Riverside Theatres' PUNCTURE Comes to Sydney Festival 2015, Jan 21-25

Three leading Sydney based performing arts companies have combined forces with some of Australia's most renowned dance and theatre makers, under the direction of Patrick Nolan, to explore the rituals of courtship and young love in PUNCTURE at Riverside Theatres from 21 to 25 January in a world premiere performance at Sydney Festival 2015.

The large-scale production includes an ensemble of 42 young performers, with some of the nation's best physical theatre artists and contemporary dancers working alongside the extraordinary voices of VOX, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs young person's choir.

For centuries we have used dance to connect, seduce and play; from the masked ball to the mosh pit. PUNCTURE invites the audience to embrace the risk of intimacy in a crowded room, from the restraint and formality of classical dance through to the sensuality of the tango and the rebellion of youth.

Using the rituals of dance, PUNCTURE explores the nuances of play between a group of young people discovering each other through dance; the preening, the groupings, the fighting and the flirting.

Stefan Gregory's score is inspired by the some of the great composers from Monteverdi to Madonna, and sung live by the 30 voice choir accompanied by percussionist Bree Van Reyk. They take to the dance floor with 12 young dancers choreographed by Kathryn Puie and led by two of Australia's finest dance artists, Kristina Chan and Joshua Thomson.

"Audiences stepping into the world of PUNCTURE are invited to imagine how dance has allowed people to connect through time," Patrick Nolan says. "We are completely rethinking the audience's relationship to the performers, they will be free to move around the space, rather than watching the performance they will be immersed in it as it unfolds around them."

PUNCTURE is the result of a collaboration initiated by FORM Dance Projects in Western Sydney in 2012. As Director of FORM Annette McLernon says, "PUNCTURE combines diverse creative energies into a highly physical yet finely nuanced performance. There's an element of surprise, the unexpected, in the presentation which I think will delight audiences young and old."

"Legs is excited about this collaboration and the opportunity it brings to connect with new audiences and develop the emerging talents of young physical performers," said Kath Melbourne, Executive Producer of Legs On The Wall.

Director: Patrick Nolan Composer: Stefan Gregory Music Director: Elizabeth Scott, VOX, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Choreographer: Kathryn Puie Designer: Mel Page Video Designer: Mic Gruchy Lighting Designer: Damien Cooper Dancers: Kristina Chan & Joshua Thomson, Jay Bailey, Billy Keohavong, Cloé Fournier, Anna Healey, Kei Ishii, Rob McCredie, Hayley Raw, Michael Smith, Stephen Williams, Jess Wong.

DETAILS:

PUNCTURE

Dates: Wednesday 21 to Sunday 25 January 2015

Preview: 8pm on 21st January 2015

Times: 8pm on 21, 22, 23 and 24 January; and 2pm matinee on 23, 24 and 25 January

Where: Riverside Theatres - Cnr of Church and Market Sts, Parramatta

Tickets: $36 to $40 and Preview $25

Promenade performance - limited seating

www.sydneyfestival.org.au/puncture or 1300 856 876

www.riversideparramatta.com.au or (02) 8839 3399

Duration: 60 minutes

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