THE CANDLESTICKMAKER Comes To Adelaide Festival Centre's CentreStage 5/12-16

Remember Elizabeth Gilbert's travels to India to search for happiness, in the bestselling novel Eat, Pray, Love?

Come along on a similar journey with a 19 year old New Zealand Indian student, who with Lonely Planet in hand, sets off to discover India...and ends up discovering the mysteries of the universe, when award-winning theatre company Indian Ink performs The Candlestickmaker at the Dunstan Playhouse from 12 - 16 May 2009.

In 2007 we presented Krishnan's Dairy to introduce Adelaide audiences to this talented New Zealand theatre company who adapt the traditions of the mask to the modern theatre by creating contemporary characters and stories that wrap universal themes in Indian flavours. In The Candlestickmaker, actor Jacob Rajan again uses masks to tell this touching and life-affirming story, helped by astrophysicist Chandrasekah, a 300 year old cook and a duck. The performance is also a tribute to one of the greatest astrophysicists of this century, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar.

Indian Ink co-founders Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis have written, produced, directed and performed in Indian Ink's four plays: Krishnan's Dairy, The Candlestickmaker, The Pickle King and The Dentist's Chair. They are currently working on the screenplay of Krishnan's Dairy.

Jacob Rajan-Writer/Performer
An Arts Laureate, besides his work with Indian Ink Jacob's credit's include Theatre At Large's Cyrano De Bergerac, which premiered in Auckland and later went on to be performed at the 1996 New Zealand Festival of Arts. Other stage credits include The Tempest, The Revenger's Tragedy, Hamlet and Beauty and the Beast. His television credits include Cover Story and Shortland St. He has featured in the TV3 drama Fish Skin Suit, The Insider's Guide to Happiness and Outrageous Fortune. Jacob is a graduate of Toi Whakaari, the New Zealand Drama School and has a BSC in Microbiology from Otago University as well as a teaching degree.

Justin Lewis-Writer/Director/Performer
Justin specialises in creating new theatre works and has produced, directed and co-created 10 original works including theatre for children, dance-theatre and drama. Justin is deputy chairman of Q Theatre, a new 370 seat theatre being built next to Auckland's Town Hall. Justin trained at the John Bolton Theatre School in Melbourne and has a BA in Italian and History.

"Rich in strong flavours, subtle nuances, whimsical aromas and pungent surprises, The Candlestickmaker is a work of supreme creative excellence." National Business Review, New Zealand

Venue: Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre

When: 12 - 16 May, 8pm

14 May, 11am

Cost: Adults $45, Concession $40, Students $25, Groups $40 (6 or more tickets)

Bookings: BASS on 131 246 or online at www.bass.net.au

The production is part of CentreStage, a premier season of international performance presented by the Adelaide Festival Centre. CentreStage is just one stream in a yearlong festival of theatre, dance and music.

For further information check out: www.indianink.co.nz