Black Hole Theatre Company to Reimagine Opera Classics Through Puppetry at Northcote Town Hall, 11/8-9

Opera's great arias are set to be reimagined through sublime puppetry in Aria! by renowned theatre and puppetry company Black Hole Theatre. Playing at Northcote Town Hall as part of Darebin Arts' Speakeasy program on Friday 8 and Saturday 9 November, arias from Madama Butterfly, Lakmé, Faust and more will be retold through beautiful marionettes, Japanese puppet theatre bunraku and shadow puppetry.

Featuring an eclectic mix of singers, puppeteers and artists, audiences will experience new interpretations of known opera classic, including the natural beauty of "The Flower Duet" from Lakmé illustrated through creeping insects and the solemn "Humming Chorus" from Madama Butterfly reimagined as an overhead display of illuminated jellyfish.

An evening that celebrates both opera and puppetry, audiences will be sat in cabaret-style seating and surrounded by pockets of performance that will take place all around the venue. Equipped with a torch upon arrival, audiences will also help light the performances, shining light of the puppets and performers as they appear - sometimes unexpectedly - around the performance space.

Black Hole Theatre comprises an evolving group of puppeteers, performers, visual artists, designers, composers and other collaborators. The company is committed to the development of puppetry as a powerful form of contemporary performance practice. The company has toured extensively across Europe, Hong Kong, North America and Ireland and their critically-acclaimed production Coop won three Green Room Awards in the hybrid theatre category.

Darebin City Council's Manager of Creative Culture, Vanessa Pigrum, says she's excited that Darebin Arts' Speakeasy program has been able to support such an innovative production.

"Aria! is set to be a truly unique performance. It will see some of this country's most acclaimed opera singers - such tenor Timothy Reynolds, mezzo-soprano Frederica Cunningham and soprano Belinda Dalton - meet a bevy of talented local puppeteers including Colleen Burke, Lynne Kent, Jeany Lee and Penelope Bartlau."

Darebin Arts' Speakeasy program is a Darebin City Council-funded initiative that supports the local arts community by providing opportunities for professional development and presentation at the Northcote Town Hall.

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