Belgium's Peeping Tom Dance-theatre Company Brings Thrilling Diptych To Auckland Arts Festival In March

Olivier Award-winning Belgian dance theatre company, Peeping Tom, will make their debut in Aotearoa with the mesmerising production Diptych: The Missing Door & The Lost Room. This hybrid performance uniting theatre, dance, horror, comedy, illusion, and noir will play at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, as part of Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival 2024, which is now just five weeks away.

Diptych is told by a cast of curious characters, caught in a trance between fiction and reality, as they navigate memories, desires, dreams, and nightmares – all leaving the audience wondering if escape is possible.

Hailed as the world's "freakiest theatre troupe" by The Guardian, Peeping Tom has conjured up a wildly suspenseful thriller that defies convention. Diptych is not just a performance; it's a journey into the unknown, a bold cinematic exploration of the human psyche. The creative masterminds behind Peeping Tom showcase their genius in set and sound design, creating an atmospheric experience that lingers in the mind long after the curtain is lowered.

Playing from 22 to 24 March and recommended for audiences aged 16 and above, Diptych, delivers an immersion into the dark side of characters and communities. The company founders, Gabriela Carrizo and Franck Chartier, established Peeping Tom as a unique force in dance theatre with a creative approach that transforms hyperrealist settings into unstable universes defying the logic of time, space, and mood.

Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival Artistic Director Shona McCullagh says, “Peeping Tom are one of Europe’s stellar physical theatre companies, and are truly a highlight of our international programme. Inspired by a piece created initially on Netherlands Dance Theatre, Agatha Christie meets Wes Anderson and 1940s film noir. The Lost Room is set in a cabin on a ship where performers appear and vanish. Astonishing design trickery and truly unbelievable performances make this theatre at its very best!”

As a treat for ticket holders attending the Saturday 23 March show, an artist talk will take place at 8.45pm, providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creation of Diptych.

Tickets for Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival are on sale now at aaf.co.nz.

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