Zany Caterpillars launch the Capital E Arts Festival

Zany Caterpillars launch the Capital E National Arts Festival

In a beauteous world of swaying flowers and flitting butterflies are the hilarious adventures of two voluptuous caterpillars and their clumsy lycra-clad puppeteers.

The Capital E National Arts Festival 2015 kicks off with the Kallo Collective (Finland) presentation of Caterpillars on Saturday 7 March at Circa Theatre with two performances at 10am and 11.30am.

Caterpillars is a costume-based physical comedy based loosely on the life cycle of two personified caterpillars/butterflies, and told by two less-than-capable clown puppeteers. The caterpillars are lazy consumers with high expectations but low motivation. They are born into a belief that no matter how ugly they act, ultimately they will turn into beautiful airborne creatures – but if life is a cycle, it's just not going fast enough!

Director of Capital E, Stuart Grant says, “Caterpillars is a hilarious and high energy international collaboration. As a showcase of New Zealand creative talent it is the perfect show to launch the outstanding works presented in the Capital E National Arts Festival.”

The show caters to a range of children aged 3 - 8 years; however adults alike can appreciate the zany hilarity of caterpillars Thomas LaHood and Victoria Abbott under the direction of Thomas Monckton.

Thomas LaHood is a graduate of the Bonts International Clown School (Ibiza) Autumn Academy 2006. He is an experienced performer and clown with a history of physical performance including the touring children’s show Tale of a Dog (Capital E, 2008-9), and Flatland (BATS, 2011). He works regularly as a Clown Doctor at Wellington Public Hospital and has taught clowning at Whitireia, Toi Whakaari Summer School and independently.

Victoria completed a degree in theatre studies at Otago University in 2008 and a degree in Acting at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School in 2011. She trained with Master Teacher Philippe Gaulier in Paris and took a workshop at the Corporeal School of Mime in London. She worked back to back throughout 2012 in theatre, earning the award of Best Female Newcomer at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards in 2012. She has worked as a Clown

Doctor at Wellington Hospital and Starship Childrens’ Hospital in Auckland since 2012 racking up 160 hours of live improvised clown performance.

Patea-raised, Paris-based New Zealander and co-founder of Kallo Collective Thomas Monckton directs the work, with assistance from Jenni Kallo and Sampo Kurppa. Caterpillars premiered at the Hippalot Children’s Festival in Hameenlinna, Finland.

Tickets for Caterpillars can be purchased online on the Capital E website.

ENDS.

© Scoop Media