AN elderly woman sitting on a chair does not usually draw much of a crowd - unless the chair happens to be stuck to the outside wall of a three-storey building.

Shoppers in Stockton stopped in their tracks yesterday to stare at the crazy antics of a German street theatre company, which consisted of actors dressed as pensioners, sitting on chairs attached to the outside of buildings.

Part of Stockton's 15th annual International Riverside Festival, the performances came courtesy of the Angie Heisl Produktion's - a Cologne-based theatre company in the middle of a world tour.

Performers were found in several surprising places dotted round the town centre, including one woman who surveyed the High Street from her vantage point on the side of the Shambles shopping arcade.

Bettina Wohlfarth, artistic liaison officer for the festival, said performers were perched on their seats for an hour at a time.

She also explained the idea behind the stunts: "They had them sat on the outside of buildings because they wanted to get across the impression of a house being turned inside out - so people could see what goes on inside.

"They chose pensioners for the simple reason that they aren't often associated with street theatre and people would enjoy watching them go through normal routines while sat on their chairs.

"They were seen going through ordinary acts like cutting a loaf of bread, knitting or writing a letter. In other words, they were ordinary actions made extraordinary."