Praneeta Mahajan
Hamilton, February 16, 2024
Olivier Award-winning Belgian dance theatre company, Peeping Tom, will make their debut in New Zealand 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 a few days away.
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, Peeping Tom has a huge fan base across the world, and now the audience at the Auckland Arts Festival are in for a treat with their thrilling new production, ‘Diptych.’
‘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.
About the performers
Peeping Tom is a Belgian dance theatre company, founded by Gabriela Carrizo and Franck Chartier. Everything in Peeping Tom’s work starts from a hyperrealist setting. The creators then break open this realism.
They create an unstable universe that defies the logic of time, space and mood. You become the witness, or rather, the voyeur, of what usually remains hidden and unsaid. Isolation leads to an unconscious world of nightmares, fears and desires, which the creators deftly use to shed light on the dark side of a character or a community. The huis clos of family situations remains for Peeping Tom a major source of creativity. Presented using rich imagery, a fascinating battle arises against one’s environment and against oneself.
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, but 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.
About the show
Playing from March 22, 2024, to March 24, 2024, and recommended for audiences aged 16 and above, ‘Diptych’ delivers an immersion into the dark side of characters and communities.
Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival Artistic Director Shona McCullagh said, “Peeping Tom is one of Europe’s stellar physical theatre companies, and is 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 show on Saturday, March 23, 2024, an artist talk will take place at 8.45 pm, 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.
Praneeta Mahajan is an Indian Newslink reporter based in Hamilton.
