A MUSEUM BEYOND BOUNDARIES
Te Manawa Museum of Art, Science & History, Main Street, Palmerston North
24/06/2020 - 27/06/2020
Production Details
What stories and secrets are hiding amongst some of the most famous pieces in our museum’s collection? Centrepoint Theatre’s Basement Company invite you on a journey of discovery, as they take over Te Manawa for four whole nights of promenade performances!
Step inside a museum without boundaries and let our youth company lead you through an after-hours, interactive experience featuring eerie, challenging and hilarious responses to the pieces that inspire them most.
All audience members are requested to:
Dress Warmly
Bring a torch
Intakes at 6pm, 6:30pm, 7pm and 7:30pm
CONTENT NOTICE
Some performances may include strong language, sexual references and references to violence. Recommended for ages 13+
Te Manawa Museum, 326 Main Street, Palmerston North
24-27 June 2020
Wednesday • 6PM, 6.30PM, 7PM & 7.30PM
Thursday • 6PM, 6.30PM, 7PM & 7.30PM
Friday • 6PM, 6.30PM, 7PM & 7.30PM
Saturday • 6PM, 6.30PM, 7PM & 7.30PM
24 – 27 June
Opening Night: Wednesday 24 June
TICKETS: All • $15
*Seniors and Community Services Cardholders. Valid I.D. is required.
BOOK NOW
Please be aware that tickets are non-refundable. Any tickets for exchange must be returned to Centrepoint Theatre at least two days prior to the performance date. Under no circumstances will tickets be exchanged after the performance date.
Youth , Theatre ,
Good use of suspense, surprise and humour
Review by Tania Kopytko 25th Jun 2020
Basement Company 2020 last night premiered their A Museum Beyond Boundaries promenade performances at the Te Manawa Museum, as a “Te Manawa Takeover”.
Under the Directorship of Lizzie Tollemache, the Associate Director at Centrepoint Theatre, thirteen young actors have created six quite different short performance pieces in a range of areas within the museum. Each is inspired by museum pieces and places, and they range from the humorous to scary, eerie and spooky. All are clever.
The opening piece takes place in the old telephone booth where a young man agonises over making a call; an experience many of us have had. He seeks advice from the audience – which nearly works. It is a great opening vignette. Good use is made of Te Manawa’s varied exhibits: the Fish and Chip shop sign and an old 1970s table where two women agonise over their roles and relationships, then – eeeeek – – we move on to Te Manawa’s weta cave!
A very ‘scientific’ looking area is labelled ‘Area 51’, which of course can only invite something very strange. Again, as with the earlier pieces, there is good use of suspense, surprise and humour. The mood shifts as we all move outside to the old historic buildings. Here the stories become more sombre, deep and thoughtful, covering domestic violence and mental illness, then finishing with an insightful view of pandemics and social justice.
Well done actors of 2020 Basement Company. You are not afraid to explore the agony of self-consciousness, the ridiculous and to provide some pertinent societal observation. Have a great season!!
The promenade lasts about 1 hour and is cleverly repeated so that four promenade shows were presented in the evening.
Note: Some performances may include strong language, sexual references and references to violence. Recommended for ages 13+
See here for starting times and booking.
Basement Company project at Centrepoint Theatre has been running since 2005 and is an intensive full-year programme for emerging artists to gain professional level skills and experience. Alumni of the company leave with experience in performance, stage craft, voice, improvisation, script analysis and devising. The programme is built around two public performances during the year.
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