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Andrew Macmillan and his team of talented creatives took my wandering eye (and ice-cream) into the depths of The Civic last night. Toying with the unknown, we are shuffled along into several smoke filled rooms for series short, experimental showcases.
As part of the Edge’s STAMP festival the pieces are a direct response of chosen space, in this case, the magnificent Taj Mahal and Safari Rooms situated below the Civic itself. The characters involved are well suited to the space; they almost brought the embellishments and furnishings alive.
The audience and one’s perception are integral parts to the show, as our tour guides take us from room to room to the jingling of a bell. Rather reminiscent of the days of primary school.
The music, song and light installations draw on the conceptual and philosophical as musicians pop up in unusual places along the way to both bemuse and frighten both the young and old of the crowd. Each story is individual, yet the theme of Elephants and the ‘land of the foreign’ is woven and carried throughout the show. I particularly enjoyed the light installations that danced onto the cut-out elephants, once again reiterating a shared journey into the surreal and peculiar.
One should not reveal all, but expect a feast of visual and aural delights including the odd ghost and squid. Take a safari hat along and join in on the fun.
By Olivia Young
Bathing with the Elephants and Other Exotic Revelries
http://www.the-edge.co.nz/bathingwithelephants.aspx
Thursday 26 - Saturday 28 January, 8.00pm
Taj Mahal and Safari Rooms, The Civic
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