‘Do you remember, sitting up there as a child, looking down on the world below…? And didn’t all those grown-ups and all their grown-up cares look so petty and small? You could squash them with your fingers. If only people could see things from up here, even if just for a day, how different our lives would be..!’

It is a pleasure to present the 2012 George Fairfax New Theatre Award winning play The Republic of Trees: a Tale Between Earth and Sky, a multi-artform promenade theatre adaptation of Italo Calvino’s Il Barone Rampante (Baron in the Trees).

Presented amidst the tree-scape of the historic Vaughan Springs Reserve, an intriguing story unfolds: one fine evening, Cosimo Piovasco di Rondò, the son of a wealthy Baron, climbs a tree in his backyard and swears never to come down.

Not ever.

And the funny thing is, he doesn’t…

Ranging from the swashbuckling to the intellectual and the amorous, The Republic of Trees is unique arboreal theatre — perhaps ‘the ultimate tree change’. A promenade twilight performance will take the audience on a travelling theatre experience through the dramatically beautiful Vaughan Springs Reserve. The action takes place as much in the trees above the audience as on the ground.

This exceptional work — 9 years in the making — is unmissable theatre.

Adapted from the original Calvino by multi-award-winning Australian author Wayne Macauley, and featuring a stellar cast of some of Australia’s circus and physical theatre glitterati, The Republic of Trees will resonate well beyond the performance itself.

Produced by Quarteracreblock
Written by Wayne Macauley
Directed and Designed by Dan Mitchell
Assistant Director – Susie Dee
Design collaborators – Rod Primrose, Matt Wilson, Geoff Dunstan, Francesca Bussey
Lighting – Gina Gascoigne
Rigging – Geoff Dunstan and Nicholas Dansin
Production Manager – Monique Harvey
Costume – Val Victor Gordon
Live music composed and performed by Chris Lewis and Jenny Thomas.
Performed by Matthew Wilson, Kareena Hodgson, Ian Scott, Nicci Wilks, David Joseph, Tony Morton, Geoff Dunstan, Kate Sherman, Freda Paten, Carl Kurrajong
Special Guests – Thompson’s Foundry Brass Band

‘How fitting that the world of wonder created by Italo Calvino, told with such charm and poignancy, should become the first recipient of this New Theatre Award. Republic of Trees, in making us look up at what floats above us, turns Calvino’s mysterious allegorical story into a living, breathing thing.’
Cate Kennedy, Author and Judge: George Fairfax New Theatre Award

Quarteracreblock acknowledges the indigenous traditional owners in all areas of Australia in which we work. We recognise their continuing connection to land, waterways and community. We pay our respect to them and their culture, and to their Elders past, present and future.

Stanton is a highly esteemed veteran of Australian stage, film and television. Hetreads the boards regularly with ‘The Bard’ for the Melbourne and Sydney Theatre Companies, in productions such as Macbeth, Richard III and King Lear. Stanton was lauded for his virtuoso performance as Julius Caesar in the now-famous MTC production and was nominated for a Helpmann Award for his Prospero in The Tempest for the MTC.

Pianist and composer Tony Gould AM is one of Australia’s most highly respected musicians. For three decades he has been involved in an extraordinary number of recording projects, both as pianist and composer, and has been at the forefront of music education in Australia.

Director Jill Forster starred in The Box – as twins! However, to modern audiences she is best known for her long-running role as Meredith Monahan in ABC TV’s Seachange, for which she won an AFI Award. Her most recent stage role was with the MTC in their production of Hannie Rayson’s Life After George. And When He Falls is her entree into stage directing.

