DREAM GARDEN
Te Auaha, Tapere Nui, 65 Dixon Street, Te Aro, Wellington
09/07/2022 - 10/07/2022
Production Details
Presented by Colossal
Start the school holidays by stepping into our wildest dreams!
So much better than a sleep in, this beautiful, skilful and surreal performance combines aerial circus, projection art, and comedy. You can never be sure what is real and what is dream, as real-life and imagination are effortlessly woven together into a show for the whole whānau.
Performed by aerial circus artists Imogen Stone and Jackson Cordery.
“An ethereal marriage of comedy and skilled acrobatics sure to entertain and delight” – Jodi Wright, Programmer
Dream Garden celebrated huge crowds at World Buskers’ Festival in 2019 and 2020, as well as HighLight: Carnival of Light 2018 and three consecutive Paihia Summer Festivals. In 2022, the production tumbles out of bed from a two-year hiatus to present at Taupō Winter Festival, Carterton Events Centre, Hawke’s Bay, and Tauranga. Wellington will be first to dip their toes into the magical dreamscape.
Colossal are Wellington’s own premiere circus company, as seen on TVNZ’s 60 Seconds, and creators of smash-hit productions such as Laser Kiwi, IDIOM, and Fool Steam Ahead. Experts at combining comedy and circus into jaw-dropping performances accessible for all, Dream Garden is an awe-inspiring dance of circus and light suitable for ages 6+.
“Hands down one of the best shows at Bread and Circus World Buskers Festival 2019” – Strut & Fret
Production House Dream Garden performs in the afternoon on the first Saturday and Sunday for the school holidays. Family passes are available for groups of three and four, and adults are also welcome to attend without little ones. With stunning design and breath-taking performances, there is something magic for everyone to experience.
Three performances only across two days. Don’t snooze on buying tickets!
DREAM GARDEN
Te Auaha // 65 Dixon Street, Wellington
9 – 10 July 2022
2pm + 4:30pm
BOOKINGS from Eventbrite
www.eventbrite.com/e/dream-garden-tickets-348418959487
COLOSSAL NZ
www.colossal.co.nz
facebook.com/colossalnz
@colossal_nz
Performed by Imogen Stone & Jackson Cordery
Cirque-aerial-theatre , Comedy , Family , Theatre ,
Lyrical acrobatics and exquisite whimsy
Review by John Smythe 09th Jul 2022
To discover two people curled up in their sheets fast asleep may not be that remarkable except here, in Te Auaha’s Tapere Nui, the sheets are hanging from the ceiling and the pair are snoozing in mid-air. Aerial circus artists Imogen Stone and Jackson Cordery are bathed in a purple wash as gentle flute music creates a soothing atmosphere.
As we await further developments, I notice four overhead projectors (OHPs) placed at strategic points on the stage with buckets and watering cans alongside them. There is also a small suitcase. Intriguing.
The performance that unfolds is wordless yet eloquent. A humorous waking up sequence begins the show proper, and later our young companions decide – and I agree – that what follows is, initially, the couple’s attempts to share the dreams they’ve just had.
A trip to the moon is part of the show and the Man in the Moon even makes an appearance. They have lots of gentle fun with each other and us …
Their work on the silks (as the hangings sheet are called in the trade) inventive and awe-inspiring. It turns out the OHPs have trays on water of them they create the illusion of bathing or showering when projected on to a person. The silks are also cleverly used as screens for front or back projections – and the suitcase contains small bottles of food colouring that is dripped into the water trays to magical effect.
Speaking of magic, a child volunteer is wondrously made to disappear – and return. An adult also volunteers and whimsical images are created on them both, via an OHP. As well as the entertainment value afforded by these devices and tricks, observing how they are utilised will doubtless stimulate the young audiences creatively.
The lighting and sound designs are splendid, and the precise operation of the cues (by Zane Jarvie) adds another level of excellence to a beautifully crafted show.
Dream Garden offers 50 minutes of lyrical acrobatics and exquisite whimsy that are well worth treating yourselves and your family to – just one more chance in Wellington, at 2pm tomorrow (Sunday) – details here.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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