Concrete Playground

Beware, child.

Beyond the village walls lies the Forest of the Strange. Its weaving paths pass tree roots and the shadows sing queer tunes, the whispers of which will bewitch the ordinary and whisk poor fools away. This is the eternal home of the Bohemian Masquerade Ball.

In a society saturated with spectacle, to the point where we have no option but to be a voyeur everyday, the fey children of the BMB offer a vision with some soul. Blending burlesque, gypsy, circus, jazz and trip-hop &#151 amongst many other varied forms &#151 the mad travellers from Bohemia bring disparate cultures together to find a unity in the moment of performance.

Now touring in its third year, the BMB is more than a sumptuous excuse to revel in debauchery; it is a lifestyle choice. The members of the company embrace certain practices, from environmental sustainability to a fervent humanism buoyed by a quest for the spiritual. Any guest to their Ball, therefore, will have the opportunity to step beyond the everyday and into the in-between, the place of dreams and memories from before the womb.

Wear a mask. Become someone else. Dance to great music. Make love with every sense. And then bring a slice of the bizarre back to your village, to cherish forevermore.

Video by Being Films.