Performed and adapted from Shakespeare and Marlowe by John Stanton
Original music composed and performed by Tony Gould
Sound Design by Matt Nicholson
Audio visuals designed by Polly Stanton
Photography by Matt Stanton
Directed by Jill Forster

‘Stanton is the real Shakespearean thing in a country that scarcely dreams of doing justice to the majesty or the sinuousness of Shakespeare’s language … his burnished and stony tones, the most famous voice in Australia’
THE SPECTATOR (UK)

three murdered women
three untold stories
wandering the underground for the rest of time

The Old Castlemaine Gaol could not be a more perfect venue for Chants des Catacombes, a gripping story about three forgotten murder victims — a showgirl, a courtesan and a surgeon. In this macabre musical theatre performance, the innocence of each woman has been stripped away, leaving them as entombed creatures from a strange time. History has turned the page yet these women continue to restlessly walk up and down the dark corridors of the catacombs, intermittently remembering and forgetting.

Poignant and eerie, Chants des Catacombes is an immersive and multi-sensory, promenade theatre experience. The audience is led through the gaol by an unfolding narrative. Lyrics are like bent fairytales, whispered, commanded, serenaded, shouted. Contemporary songs by artists such as Portishead, Nirvana and Laura Marling are adapted and given enchanting or horrific twists, transformed into the unique and the timeless.

Brought to us by Present Tense Collective, the historic Old Castlemaine Gaol will once again breathe and heave to a strangely familiar theme.

Chants des Catacombescomes to Castlemaine in 2013 after winning the 2010 Short+Sweet Cabaret Festival and sell-out seasons in Melbourne, and at the 2012 Adelaide Fringe.

Directed by Bryce Ives and Nathan Gilkes
Performed by Anna Boulic, Laura Burzacott and Zoe McDonald
Music performed by Nate Gilkes, with collaborating artists Xani Kolac of The Twoks and Mark Leahy
Choreography by David Harford
Design team led by lighting and space designer Nicola Andrews

‘…a powerful emotional catharsis. This highly original and dramatic production is not for the faint-hearted, but it promises a truly memorable theatrical experience’
ADELAIDE ADVERTISER, 5 stars

In 1957 the author Jean Giono said: ‘I wrote this story to make people love trees, or more precisely to make people love planting trees. Of all my stories it is one of the ones of which I am most proud. It has never earned me a penny and for that reason it has accomplished the very purpose for which it was written.’

Much more than a story about planting trees, The Man Who Planted Trees is a wonderful parable of life, the tale of a human being who saw a need and decided not to ignore it, but to ‘put things right’. The story is also known as The Man Who Planted Hope and Reaped Happiness and it holds a vital message for our time. Perhaps we all have a supply of special seeds hidden away for a better future …

This exceptional performance is brought to us by Scotland’s renowned Puppet State Theatre Company and is destined to be a sell-out highlight of the 2013 Castlemaine State Festival.

Adapted from Jean Giono’s story by Ailie Cohen, Richard Medrington and Rick Conte
Directed by Ailie Cohen
Performed by Richard Medrington (Jean) and Rick Conte (Jean’s colleague)
Set and Puppet Design by Ailie Cohen
Lighting Design by Elspeth Murray
Sound Design by Barney Strachan

Music
Canarios by Johannes Kapsberger, performed by Orphénica Lyra, directed by José Miguel Moreno
From Música en el Quijote on the Glossa label
Terre by Charles Trénet
From A Portrait of Charles Trénet
Music Collection International

Best Children’s Show 2009 Brighton Fringe Festival (UK)
Victor Award Winner at the 2009 IPAY Showcase, Cleveland, Ohio (USA)
Highest rated and reviewed show of the 2012 Edinburgh Festivals at Tickit.me (UK)
Winner of the 2012 CSPA Sustainable Production at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (UK)

‘It is very, very rare to find something that appeals as effortlessly to children and adults as this magical show…’
THE SCOTSMAN, 5 stars

Having debuted at COME OUT Festival in March 2011, this fast paced and visually layered story uses a delightful swag of mixed media to bring the characters and stories to life; puppets, projection, lighting, pantomime, song — even drag. Mostly performed in English, the play also incorporates Tiwi language, song and dance.

This multi-artform delight will whisk all audience members far away into the stories of one of the world’s most unique and ancient cultures. Wulamanayuwi and the Seven Pamanui was the talk of the 2011 Darwin Festival — regarded by many as the crowning jewel of the entire program.

