Lights Up After Lockdown: The Griegol & The Artist Unite

When lockdown nixed a premiere at Auckland Arts Festival last week, another act stepped in to ensure the show can still go on.

Originally scheduled to premiere on Thursday 4 March, the Auckland season of The Griegol will now run 16-21 March 2021 at Q Theatre after being rescheduled in response to the government announcement that Tāmaki Makaurau would spend 28 February-7 March in Covid Alert Level 3.

Award-winning theatre makers Trick of the Light are renowned for their inventiveness, and – like many artists during the Covid-19 pandemic – they’ve gotten used to rolling with the punches. Last year, lockdown hit the week they were to open a major new work (Lysander’s Aunty), forcing them to pull the pin on the entire season. Since then, they’ve been crafting a new piece, The Griegol – a show about death, love, grief, and monsters that combines puppetry, shadow-play, and live music, that was set to open Auckland Arts Festival at Q Theatre on Thursday 4 March.

So, when a snap lockdown was announced just days before the Festival’s launch it came with a sinking sense of déjà vu. “Even in the context of the pandemic’s many stinkbuzz disruptions, a lockdown the week we were to premiere the new show felt like lightning striking twice,” says director Hannah Smith. With venues fully booked, the chance of postponement seemed remote.

Enter stage left, Thom Monckton – a Helsinki-based, circus and comedy sensation who has already jumped hurdles and expertly dodged chaos to bring his acclaimed show The Artist back to Aotearoa. A joyous mix of physical strength, skilled theatrics, and comedic storytelling, the show had been programmed at Q in the Festival’s final week. Watching on from quarantine as his friends’ opening night went up in smoke, Thom reached out with an offer to share the stage over his season. With full support from Thom’s crew, The Artist’s NZ producer Eleanor Strathern says, “The Artist celebrates the inspiration and humour that can be found when things go wrong, and lockdown threw The Griegol a doozy. We're big fans of the company's work, so were delighted to be able to join forces.” The offer was warmly received by The Griegol team, says co-creator Ralph McCubbin Howell: “We’re so lucky to be where we are in the world, and to able to perform at all, and it’s heartening to know that when things do come unstuck, we’ve got each other’s back.”

Sharing a venue has required some swift creative thinking, with a tightly choreographed changeover so that the two visually spectacular shows can take place on the same stage each night. Fortunately, both Monckton and Trick of the Light are seasoned performers on the festival circuit, having won awards and acclaim for their works around the world. “We cut our teeth performing at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe,” says Smith, “where there’s often just fifteen minutes between one show closing and the next one going up, so we know that remarkable things can be achieved in a short space of time.”

The double bill means Auckland audiences have the chance to see the two spellbinding works back-to-back. “We’re often on at the same festivals, but are frequently ships in the night,” says McCubbin Howell. “We’re so grateful to Thom and the crew from The Artist for letting us share their stage, not least of all because it means we’ll be in town to see their show. And their venue is very convenient.”

“Trick of the Light manage to conjure a truly rare thing;
a story about magic that actually feels magical." – The Wireless (NZ)

“A masterpiece of hilarious chaos” – The Artist, Scotsman (UK)

Trick of the Light Theatre present

THE GRIEGOL

Directed by Hannah Smith
Story by Hannah Smith and Ralph McCubbin Howell

Q Theatre | Auckland Arts Festival

16–21 March 2021

Bookings via aaf.co.nz

Images available to download here

Watch the trailer here

Circo Aereo & Thom Monckton present

THE ARTIST

Created by Thom Monckton & Sanna Silvennoinen

NZ tour with A Mulled Whine

Q Theatre | Auckland Arts Festival

17–20 March 2021

Bookings via aaf.co.nz

Images available to download here

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