The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

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.

Choreographer Marina Mascarell

Composer Nick Wales

Set & Costume Designers Lauren Brincat and Leah Giblin

Lighting Designer Damien Cooper

★★★★ “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

Premiere

Canberra Theatre Centre
Canberra, ACT
9 – 11 March 2023
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

2024 Performances

Orange Civic Theatre
Orange, NSW
21 – 22 February
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Capitol Theatre Tamworth
Tamworth, NSW
24 – 25 February
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Mercat de les Flors
Barcelona, Spain
14 – 16 March
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Royal Opera House
London, UK
25 – 28 March
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

2023 Performances

Canberra Theatre Centre
Canberra, ACT
9 – 11 March
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Drama Theatre, Sydney Opera House
Sydney, NSW
15 – 26 March
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

The Art House
Wyong, NSW
6 May
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Adelaide Festival Centre
Adelaide, SA
11 – 13 May
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Ulumbarra Theatre
Bendigo, VIC
31 May
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Lighthouse Theatre
Warrnambool, VIC
3 June
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Darwin Entertainment Centre
Darwin, NT
19 July
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Araluen Arts Centre
Alice Spring, NT
22 July
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Theatre Royal Hobart
Hobart, TAS
27 – 29 July
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Princess Theatre Launceston
Launceston, TAS
2 August
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Newcastle Civic Theatre
Newcastle, NSW
9 August
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Glasshouse
Port Macquarie, NSW
12 August
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Arts Centre Melbourne
Playhouse, VIC
29 August – 2 September
Bill: Ascent
Works: Forever & Ever, I Am-ness and The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird