interesting to see, left me wondering a bit what was behind it, but I didn't find it a worthy closing act.  The abbey with all the fire-installations was more enjoyable & poetic.