SYDMOB #23
Part One:
Mob Length: <5 minutes (near site 2:00 converge & act @ 2:02pm, disperse @ 2:07pm)
Mob site: Opera House Forecourt

"Ballet School"

Today, my friends, we are all Prima Ballerinas or Rudolf Nureyev wannabes. Where better to launch our galumphing debut that at the Opera house?

By 2:00 you will have made your way to the entrance to the Botanical Gardens, which is just past the Opera House steps, near the Man O’ War jetty. Do not go to any other entrance to the botanical Gardens! You need to be within a short pirouette of the Opera House forecourt.

At 2:02, the mob rep will appear. Making a deep bow he will invite a lady to the dance. They will assume dance pose, arms upraised, hand in hand. This is your cue to join the troupe. If you are in a group of mobbers, feel free to combine in unlikely couples, or, with a gallant bow, invite other mobbers to join you in the sashay across the court. If you are alone, you are one of the stars of this performance, strut your stuff and bow, twirl and shine as you whirl across the court. Think of it as “The dance of the mobbers” a soon to become classic. Try absurd Monty Python-usque ‘Swan Lake’ moves, whatever takes you’re fancy. Free form dance and self expression is encouraged.

When the mob reps begin to take bows, and shout, “Thank You, Thank you” do the same yourself, disperse.

SYDMOB #23
Part Two:
Mob Length: <5 minutes (near site 2:20 converge & act @ 2:22pm, disperse @ 2:27pm)
Mob site: East Circular Quay Promenade

"Oompa School"

By 2:20 you will have re-convened in front of The Sydney Cove Oyster Bar. This is located on the walk towards the Opera House. You will probably have passed it on your way to act #1

At 2:22 the mob rep will put on the jester cap. This is your cue to converge behind them. They will begin to sing the Oompa Loompa song, well, after a fashion anyway. It will mostly be a bit of the chorus, as we don’t expect everyone to know the words, start “Oompa Loompa-ing” yourself.

What we want for this one is a clear and distinct conga line in Single file. Join up behind one another, an arm on the shoulder or waist of the person in front of you. (No groping!) The mob rep will begin to lead the line off down the promenade. They will bob up or down, alternating with each step. Do the same. This should be kind of in time with the oompas and loompas. We know this one will be a bit of a physical challenge, so after a short while the rep will change their actions, just follow their lead or that of the person in front of you if you can not see the rep (There will be around 100 of us today, so the rep may not be in clear sight)

The rep will eventually come to a stop, and look out over the ocean. They will shade their eyes and start pointing and yelling “Land HO!” “Land HO!” Converge in an excited cluster around the rep, shading your eyes looking out to sea, yelling “Land! Land HO!” Once we are all amassed in a loud bunch bellowing “Land Ho!” The rep will remove their hat. Disperse.

Mobbers are invited to meet at the Paragon hotel after act two for a few drinks and a flashmob post mortem. The Paragon is near Maccas at Circular Quay, not far from where you picked up these instructions

Onya Sydmobbers!

You, yes every single one of you, are awesome!
Two very pleasing, funny events, and a nice social catch up afterwards. What better way to spend a Saturday arvo?

So, how did it all go down? Very smoothly, we would have to say. The loitering around the Opera House was done so discreetly that a first time mobber mentioned on smartgroups that he was nervous that there was going to be no-one participating. Not quite the case now was it guys? Good turn out Sydney. Lots of new faces. Mal threw a last minute spanner into the works by deciding he was going to play photographer for this mob, so we had to coerce a long time player of tricks, Grant, into leading the charge. (Good onya Grant, you have a career ahead of you as Lord of the Dance!) A slight flaw in that little change soon became obvious. It was about mid mob that Tempest realised she had not told Grant how to signal a disperse! AAArrgghh!!! Interesting physical challenge that one, puffing instructions out between demented pirouettes!

Dear me we must have looked a sight! Some of the pics are pure comedy. Prune leaping about like a boot clad, shaven headed gazelle springs to mind, as do the antics of some of our more athletic mobbers. “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon” occurs to me. Bet some of you could pass on the gym for a while after all that bounding about.

So, we converged acted and dispersed, to go and loiter around the Oyster Bar awaiting a line up of the usual suspects.

This event, even though it was written at the very last minute on Saturday morning may well yet go down as one of our favourite mobs so far. We found ourselves asking why the hell we had not used the site before. Easy to disperse and congregate, with a large and appreciative audience. Word up to the two passers by who formed an impromptu “Oranges and Lemons” style gate for us to walk under! Dammn I wish I could have slipped them something with the website on it, those people deserve to be mobbers!

We Ooompa Loompaed our way under the impromptu archway, and past the restaurants, causing great delight to most of the patrons and passers by. One unfortunate mobber had a footwear blow out mid conga, but managed to keep going with a grin on her face. Wardrobe malfunctions are not likely to phase a sydmobber! Somewhere along the line, we became seagulls, or something similar. It was not in the script, but was funny as all hell. Cawwing our way to the shore line, it was not long before we spotted land! Pointing and shading our eyes, “LAAAAND HO!!” LAND! LAND HO” we excitedly bellowed. I am almost convinced we changed the course of a ferry there for a little while, as the captain seemed to swing his vessel around a little to get a better look at us!

Disperse was smoothly done, not easy when you have 100 plus people. A bunch of us made sure we dispersed to the Paragon, to have a few drinks and a lot of loud laughs. What a great day guys. Can’t wait till the next one, which is about three weeks away, on Sunday the 17th of October.



Cheers, Mal and Tempest

MOB IMAGES

 

  

Thanks  to The fabulous shutterbug, Andrew Firth....and Mal, who are available for weddings, parties, anything.