Spinning Mountain
Wed 21 & Thur 22 March, 6pm. Wellington Town Hall , 111 Wakefield Street. Tickets $10.50
World Premiere
Capital E National Theatre for Children, International & NZ artists
Enter the magical world of Mount Mandara , a fiery volcano whose sides glow with red embers and whose crater top is a dazzling source of brilliant light reaching to all corners of the sky. It is an old world where dragons fly, giant turtles carry mountains on their backs, demons battle immortals and beautiful goddesses rise from the sea. Artists from New Zealand and Bali have combined their talents to create this new innovative work especially for children and families.
Artform: Performance with shadow, animation and original live music for children and families.
Beautiful shadow puppets, projection and contemporary staging combined with an original score of gamelan music bring this traditional Balinese tale to life. You will witness the spinning of the mountain of fire, churning of the sea, the birth of the sun and moon, and the fight of good and evil. Directed by Nina Nawalowalo, composed by Gareth Farr and I Wayan Gde Yudane, libretto by Ketut Yuliarsa. With Puppetry directed by Kadek Budi Setiawan.
This production runs for approximately 60 minutes with no intervals. It is suitable for people aged 8 and above.
Nina Nawalowalo, Director Nina is one of New Zealand's most highly regarded theatre professionals, a director, performer, writer and tutor. She began her career with Mime International in New Zealand and London, moving to Paris where she worked with Philippe Gaulier. Then for six years she performed and taught all over the world with acclaimed close-up magician Richard McDougall, creating new works combining magic, masks and clowning. She has collaborated with a range of top international artists and her works been selected and performed at many international festivals. She is well known for her award-winning original work Vula, which premiered in Wellington in 2002 and has since been seen at festivals nationally and internationally.
I Wayan Gde Yudane, Composer Yudane is the leading talent among the new generation of Balinese composers. He has produced works for concert performance, theatre, sound installations and for film. His score for the 2000 Adelaide Festival production of The Theft of Sita (in collaboration with Paul Gabrowsky) won the Melbourne Age Critics Award for Creative Excellence and the Helpmann Award for Best original Music. The New York Times described his work as “dazzling”.Among other honours,he has been the recipient of the annual award for the Best Composition (Kreasi Baru) for Balinese Gamelan on nine separate occasions. In Europe he has worked with the Temps Fort Theatre, France and Cara Bali Group, Munich and has had worked commissioned by La Batie Festival. Yudane has recently returned to New Zealand from his residency with the Institut International de Musique Electroacoustique in Bourges , France . He now lives permanently in New Zealand .
Gareth Farr, Composer Gareth is one of New Zealand ’s most distinguished composers. In 1993, at the age of 25, Gareth became Chamber Music New Zealand’s youngest composer in residence and since then, his works have been commissioned and performed by the NZSO, the Auckland Philharmonia, the Wellington Sinfonia, and the New Zealand String Quartet, and a variety of other professional musicians in NZ and overseas. Gareth’s theatrical music works include Monkey ,Paper Shaper and Penguin for Capital E National Theatre for Children.
Vula (Chapman tripp Award: Outstanding Composer of Original Music ,2003), Cloud Nine ( Circa Theatre ) and Wit (Chapman tripp Award: Outstanding Composer of Original Music,2000).
Kadek Setiawan, Puppet maker and Puppeteer Kadek comes from the most renowned family of puppeteers in Bali . He has performed widely in Bali and overseas as an accomplished musician and puppeteer. He has trained since childhood in Balinese music and puppet theatre (Wayang Kulit), and has a University degree in English. He is fluent in English, Indonesian, Balinese and the ancient form of 16 th. Century court language used in Balinese puppetry. His multi skills, his fluency in English and his experience performing in Bali and internationally makes him ideal for performing in the production of ‘ Spinning Mountain ’.
Ketut Yuliarsa, Librettist Ketut Yuliarsa is one of Bali ’s most distinguished authors and poets. He wrote the libretto for The Theft of Sita, a work described by The Age as “original and brilliant”.What’s On hailed the piece as “about as exciting as London Theatre gets” and the Independent described the work as “The fiercest and most graceful play”. Ketut now lives permanently in Sydney .
Rebekah Wild, Puppeteer Rebekah Wild is a New Zealand puppeteer(Maker and Performer) who has recently returned from working in England with the Little AngelMarionette Theatre. Rebekah also toured with the highly acclaimed production Shockheaded Peter and worked on the The Lion King. A master craftsperson in the making of puppets, Rebekah has made puppets for Capital E National Theatre for Children’s production Hinepau and Into the Rem Zone. She recently built additional puppets for the production of Vula. Rebekah was a recipient of a 2005 CNZ / Department of Conservation Wild Creations Grant.
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