Festival opens with bonfires, song and theatre

Welcome to the seventh Festival of Colour - it’s been a busy few days at Festival HQ and we’re delighted to see our audiences loving the shows already gracing our various stages.

More than 850 people turned out on a beautiful evening on Monday night for the opening night event ‘Flaming Arts – Bonfires on the Waterfront’ with Mt Aspiring College Year 9 student Jacob Field lighting the first of three bonfires. Singing from choirs, poetry from Bill Manhire and music and song from The Song Dispensary followed.

Review of yesterday

Yesterday was our first full day of the Festival and there was plenty on offer to entertain all. Our schools programme continued with the delightful show Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge based on the Mem Fox children's book, with performances in class rooms across the district.

Volker Gerling has been charming audiences bringing a touch of Europe to Wanaka with his show Portraits in Motion. Volker has been out in Wanaka with his ‘Hawker’s tray’ showing people his flipbooks.

Volker has one final show today at 5pm with a few tickets still available. Portraits in Motion.

At Luggate, standing ovations concluded both performances of Every Brilliant Thing – a beautiful show which Festival long-standing volunteer Sue Webb described as “every brilliant thing. It really is something very special.” We’ve managed to squeeze a few extra seats into the hall, but be quick to grab these final tickets for the final shows today at 3pm and 6pm, and tomorrow at 12 noon and 3pm.

The Festival’s music programme kicked off with four very different shows yesterday. A special highlight was Sing It To My Face featuring four choirs of 79 local singers of four different generations singing about their feelings about each generation and about the world – past, present and future. Moving, funny and wonderful.

Sing it to my Face

Meanwhile in the Central Lakes Trust Crystal Palace Sal Valentine and The Babyshakes had us all tapping our toes, and grooving to the beat. Tonight, Warren Maxwell, Louis Baker and Thomas Oliver feature in Pass The Gat, while tomorrow soul and country meet gospel and backwater blues in Tami Neilson – Songs for Singers.

Sal Valentine & the Babyshakes

And don’t miss the world premiere of Tell Me My Name – riddles written by poet Bill Manhire, set to music by Norman Meehan with violinist Martin Riseley and sung by Hannah Griffin. One performance only at the Central Lakes Trust Crystal Palace TODAY at 1.00pm!

Performances Wednesday:-

· Portraits in Motion – Wanaka Masonic Lodge – 10am and 5pm – tickets available

· Every Brilliant Thing - at Luggate Hall 3pm and 6pm – tickets available

· Tell me My name – Central Lakes Trust Crystal Palace 1pm – tickets available

· Pass the Gat – Central Lakes Trust Crystal Palace 8.30pm – Sold out

· How to Keep an Alien - Lake Wanaka Centre 7pm - Sold out

· Andris Apse illustrated talk - Central Lakes Trust Crystal Palace 5pm - $5 on the door

· Song Dispensary on all day - back of Lake Wanaka Centre overlooking Bullock Creek

· Videos all day on the deck of the Central Lakes Trust Crystal Palace

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