Indonesian stuntwoman rolls over stereotypes in ‘Wall of Death’ motorbike show.

On an otherwise peaceful Saturday in February, in the hilly Indonesian village of Parlilitan, chickens flap and flee the buzz-saw revving of motor­cycle engines, made all the louder by their lack of exhaust pipes. The rum­blings reverber­ate through the forests and farmlands of North Sumatra, a signal to all in earshot – the exhaust systems having been removed on purpose – that the main event is drawing near.

A travelling carnival has set up camp here for the past two weeks, offering midway-style games of chance, carousel and Ferris wheel spins. Since locals say another peripatetic caravan may not pass through for a few years, Parlilitan’s sparse population of about 18,000, mostly farmers and hawkers, don’t want to miss the show. Haposan Sinaga, a 37-year-old farmer, says his only alternative would be “drinking palm wine and going to sleep”.