Produced by Darwin Festival
Written by Jason De Santis
Directed by Eamon Flack

Designed by Bryan Woltjen
Puppetry direction and audiovisual imagery by Sam Routledge
Lighting designed by Richard Vabre
Composed by Jeffrey ‘Yellow’ Simon
Performed by Kylie Farmer, Kamahi Djordon King, Natasha Wanganeen, Jaxon De Santis and Jason De Santis
Scenic painting (set) by Raelene Kerinauia
Scenic painting (puppets) by Pedro Wonaeamirri, John Peter Pilakui and Linus Warlapinni

‘De Santis is a real talent: mischievous, poetic and assured’
THE AUSTRALIAN

Enter into an evolutionary journey starting with the very first unconscious being, and progress to the present day where we (humans) live with an acute sense of self-awareness (sometimes). Be challenged about the origins of life itself. Discover a puzzling world, where the unsettling lurks just beneath the surface.

This work is quite unlike anything you will have seen before and may even be more exciting than the Danish royal nuptials.

Idea, staging, set design and lighting by Sara Topsøe-Jensen
Music and sound by Rasmus Christensen
Performance and choreography by Kristofer Krarup and Cindy Rudel
Technical management and lighting by Karsten Nisbeth
Set design by Karsten Nisbeth and Troels Lindebjerg
Voice-over by Lars Høy

‘Carte Blanche has created a totally unique and unusual performance about evolution of life. It is truly a performance of such a kind, that you only rarely can experience’.
Herlev Teater, Denmark

Co-written, directed and performed by Mark Penzak and Eliza-Jane Gilchrist

Each artist will interpret a song using various forms of puppetry — shadows, objects, rod puppets, hands, and maybe a glove or two. Lit only by torches held by the audience and accompanied by live music, moving from tabletops to walls around the space, the artists will explore songs as story, poem, metaphor, emotion, and memory. Light up your night and expect the extraordinary.

Continuing its series of Slam Noir events, Black Hole Theatre has assembled an outstanding group of artists for this evening, including Stéphane Georis (Belgium), Michelle Heaven, Annie Forbes, Tim Denton, Rachael Winona Guy, Ken Evans, Rebecca Russell, Beth McMahon, Mike Bevitt, Eliza-Jane Gilchrist, Mark Penzak and more.

The Opening Night of the 2013 Castlemaine State Festival brings together an abundance of music maestros, stars of song and clusters of choirs, in a restaurant setting overflowing with musical offerings. Lyttleton Street becomes an outdoor extravaganza of plenty where festival goers are seated centre stage and served a profusion of festival appetisers that spill and flow from the surrounds of the street’s extraordinary buildings.

It’s a byo chair and food-to-share affair, at tables that fill the street and all enriched by a seasonal riot of Festival fare.

‘I’ll have a rare treat from the eighties with a touch of Mariachi for entree thanks, a Georgian table song for mains, oh, but wait a minute, what’s this Feast of the Mau Mau?’

A singing Maitre D’, her offsiders and staff, a restaurant band, a choir of hundreds will serve an audience of more than a thousand. A menu du jour of Castlemaine’s minstrels and stars, opera singers and street crooners, chorists and choirs, and the hottest ‘dish’ ever to grace the verandah of Castlemaine’s iconic Imperial Hotel.

Cornucopia! in song — it’s more than a mouthful of sing-a-long, it’s a feeding of the spirit.

Concept and Direction Jude Anderson, Punctum

Penny Larkins, Carl Pannuzzo, Aurora Kurth, Casey Bennetto, Mal Webb, Alana Hunt, Sofia Chapman, Al MacInnes, Brodie and Daniel Rogers, Ben Gibbons and James Cox

Plus members of the Chatwarblers, Acafellas, Castlemaine Singers, Castlemaine College Choir, Steiner School Choir, Maine Choir, 37 Degrees South, The Deborah Triangles, Mary Thorpe, Cyril Wong and Scott Sanders.

