Punched while pretending to be statues, chased by a gang of frenzied teenagers, and escaping mobs from a rugby game in New Zealand—these are just a few of the challenges faced by members of the Melbourne physical theatre ensemble, Born in a Taxi (BIAT), during the 1990s. Despite the occasional hostility, street dancing and non-verbal performances were often seen as “pretty weird,” even as busking and music were widely accepted.
Fast-forward to 2025, and the landscape for roving performances has evolved significantly. Co-artistic directors Penny Baron and Carolyn Hanna of BIAT express that their art form has come a long way. “Roving performance catches audiences unawares. It creates an in-breath and a moment to feel moved, amused, surprised, delighted or even outraged,” they explain.
WOMADelaide: A Stage for the Unexpected
BIAT is set to perform at WOMADelaide, a renowned music, art, and dance festival, which will take place over four days at Botanic Park in the Adelaide Parklands next weekend. Their performances promise to be a spectacle, featuring a traveling bed on wheels, a “dazzle of zebras,” and three “seriously stupid security guards” who transform crowd control into an art form.
The ensemble will also present high priestesses of ritual who anoint audiences with “rituals of the senses,” and a troupe of “fashionistas” ready to party as if the end is near. “We have brought a bigger team to showcase five different works that span a range of forms, all with an irresistible invitation to play,” BIAT states.
Roving Performances: A Rich History at Botanic Park
For over 30 years, WOMADelaide has been a platform for diverse roving performances. From the giant puppets of Archibald Caramantran to Artonik’s explosive Colour of Time, and an illuminated Earth by the UK’s Luke Jerram, the festival has seen it all. These performances bridge the gap between main-stage events and stationary formats, offering unexpected and intimate experiences that invigorate the imagination of attendees.
Born in a Taxi recalls a memorable moment at the Oerol Festival in the Netherlands, where their improvisation extended into a private yard, leading to an interactive and humorous encounter with the homeowner. “One of us was taken inside the house, the other pretended to be locked out, we played in the front window while the crowd watched on and eventually got the owner to throw us out the front door and slam it shut to great laughter and applause,” they reminisce.
Osadía: Sculpting Hair and Breaking Barriers
Spanish street theatre group Osadía is bringing its unique “artistic hair sculpting” to WOMADelaide this year. Known for their concept “Style it or Crop it,” which began at a Barcelona festival, Osadía invites audience members to have their hair transformed into daring creations or completely cropped off. Alejandro Rendon Pajon of Osadía describes the act as not only aesthetic but also psychological.
“The transformation becomes a shared ritual: The volunteer experiences the thrill of visibility, while the audience witnesses the courage it takes to stand out,” Pajon explains. “Long after the hairstyle returns to normal, many speak about the experience as a moment of personal breakthrough—a reminder of what can happen when one dares to be seen.”
In today’s festival landscape, such moments are often captured and shared on social media, extending their impact beyond the physical space.
The Future of Roving Performances
BIAT’s artistic directors emphasize that festivals would lose a “certain joy and mystery and become predictable” without roving performances. These acts transform the audience’s experience, creating a magical atmosphere where anything could happen around the corner.
WOMADelaide runs from March 6 to March 9 and is part of the Adelaide Festival, which begins on Friday. As the festival approaches, anticipation builds for the unexpected moments and artistic expressions that roving performances will bring to attendees.
