News

Behind the scenes # 4 — music in The Griegol. Tane Upjohn Beatson has composed music for many of our shows but he really pulled out the stops with this one. Don’t miss it @hannahplayhouse and @taurangafestival this October. Video by @soph.helm

Delightful couple of weeks workshopping with @megrollandi @captainwowser @magentaisthatyou @hannah_kel1 @steviehancoxmonk

Behind the scenes #3 on The Griegol. @ndmzwart built our beautiful lightbox trolley ahead of the premiere at @qtheatre for @aucklandartsfestival. @rosekirkup and @leisure_hippo did the production design, and @filamenteleven11 technical wizardry. Come see all its bells and whistles at @hannahplayhouse and @taurangafestival this October. #thegriegol video by @soph.helm

Behind the scenes #2 on The Griegol — coming to @hannahplayhouse and @taurangafestival this October. Smoke ring consultancy by Amanda @joe44791. Shout out to all the interns from @toi_whakaari, @teauaha, and @vicuniwgtn_theatre who worked with us while we were making the show. Video by @soph.helm. Early footage by @isaac_tereina / @performingartsnetworknz

Behind the scenes on The Griegol — coming to @hannahplayhouse and @taurangafestival this October We’ve dug through our vids and put together some behind the scenes clips on different aspects of the show. First up, our smoke demon itself, which was developed through workshops at @bats_theatre, @takirua’s Te Haukainga, and @teauaha. Book now and witness it in all its freaky stop motion glory. Thanks to @soph.helm for the video.

Over the moon to announce that we’re bringing The Griegol back to Wellington + Tauranga in October – first time in Aotearoa since it won Director, Composer, and Production of the Year at the Wellington Theatre Awards in 2022 and toured the USA in 2023. Catch it at Hannah Playhouse Oct 23-25 and Baycourt for Tauranga Arts Festival Oct 28. From Trick of the Light Theatre (The Bookbinder) comes a tale without words about death, love, and monsters. After their grandmother passes away, a child suspects they are being pursued by the smoke demon shapeshifter of the old woman’s stories. The Griegol is a dark fantasy in the vein of Spirited Away, for older children and adults. Drawing from the techniques of silent film, it utilises silhouettes, smoke, puppetry, live music, and live animation. With the operation kept in sight, audiences see both the stage effects and how they are made. Combining hi-fi with lo-fi technology, and the mythic with the everyday, The Griegol is a charming, moving, and wildly inventive work.

We’re heading up the Kāpiti Coast with The Bookbinder for two performances in Books and Co Ōtaki on August 8 (6 and 7:30pm). Seats extremely limited. Contact @books_andco

Packing in at @qtheatre today and tonight’s close to selling out. Link in bio. Move that bus.

Transforming the second @greengreenroomnz space with @cahoots.nz and @barbarian_productions.

Suitcase Show returns to @qtheatre for three nights next week, Thu 10 - Sat 12 Jul. Link in the bio.

#SuitcaseShow Behind the Scenes 3. Coming to @qtheatre Jul 10-12. Link in the bio. Video by @soph.helm with rehearsal footage by @deanjnz

Took a bit of fine tuning to get a train inside a suitcase, but the Suitcase Show loco is rolling smooth and pulling into Q Jul 10-12. Get your tickets while you can. Link in the bio. [Thanks to @soph.helm for the supercut]

Behind the scenes on Suitcase Show (The Autocrat). Coming to @qtheatre July 10-12. Link in the bio.

Synced up our usernames on social, so you can now find us on Insta, Facebook, YouTube, and Bluesky @trickofthelightnz. Spread the word and give us a follow for updates, behind the scenes, giveaways, and consistently haphazard vlogs.

We had such a nice time @oneonesixwhangarei that we're heading back north with The Bookbinder for two shows, July 15-16. Get a hold of your tickets through the link in the bio and spread the word to your Whangārei whānau. "They say you can get lost in a good book, but it's worse to get lost in a bad one..." An old man sits down to read the tale of an erstwhile bookbinding apprentice. As he speaks the story spills from the pages and into the bindery. The Bookbinder weaves shadowplay, paper art, puppetry, and music into an original dark fairytale in the vein of Coraline and Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell. First performed in the back room of a secondhand bookshop, it has gone on tour across Australia, South Africa, UK, Canada, China, and USA – from the attic of Aotearoa / New Zealand’s oldest bookbindery to the Lincoln Center, NYC. From Trick of the Light Theatre comes an inventive one-man performance for older children and adults.

We are less than a month out from bringing Suitcase Show to @qtheatre, and early bird tickets finish on Monday. Get in quick and get your mits on cheaper tickets. Link in the bio.

We’re running a giveaway for a double pass to see #SuitcaseShow @qtheatre for opening night on Jul 10. Find the post on our Facebook page at /trickofthelightnz

Sign up