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ESCAPOLOGIST Merlin Cadogan returned on Wednesday (June 24) to Bristol to show the ss Great Britain’s got talent! |
Merlin, who entertained millions of viewers on the ITV hit show ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, performed a publicity stunt from the bow of the historic ship on June 24.
The amazing feat promoted Merlin’s role for the ss Great Britain’s 166th Birthday celebrations – a vintage picnic – on July 19.
It is the first time the bowsprit – the large wooden beam projecting from the ship’s bow – has been used for such a spectacle. Merlin was dramatically held aloft upside down, by a wire, and with his arms spread out, over the Floating Harbour.
Whilst being held aloft he also wriggled – Houdini-style – out of a straight jacket.
The backdrop was the ss Great Britain’s stunning bow with its golden lion and unicorn decorations.
Bristol-based specialists Invisible Circus Rigging provided expert guidance for the publicity stunt at the ship’s bow.
On the evening of the July 19 celebrations Merlin will add Houdini-style entertainment including escapology and juggling.
There will also be a jazz band, Birthday cake and bubbly to celebrate.
Guests will bring their own picnic and are asked to dress in their vintage 1920s best (although dress code is optional).
They will have a rare opportunity to fully explore the Dry Dock, the Dockyard Museum and the ss Great Britain throughout the event, between 6.30pm and 10pm – in what must be Britain’s most spectacular picnic venue.
The event is inspired in part by the ship’s rich history. When she was abandoned in the Falkland Islands, the ss Great Britain was a favoured haunt for intrepid picnickers. Some locals even collected mussels off the side of her iron hull to take home to cook!
On the ship’s Birthday Merlin is scheduled to entertain at the start of the event on the ‘Captain’s Stage’ on the Weather Deck and towards the end of the evening by the stern of the ship. Entertainment and the picnic will go below decks if it rains.
As well as fans of ‘Britain’s Got Talent’, the audience on July 19 will include Merlin’s mother Lesley Shaw of Kings Weston, Bristol.
Merlin, 36, who grew up in Bristol and takes some of his inspiration from the famous escapologist Houdini, said: “I have visited the ss Great Britain many times as a child and it is great to be able to perform on board as part of her historic Birthday celebrations.
“I really loved doing the stunt. It was an amazing experience and one which I will never forget. It was a real honour for me to do this and I certainly had some strange looks from people on their commute to work.
“I am definitely looking forward to coming back in July for the ship’s Birthday celebrations. The people of Bristol should be snapping up their tickets for the picnic on board ship! It is going to be great.
“The ss Great Britain is an iconic part of Bristol and played a fabulous part in maritime history, and something we should all be proud of.”
Last month television viewers watched as Merlin escaped from chains and juggled fire under water (whilst wearing a diving helmet).
Merlin’s next stunt will be to sit on a throne on the seashore at Clovelly, Devon, for 72 hours – underwater for 12 hours, when the tide comes in – to raise money for Children’s Hospice South West.
The ss Great Britain Trust’s Director of Commercial and Visitor Services Deborah Germaine commented: “We are delighted to invite Merlin to demonstrate his great British talent on board the ss Great Britain and to join our ship’s Birthday celebrations on July 19.
“His Houdini-style act will add to the 1920s feel of the event where we ask people to enter the spirit and to dress up in their vintage best.
“It will be the first time ever since the ship’s return to Bristol in 1970 that guests will be invited to picnic on board and to explore the ship after visiting hours.”
Whilst Brunel’s ss Great Britain has not previously been used as a backdrop for amazing feats of escapology, his last ship the Great Eastern ended her working life in the late 1800s hosting circus performers including trapeze artistes.
- Tickets for the Ship’s Birthday Vintage Picnic are priced at two levels – £9.05 (adult) and £4.05 (child) for those who hold valid passenger tickets OR £20 (adult) and £10 (child) which allows guests to return during the day as many times as they like for a year. To book tickets please call 0117 926 0680.
Watch a clip of Merlin escaping from his straight jacket, whilst hanging from the bow:
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