We wish to advise that tickets for Cornucopia! will now go on sale on Thursday 17 January NOT Monday 14 January.
For bookings please phone: (03) 5472 5123

Opening Night Seat Chart

Professor Adam explores Galileo’s theory of evolution, Pasteur’s ballistics and Newton’s theory of love. Harnessing science as the springboard for a layered and richly comic work that explores human dreams, ambition, and foibles in the context of the reality we know (or presume) to be ‘true’, it will be conclusively proven that the human brain is a cauliflower, that earth looks like a pizza and that life really is as fragile as an egg.

Performed by Stéphane Georis
Written by Stéphane Georis and Francy Begasse
Directed by Francy Begasse
Presented in Association with Black Hole Theatre

Performed by Stéphane Georis
Written by Stéphane Georis and Francy Begasse
Directed by Francy Begasse
Presented in Association with: Black Hole Theatre

When young Alex is sent to her room to tidy up her mess, she discovers the land of Curiosity — a magical place that can be reached only through a tunnel in the bottom of her toy box. The characters Alex meets in Curiosity seem to defy logic with their outrageous gravity-defying feats, including handstanding on stacks of chairs, cantilevered ladder balancing and frolicking on giant stilts!

Performed by three of Australia’s most brilliant circus theatre performers, Curiosity is a truly rare theatrical treat.

Blak Cabaret will take you on a heart-warming journey into our nation’s soul with its unique brand of blak brilliance. Featuring the deadliest mob of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performers, Blak Cabaret is a delicious cocktail of comedy, music, poetry and dance. After being a massive hit in 2012 at the inaugural Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival, it’s now Castlemaine’s turn to experience the hilarity, the exuberance and the good times that Blak Cabaret brings to town. Many of the performers are Traditional Owners of Victoria with the rest of the mob residing in our fine state, so make sure to get your tickets early because this show will sell out the theatre but not its people.

The Blak Cabaret singers, poets, comedians, dancers and musicians include:

MC Uncle Jack Charles, Dave Arden, Illana Atkinson, Liz Cavanagh, Kutcha Edwards, Jida Gulpilil, Johnny Harding, Shiralee Hood, Kevin Kropinyeri, Uncle Herb Patten and Lowana Wickham.

Produced by Jason Tamiru.

You may already know them as creators of YouTube sensations ‘Facebook in Real Life’ and ‘Wii Breakfast’, and now the sketch comedy stars of Edinburgh and Montreal Comedy Festivals – Idiots of Ants (aka. Andrew Spiers, James Wrighton, Elliott Tiney and Benjamin Wilson) – are coming to Melbourne (and Castlemaine!) for the very first time.

Prepare to witness the most bizarre revelation of World War 2, the launch of the new Idiots of Ants computer game (‘Urban Sword Fighter 3’) and find out what really happens in the male toilet. There’ll be some jokes your Dad might like, a hen night prank gone horribly horribly wrong, and find out the answer to the immortal question… ‘if an air guitar falls over in a forest does it make a sound?’.

“It’s simply sketch comedy how it should be done.****”
Chortle, UK

“Rock ‘n’ roll hysteria meets sharp and brilliant comedy.*****”
Time Out, UK

“I laughed so hard that I had to make an emergency dash to the loo.”
The Telegraph, UK

“Great, original, focused comedy writing, performed by a consummately talented foursome.*****”
The Scotsman, UK

“A joy to watch…… at the top of their game.”
The Independent, UK

Come to THE CLUBROOMS where you can warm up for an evening of Festival performances or wind down when the performances are done and dusted. Kick off, kick back and have a ball backstage at the Castlemaine Town Hall.

Sporting a rub-a-dub bar and grub, The Clubrooms have a trophy winning atmosphere and A-grade performances backstage, on stage, and beyond – warm ups, coaching, coaxing, crazy dance, cool tunes and hip moves, The Clubrooms combine live art with Allstar attitude, cabaret with locker room cheek, deep heat and Dencorub.

Featuring the Allstars, The Black Diamonds, Tuba, Flap! and guest players from the festival “bench”.

Come celebrate with the team ‘til the stars go home.