About the Show
Melbourne International Arts Festival Director, Kristy Edmonds, chose DiVino to be part of the core 2007 Festival Program. She recognised both the massive upsurge in audience interest in contemporary circus and the very special nature of theatre and circus to be found in DiVino. DiVino is the only circus based work, local or international, in the 2007 program. DiVino attracts both children and adults and is for theatre lovers and circus goers. The professional circus skills and beautiful costuming, lighting and music, combined with a complex web of character and performance makes DiVino theatrically unique. DiVino is theatre with circus skills and commedia dell'arte at its heart, for all to enjoy. The show begins with a 15 minute Prologue. Set in the foyer and main performance space, the prologue sets the scene for what lies ahead. For both its entertainment value and its "scene setting" this should not be missed. DiVino tells the story of a group of performers stranded in an Italian piazza on their way to the most important audition of their life. This piazza becomes the place where dreams, memories, nightmares, comedy and pathos, circus and life collide. Internationally renowned commedia dell’arte director Valeria Campo was inspired by the youthful creativity and circus brilliance of the performers. She has created a "big commedia family" with performers weaving in and out of the story and collectively creating a rich array of circus, music, theatre and dance. In creating this work, Valeria was also inspired by the work of Federico Fellini, and in particular his recently published script The Journey of G.Mastorna. Each performer is able to show off their wonderful individual circus skills whilst also joining in with fellow cast members to create a constant hive of activity on stage. The NICA 3rd year artists have been working with professional circus trainers throughout their Bachelor of Circus Arts degree, under the guidance of NICA’s head of Circus Studies Mr Lu Guang Rong. NICA also engaged Mr Lu Yi, Artistic Director of the San Francisco Circus Centre, as guest circus trainer for DiVino. DiVino can be enjoyed for its circus skills and rich music and costume content, combined with a deeply moving story. Superb lighting design by Phil Lethlean, musical direction by Peter Farnan, costuming by Valeria Campo and Amanda Fairbanks and stage design by Richard Roberts add depth and beauty to this very special 2007 festival production. Show running time: Approximately 100 minutes, including Prologue. |