Overview
Fiction is our new reality, and we devour it frenetically. Old structures are rupturing and the void is being filled by billions of personal stories. This piece poses many questions: the body’s meaning and its capacity to transform; the relationship with technology, and the connection with nature.
The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird is the journey of some bodies towards the unknown, as mutant creatures in an oneiric valley. A place where the dancers abandon binarisms and old forms to embrace a transition process from what we were and are to what we will be. Bodies are penetrated by a constantly transforming place, decentralising the human, shifting our focus to still have a chance to survive; as hosts of a finite world, in an attempt to decode the old and understand where those ghosts will go or if we will succumb as well.
Creatives
Choreographer Marina Mascarell
Composer Nick Wales
Set & Costume Designers Lauren Brincat and Leah Giblin
Lighting Designer Damien Cooper
Media
★★★★ “This is Mascarell’s first Australian production, and her choreography is a novel treat: organic, inventive, and teetering on that whimsical border between humanoid, animal, and inert. A must-watch for the curious.” – Sydney Morning Herald
“Cleverly supported by Nick Wales’ superb score, the stage is a visual delight. There is a sense we are watching the sails of a whimsical ship. As the dancers pull and push the ropes, the silk banners rise and fall, creating visual magic.” – Fjord Review
★★★★ “Seven dancers pull on ropes and manipulate the fabric, bringing to mind at different stages sailors on an ancient ship, campers in the wilderness and perhaps survivors somewhere on a distant planet.” – Limelight
“This emotional piece gifted the dancers solos, duets and coalesced moments that showcased their fluidity, technicality and artistry. – The Wonderful World of Dance
“The dancing is slinky and powerful, fluidly controlled, including handstands and magnetic leaps.” – Sydney Arts Guide
Performance History
2024 Performances
Mercat de les Flors, Barcelona, Spain (Ascent triple bill)
14 – 16 March
Royal Opera House, London, UK (Ascent triple bill)
25 – 28 March
2023 Performances
World Premiere
15–26 March 2023
Sydney Opera House
National Tour
Canberra, ACT
9 – 11 March
Wyong, NSW
6 May
Adelaide, SA
11 – 13 May
Bendigo, VIC
31 May
Warrnambool, VIC
3 June
Darwin, NT
19 July
Alice Spring, NT
22 July
Hobart, TAS
27 – 29 July
Launceston, TAS
2 August
Newcastle, NSW
9 August
Port Macquarie, NSW
12 August
Sydney Coliseum Theatre West HQ, Rooty Hill, NSW
26 August
Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse, VIC
29 August – 2 September
Overview
Fiction is our new reality, and we devour it frenetically. Old structures are rupturing and the void is being filled by billions of personal stories. This piece poses many questions: the body’s meaning and its capacity to transform; the relationship with technology, and the connection with nature.
The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird is the journey of some bodies towards the unknown, as mutant creatures in an oneiric valley. A place where the dancers abandon binarisms and old forms to embrace a transition process from what we were and are to what we will be. Bodies are penetrated by a constantly transforming place, decentralising the human, shifting our focus to still have a chance to survive; as hosts of a finite world, in an attempt to decode the old and understand where those ghosts will go or if we will succumb as well.
Creatives
Choreographer Marina Mascarell
Composer Nick Wales
Set & Costume Designers Lauren Brincat and Leah Giblin
Lighting Designer Damien Cooper
Media
★★★★ “This is Mascarell’s first Australian production, and her choreography is a novel treat: organic, inventive, and teetering on that whimsical border between humanoid, animal, and inert. A must-watch for the curious.” – Sydney Morning Herald
“Cleverly supported by Nick Wales’ superb score, the stage is a visual delight. There is a sense we are watching the sails of a whimsical ship. As the dancers pull and push the ropes, the silk banners rise and fall, creating visual magic.” – Fjord Review
★★★★ “Seven dancers pull on ropes and manipulate the fabric, bringing to mind at different stages sailors on an ancient ship, campers in the wilderness and perhaps survivors somewhere on a distant planet.” – Limelight
“This emotional piece gifted the dancers solos, duets and coalesced moments that showcased their fluidity, technicality and artistry. – The Wonderful World of Dance
“The dancing is slinky and powerful, fluidly controlled, including handstands and magnetic leaps.” – Sydney Arts Guide
Performance History
2024 Performances
Mercat de les Flors, Barcelona, Spain (Ascent triple bill)
14 – 16 March
Royal Opera House, London, UK (Ascent triple bill)
25 – 28 March
2023 Performances
World Premiere
15–26 March 2023
Sydney Opera House
National Tour
Canberra, ACT
9 – 11 March
Wyong, NSW
6 May
Adelaide, SA
11 – 13 May
Bendigo, VIC
31 May
Warrnambool, VIC
3 June
Darwin, NT
19 July
Alice Spring, NT
22 July
Hobart, TAS
27 – 29 July
Launceston, TAS
2 August
Newcastle, NSW
9 August
Port Macquarie, NSW
12 August
Sydney Coliseum Theatre West HQ, Rooty Hill, NSW
26 August
Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse, VIC
29 August – 2 September