Trick of the Light Theatre presents
a development season of
CREDITS
Co-creators and designers
Hannah Smith
Ralph McCubbin Howell
Meg Rollandi
Gallery Attendants
Stevie Hancox-Monk
Hannah Kelly
Composition and Sound Design
Thomas Arbor
Creative Technologist (Phones)
Sabrina Lawson
Software Design (Phones)
Jade Musther
Design (Phones)
Kaleb Maunder
Design (Starry Night)
Magenta Steel
Thanks to
Urban Dream Brokerage
Green Green Room
NZ Fringe
Massey University
Wellington City Council
Creative New Zealand
Running time: 30 minutes
A NOTE FROM THE COMPANY
This is a work in development, and this is it’s very first outing. We wanted to make a piece that celebrates visual arts, but playfully questions notions of high art and exclusivity – that reframes the gallery as a space where kids are the primary audience, and asks why paintings should be hung at adult’s eye line rather than a child’s. We’re also playing with the idea of the canon, and casting a satirical eye at the works that are often upheld as “the greats” (almost exclusively works by old white men). This isn’t a comprehensive representation of what the canon is or should be, but a selection of iconic works that sparked ideas for ways that they could be made more accessible and engaging for an audience of kids.
We’re very keen to hear feedback. Let us know what you thought of the show, what you wanted more of, and what your questions were:
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Trick of the Light Theatre a company from Aotearoa / New Zealand founded by Hannah Smith & Ralph McCubbin Howell. Our works include The Bookbinder (Best of the Fringe – NZ Fringe 2014, International Excellence Award – Sydney Fringe Festival 2014, BDO Children’s Theatre Award – Fringe World, Perth 2015). The Griegol (Director, Composer, and Production of the Year – Wellington Theatre Awards 2022), and Suitcase Show (Outstanding Performance Touring Production – Dunedin Theatre Awards 2026). Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky @trickofthelightnz.
GREEN THEATRE
We are in a climate crisis and we recognise that making and touring theatre comes with an environmental footprint. As a company we’re committed to adapting our work and ways of working towards environmental sustainability, and to using our platform to advocate better practices. In developing I Don’t Know Much About Art we are consciously striving to minimise our footprint – making (extensive) use of secondhand materials through Green Green Room, practising design for disassembly, and working to create a compact set so as to reduce transportation requirements. There’s always more to do, and we’re always keen for ideas. Find out more about our green strategy, and links to resources we’ve found useful on our About page here.