Every year the gardens of the Balldovina Tower in Santa Coloma de Gramenet (Barcelona) become the most surprising and magical place in the world with the celebration of the Unusual Passage, a festival that recovers with all its charm the spirit of the ancient itinerant fairs of wonders and freak shows. In the floats, stalls and tents that make up the delightful offering, which this edition celebrated its twentieth anniversary, over the years we have seen legendary creatures such as mermaids, mysterious characters such as fakirs and fortune tellers, portents such as a talking head, automatons, bullet men and even a flea-free tamer. Not the least of the prodigies of this fascinating fair which plays in a poetic and tender way with tradition, imagination and memory is the beautiful Ludmilla, the gorilla woman – in the world Lizzet Illescas (Lima, 36 years old) – protagonist of a surprising metamorphosis in an atmosphere as surprising as it is fascinating. We interview her bringing her back to her human condition.
Ask. How do you become a gorilla woman?
Answer. Douwe Van Oven, the director of the Circusdrome and today my husband invited me to join the company when I left Peru for The Hague to live with my sister. I had no previous artistic experience but it seemed like a very beautiful adventure and I became passionate about this life. Let’s invent Metamorphicthat story of Ludmilla, the girl who transforms into a gorilla and who was discovered during an expedition in the Congo jungle.
Q. He comes alive in front of a small crowd that gathers in his chariot.
R. With smoke, light and sound effects and lots of imagination. Douwe explains my story and what will happen next. With his words he creates great anticipation (“an experience that will transform their lives!”), evoking magic and danger. The children are amazed, and the adults too! When I emerge from the cage transformed into a gorilla, more than one person backs away.
Q. What is the key moment of the transformation?
R. With the look just before, I try to project all the enigma and romanticism of the character.
Q. Does Ludmilla long for the jungle?
R. Not at all, he’s fine here, he receives lots of applause and (little) money.
Q. Is it dangerous?
R. Not really, it’s not aggressive; bad if nothing else. When he sees a child who is afraid, he approaches and consoles him.
Q. Is it a curse to become a gorilla woman, like being a werewolf?
R. No, he changes of his own free will. She’s a happy gorilla woman.
Q. You’re Peruvian, there are no great apes there.
R. No, but in the Amazon jungle there is a long tradition of witches and shamans who transform themselves into wild animals, the nahual. We also have the tradition of the pink dolphin, the legend that on full moon nights it transforms into an attractive young man to come out of the river and seduce girls.
Q. And what is life like as a gorilla woman?
R. Linda, you travel, see other countries, other cultures, meet other artists, other prodigies…
Q. Is there an undercurrent of empowerment in the gorilla woman’s story?
R. No, it’s pure magic.
Q. They already brought their show to the Unusual Passage 13 years ago. Have you evolved in your role?
R. I was 20 years old then, in the meantime I had three children, and it shows. My body isn’t the same, obviously. I’ve done the transformation hundreds of times, I trust I’ve improved. I’ll try.
Q. What do your kids think about having a gorilla mom?
R. Oh, they love it. Many times when they can be with us, like these days, they put themselves in the front row.
Q. Any aspirations?
R. I would like to embody a character from Greek mythology. Medusa, for example, or a centaur.
