The Sultan’s Elephant

Posted byPatricia Stoughton
The announcement of a ‘Special Event’ in Waterloo Place…

The ‘special event’ marked on this ‘no parking’ sign, was the arrival of a Girl in a spacecraft that churned up the central area of Waterloo Place by The Mall. Not an ordinary girl but a giant space-travelling girl operated by the skilled technicians and puppeteers of the Nantes street theatre company, Royale de Luxe, created by Jean-Luc Courcoult. The Girl met the giant time-travelling Sultan’s Elephant, and together, though sometimes separately, they set about exploring and enchanting Londoners over four magical days in May 2006.

The Bus advertising the event and used by the Girl on one of her outings along The Mall.

Just over twenty years ago, with little more than small articles in the Guardian and Evening Standard, central London streets, usually reserved for royal, sporting, or official occasions, were taken over by a different royalty: the Girl and the Sultan’s Elephant, stars of Royale de Luxe.

Waking up in the morning, the Elephant waves its trunk to watching crowds on Horse Guards Parade.
The Elephant heads towards the road.
Walking down The Mall, the Elephant delights the crowds.
A large tub of water of water on The Mall arouses curiosity.
The Elephant takes a drink and gets ready to spray some of the crowd.
Incredible engineering and puppetry skills to work the Elephant and the Girl.
The Girl kneels in front of Admiralty Arch while two of her attendants hold ladders ready for children to climb.
Holding one child on her arm, the Girl encourages children to come closer.
The Girl looks down, smiling at the children who have made it, with the help of ladders, onto her arms. An unforgettable experience for them, and a touching experience for those watching.
The Girl, sitting on a car, drives on her way to St. James’s Park.
A quick shoe shine for the Girl on her way into St. James’s Park.
The Girl spies a lollipop.
Operated by skilled puppeteers, the Girl studies her lollipop.
The Girl licks her lollipop, watched by delighted crowds in St. James’s Park.
The Girl arrives to begin her exercise routine in St. James’s Park.
Arms outstretched, the Girl begins her exercises.
The Girl bends forward for one of her exercises in the park.
The team operating the Girl as she runs through her exercises.

Morning routine
The next day, after a good night’s sleep, a shower, and a hair wash, their wanderings begin.

Morning routine. The Elephant acts as a shower for the Girl so she can wash her hair.

Each ready for their explorations the Girl and the Elephant set off from Horse Guards Parade.

The Girl and the Elephant set out from Horse Guards Parade for their day out and about in central London.
The Girl’s space craft lifted onto a trailer, about to be taken to Horse Guards Parade, ready for her departure.
The Girl’s spacecraft manoeuvred into place ready for lift off.
As the Girl is about to depart in her rocket she extends her hand to the elephant to say goodbye.

While standing at the back of the crowd, N. and I, quite by chance, found ourselves next to, and able to talk with Helen Marriage, Artistic Director of Artichoke. I remember her telling us how, having seen the theatre Royale de Luxe in Nantes, she was inspired to bring The Sultan’s Elephant to London. Together with Nicky Webb, she managed to persuade, over seven years of secret planning, the Mayor of London, Ken Livingstone, and a raft of concerned authorities, including the manager of St. James’s Park, to approve their final project, not forgetting the security services, this being only nine months after the July 7, London bombings. And the secret preparation for this spectacular show was kept under wraps almost to the very end.

The Girl leaves the Elephant. Lift off accompanied by a tangible moment of sadness in the crowds at the parting.

For the spectators, apparently over a millions of us, The Sultan’s Elephant was a pivotal moment in London’s cultural memory touching everyone there with a gentle, unforgettable shared experience.

Sources and further information
If you would like more information, and to see many more pictures and videos taken by professionals and spectators alike, see:
‘The Sultan’s Elephant’, by artichoke.uk.com
‘The Sultan’s Elephant’ article by the Diamond Geezer, May 6, 2016.
BBC article on ‘The Sultan’s Elephant’, May, 2006.
Note
I took all these pictures with a basic Nikon Coolpix camera on May 6, 7 and 8, 2006.