Zany caterpillars and the world’s most magnificent beard at NZ’s biggest arts festival for children

“One week left until the Festival begins and the opening performance, Caterpillars, is selling fast!” says an excited Capital E National Arts Festival producer, Melanie Hamilton. “And we were met with more exciting news when we got to the office this morning…”

The Kallo Collective’s Caterpillars at the Capital E National Arts Festival, opens Sat 7 March at Circa. Photography by Gemma Tweedie.

Following a fantastic season in Auckland, where Caterpillars saw its New Zealand premiere; the production by Kallo Collective and produced by Show Pony, won Best Costume and Best Theatre Production at the Auckland Fringe. With only 27 tickets left to the 10am show this Saturday (7 March) at Circa Theatre, bookings will be highly recommended as this show WILL sell-out.

Show Pony has produced another production as part of the Capital E National Arts Festival, also on at Circa Theatre. On Friday of last week at Anvil House, Beards! Beards! Beards! invited an audience of eager school children to preview the hilarious play, in which our heroine, Beatrix, tries to grow the world’s most magnificent beard.

Beards! Beards! Beards! preview at Anvil House.

“Children are the most honest critics of work, and we were thrilled to say that they enjoyed a high energy sneak preview of what’s to come to the stage very soon.” – Melanie Hamilton

Even at E Central on Queens Wharf, children are coming in to create their own beard. Open daily from Monday – Saturday form 9.30am – 3.30pm.

There are only two public performances of each Capital E National Arts Festival production on at Circa: Caterpillars on 7 March at 10am and 11:30am, and Beards! Beards! Beards! on 21 March at 10am and 1pm. To book for either, contact Capital E on 913-3740 or visit www.capitale.org.nz. 

The Pianist: "You may witness some fighting knee-nuns, a few seconds of bull-fighting, wine tasting, a trick that took two years to be able to do, and maybe some piano playing. Possibly...."

This week on drama on the waterfront, The Pianist co-creator and performer, Thomas Monckton talks about his hit show that has travelled the world and is now back for a return season at Circa.

Tell us a little about your background – you trained as a clown?

TM: Yes but that doesn't mean I'm available for children's birthday parties or that the movie It is relevant conversation. That's the equivalent of when you're overseas and someone asks where you're from and you say "New Zealand" and then they start telling you about that time they went to Australia. Just so we're clear. I have a red nose but that's just natural because I'm ginger. We get sunburn even in moonlight. I don't wear big shoes or wigs, and I couldn't make a balloon animal if my life depended on it - except maybe if you asked for a tapeworm. 

I have trained in acrobatics, bounce juggling and aerial straps at CircoArts in Christchurch and in physical theatre at the school of Jacques Lecoq in Paris. Being a clown was always my main aspiration from quite an early age. I'm not entirely sure why. At one point at about 11 years old I wanted to be a zoologist even though I didn't really know what a zoologist did (I still don't).

How does a work like The Pianist develop from an idea to an whole show?

TM: The director (Sanna Silvenoinen) and I had the piano as a prop and the context of a piano recital to start with and then we just played around with all the different physical elements of the piano and the piano stool and sheet music to see what ideas we could come up with. We choreographed individual pieces and then put them into a cohesive order which I then performed and realised that I may have been slightly over-estimating my physical fitness level. 

Physical theatre looks ... physical. How do you prepare to go on stage?

TM: Usually I just stare blankly at a wall and think to myself "it would be useful to do some stretches now" and then I go on stage and do the show and then afterwards I lie face down on the floor in a puddle of sweat and think to myself "I should have stretched before the show".

What can audiences expect from The Pianist?

TM: You may witness some fighting knee-nuns, a few seconds of bull-fighting, wine tasting, a trick that took two years to be able to do, and maybe some piano playing. Possibly.... 

You’ve taken the show to some pretty great places – tell us how the show was received in Edinburgh and London?

TM: I wasn't really expecting much from Edinburgh Festival since it was my first time there and it's such a massive festival but it was great! The Queen of Holland came one show and I unwittingly clambered over a princess. She was cool with it. And the show was nominated for a Total Theatre Award for best circus show. 

I have always wanted to be part of the London International Mime Festival so I was stoked to be programmed. I wish I had time to check out all the other shows in the programme because it looked amazing. The Pianist sold out and the audiences were really up for having a good time...The weather was terrible. Absolutely dreadful. Gosh.... (I picked up some English while I was there). 

