Sshh… don’t wake a sleeping giant

The brand new giant heading to Liverpool will be on show for 27 hours before she starts to explore the city.

The Grandmother will arrive in the city on Wednesday 23 July, however, as she is travelling through time from the past, it will take a couple of days before she is ready to walk the city streets.  As a result she will rest in the beautiful surroundings of St George’s Hall, and members of the public have the chance to see her up close in the Great Hall where she will be sleeping.

St George's Hall
St George’s Hall

The statuesque 85 year old will remain in the Hall for two days, and during this period there will be set viewing times for the public:

Wednesday 23 July

10am to 1am on the Thursday

Thursday 24 July

7am to 7pm

Throughout the public sessions, city organist Professor Ian Tracey and a group of students will add to the atmosphere with ten minute performances of classical music.

There will be no tickets, and members of the public can arrive at any time during these set hours via the north entrance (William Brown Street). Please note, there will be a queuing system and there may be lengthy queues at times.

British Sign Language Tours will be available at 10am, 1pm and 5pm on Wednesday 23 July.

Audio Visual Tours will also be available at 10am, 1pm and 5pm on Thursday 24 July. Please note this tour is for people with a visual impairment only.

All tours are free, but there will be an opportunity for visitors to make a donation to St George’s Hall.

Minton Tiles at St George's Hall
The Great Hall

Places on the sign language and audio visual tours must be pre-booked by emailing lauren.murphy@liverpool.gov.uk or calling 0151 243 9250 and indicating a time preference.

Manager of St George’s Hall, Alan Smith, said: “We were approached around a year ago to look at the prospect of showcasing one of the giants before they set off on their travels around the city.

“We jumped at the opportunity and knew that the sight of the grandmother asleep in the Great Hall would be stunning and will really add to the buzz that surrounds this event already.

“People have been asking me how she will fit in the Hall – I’m not revealing any secrets but a little French magic and a drop of scouse determination means anything is possible!”

At nearly 25 feet (7.4 metres) tall, the Grandmother is the newest addition to the Royal de Luxe family (the world renowned street theatre artists who created the giants). She was premiered in her hometown of Nantes in June and Liverpool will be her first appearance outside of France.

She will be in the city as part of Memories of August 1914 – the UK’s flagship 2014 cultural event, marking 100 years since the outbreak of the First World War.

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Liverpool Waterfront