Huge mechanical spider to attack Liverpool

Reuters

CUE SPOOKY MUSIC: The giant mechanical spider that is the centrepiece of a new street theatre show in Liverpool.

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A giant mechanical spider has shocked commuters in Britian's Liverpool, but don't worry, it's not the harbinger of an alien invasion.

The three-story spider, seen dangling menacingly on the side of a building, was created as the centrepiece of a street theatre project, British media reports said.

Dubbed "La Princess", the beast will wake up on Friday morning (UK time), when its legs will stretch out to nearly twice their current length, Sky News reported.

The French arts collective La Machine is responsible for the arachnid. Previous projects by the group include "The Sultan's Elephant" in 2006, in which a rocket crash landed in London's Waterloo Place, followed by a 12-metre-high mechanical elephant that was the centrepiece of a five-day street theatre piece.

The elephant was just the largest actor in La Machine's depiction of a fairytale.

Eighteen months in planning in absolute secrecy, the Liverpool show is billed to be less whimsical than "The Sultan's Elephant" but no less ambitious.

The show is part of Liverpool's European Capital of Culture programme.