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Simon Collins also known as “Paka” is a unique interdisciplinary artist who creates spectacular and engrossing performance from a mix of large-scale mechanical sculpture, digital media, special effects, dramatic characters, circus skills, puppetry, and audience involvement.

He has worked extensively in Europe and the UK for 25 years, both collaborating and producing his own solo work.

His individual hybrid art-form has been developed and influenced by circus performers such as Archaos and the edgy, daring and dangerous traditions of European spectacular street theatre and festivals, - traditions which have also spawned contemporary companies such as Mutoid Waste, La Fura dels Baus, Derevo and the infamous DNTT of which Paka was a founding member and an Artistic Director from 1989 –1997. 

His company Black Hole has since produced works for theatre such as, “The Singularity” and, more recently “Forget Me Not” – both of which have received wide spread critical acclaim in the UK.

Horse Work 

He has been working with his horses for the last 10 years creating Don Quixote themed shows of differing styles and scales, from pyrotechnic spectaculars in Underground Art Festivals, Jaw dropping street animations in Beijing to theatrical mime for the London International Mime Festival.

The Characters

Paka is a cantankerous old man lost in the twilight of obsession, having misplaced the thread between fantasy and reality he is off on his final adventure. A head full of romantic dreams and a pocket full of nuts and bolts. He is on a quest for love and sunsets to ride into. A contemporary Don Quixote armed with roses, pyrotechnic gadgets and a tantalising whiff of razzmatazz.

Rusty the Horse is visually extraordinary, a remote control entity that acts as a people magnet. With his own distinct character, philosophy and ego, he leaves the audience feeling they have met an odd but real horse.

The theatre and mayhem are derived from the interaction between Paka, Rusty and the audience. It is in fact a double act albeit one half is robotic. The characters that inhabit this slice of parallel reality have an endearing universal relationship, where differences of priority and agenda have obscured the common goal.

Paka the Uncredible runs -

Paka Unit