The Pianist opens in Circa One on 7 March and runs until 21 March. To book, please visit www.circa.co.nz or call the Circa Box Office on 801-7992.

Behind-the-scenes of The Demolition of the Century: a producer’s perspective

Show Pony's Adrianne Roberts tells drama on the waterfront how she came to be involved with The Demolition of the Century.

Duncan Sarkies, Adrianne Roberts and Joe Blossom on opening night of The Demolition of the Century at Circa.

I first came to know of this little* book Duncan was writing back in 2012, when my husband read one of the first manuscripts to provide feedback. A few months later the book was published and I devoured it in two days. It was a story that entirely captivated me and the end was one of those satisfying twists that a reader revels in (don’t worry, we don’t give it away in the show!).

Hearing there was to be a staged version of the book, I was intrigued. I’d seen Duncan’s readings before, but what stands this show out from the other readings is the hypnotic live score by Joe Blossom. It makes the show transcend from a staged reading to providing a rich theatrical landscape for the audience to imagine the world of Duncan’s characters. Joe and Duncan also have a great chemistry onstage, and the moments where they sing, dance and interact with each other are beautiful. After the show I approached the boys and offered my help if ever they needed it, here we are with Show Pony proudly producing this Circa season!

I’ve produced plenty of theatre, but have never really delved into music or spoken word. I think it’s a great credit to Circa Theatre for programming a piece that is outside its usual gamut, and it’s been amazing to see the different types of people coming through the doors. Music lovers, bookworms, movie fans have all come along and had their love for live performance satisfied by our show. So far we’ve received online feedback from audiences saying  “like nothing I’ve seen before”, “couldn’t believe how fast it went, was so enthralled by stories unfolding, highs and lows in good balance” and “amazing and witty character vignettes interspersed with beautiful music”. With another two weeks of performances to go, I am looking forward to hearing what more Wellingtonians think of our little Demolition.

*book may actually not be little, but it is available for purchase after the show for $30, as well as Joe Blossoms’ vinyl Nocturnes for $20

To book for The Demolition of the Century, visit www.circa.co.nz or call the Circa Box Office on 801-7992.

The Pianist: THE CIRCUS COMES TO CIRCA

"His show is a feast I would love to devour again and again"- Theatreview

He's Bach! Well, not quite.

Award-winning performer Thomas Monckton is back in Wellington with The Pianist and the countdown is on to opening night! Fresh from selling out across Finland The Pianist is about to land here in the Capital. Bookings have already opened and with Monckton's cult following after award-winning Moving Stationery, it is selling fast! Equipped with a grand piano, our finely tuned impresario is ready to amaze audiences of all ages.

But really, Acrobat versus Grand Piano: where does a zany piece like this originate from? The Pianist is created by the electric duo: New Zealander Thomas Monckton, and Sanna Silvenoinen of Circo Aereo, Finland.

Sanna Silvenoinen 

Silvennoinen graduated as a dancer from the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten and since then has worked with several Finnish groups both as a dancer and as a circus artist. She worked as a choreographer and a performer in several of the most internationally acclaimed Finnish circus performances. In her work, she has focused on the integration of the elements of contemporary dance with aerial acrobatics. Improvisation, use of space and close interaction between music and movement are the distinctive traits in her work as a director and as a performer.

Meanwhile, Monckton had reached his ceiling of physical theatre in New Zealand so went to L'École Internationale du Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, the world's finest school of Physical Theatre. There Monckton fortuitously met and flatted with two Finns. This eventually lead to working with a Finnish circus in Helsinki and then with Silvennoinen, Artistic Director at Circo Aereo, which is at the forefront of the Finnish contemporary circus scene.

Monckton & Silvennoinen's work on The Pianist is certainly physical theatre at its best and highlights each of their specialties. Their concoction of The Pianist is a magical contemporary circus theatrical adventure.

Don your finest attire for a night of high society entertainment at Circa and wait with bated breath to see if everything goes as planned...

The Pianist opens on Tuesday 22nd April and tickets ($20-$35) can be booked through Circa on 801-7992 or www.circa.co.nz. Getting in early is definitely the key with this one (okay we'll stop now).