A massive (fifty feet long) spider named “La Princess” is invading Liverpool this weekend , and rather than running in horror, Liverpudlians will be gathering in awe. It’s rare to encounter a theatrical experience these days that literally takes you away with its magic, but here’s what a Londoner said about the last visit to England by La Machine, a French company that produces amazing theatrical machines and public events: “…I have the strangest feeling today, something in between grief and joy, sad that I will never see that beautiful Little Giant or that gargantuan Elephant again…” The haunting clip at left (which two years later still makes me want to run away and join the circus) is from The Sultan’s Elephant, a mesmerizing event produced by La Machine in 2006. The music is the song “Décollage” from Balayeurs Du Désert’s Jules Verne Impact. I wish these guys would come to the states, but I guess we create our own horrifying public spectacles.