Action packed theatre with a capital A. For 5 nights only Wellingtonians will get a chance to experience an explosive and riveting exploration of how much happens when nothing seems to be happening at all!
This is a masterpiece – theatreview.org.nz
Over 50 highly charged minutes audiences are invited to watch paint dry on a wall. There is a twist though; they need to
leave their mobile phones on and with the volume set to loud. Watching Paint Dry has taken people from Whangarei to Dunedin by utter surprise. Some feel immense unease or unexpectedly burst into tears, others begin to giggle uncontrollably. Only one thing is certain, when you face the wall, all bets are off.
Much more fun than it sounds – theatrescenes.co.nz
Performed and designed by award-winning lighting designer, Sean Lynch, Watching Paint Dry is about time, our relationship with mobile phones and how we deal with silence. As a theatrical experience it is funny,
hypnotic, oddly relaxing and for some, surprisingly poignant. After the end of the performance several audience members have been known to ask for a second coat. Sean doesn’t do that
of course, because his job as a performer is to leave people wanting more.
I laughed, I cried, I reconnected with my inner child – audience feedback
Watching Paint Dry is written and directed by Anders Falstie-Jensen and is inspired by his eight year old son Anton, who one day over dinner asked what it meant to ‘watch paint dry’. After talking about boredom they did an experiment where Anton had to sit completely still and look at a wall for
5min. It quickly became clear that ‘something’ was going on.
Says Falstie-Jensen “Watching Anton watch the wall was utterly gripping. He was completely still and I just kept wondering ‘what is going on
in his head? What is he thinking?’ After 3min or so he eventually lost his focus and wanted to play with LEGO or
something. But I just wanted to start writing straight away. The script is 7 pages and went through 14 drafts. It was a
strange rehearsal period because we spent long periods of time sitting totally still in complete silence.”
Watching Paint Dry premiered at the Hamilton Fringe Festival in 2017 and won the award for ‘Best Lighting Design at the 2018 Auckland Fringe Festival. Is has since then had a return season in Auckland and toured to Whangarei and Dunedin.
This season is The Rebel Alliance’s 6th visit to Wellington in their 12 year existence.
Previous works by The Rebel Alliance:
The Orderly – ‘Solo theatre as it should be.’ Capital Times
A Night of French Mayhem – ‘finely crafted…boldly innovative’ NZ Herald
Grace – ‘Artistic Excellence’ theatreview
Yours Truly – ‘The Rebel Alliance could easily be mistaken for an international touring company’ NZ Herald
Standstill – ‘Defies description’ – Dom Post
Manifesto 2083 – ‘Profound and challenging’ - Theatreview,
This season of Watching Paint Dry is supported by Creative New Zealand