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Festival Programme Unleashed


MEDIA RELEASE: For immediate release

Festival Programme Unleashed

The Christchurch Arts Festival launches their 2009 programme tonight.

Highlights of the 18 days of arts, culture and entertainment on offer between Thursday 23 July and Sunday 9 August include:


• The internationally lauded SLAVA's Snowshow from Russia. Already seen and adored by millions around the world, it's now Christchurch's turn to be bedazzled by magical Russian clowning and breathtaking visual spectacle.

• Sydney Dance Company's 360¢ª, directed by the company's hot new artistic director Rafael Bonachela, hailed as one of the most inventive choreographers in the world today and who isn't ashamed to mix avant-garde with mainstream, as client Kylie Minogue can attest.

A Midsummer Night's Dream, a one-night fully staged performance of an abridged version of Shakespeare's beloved comedy directed by Elric Hooper, accompanied by Felix Mendelssohn's complete incidental music played by a 52-strong CSO conducted by Tom Woods. This promises to be a unique theatrical occasion.

• Two world premieres at The Court Theatre: New Zealand playwright Ken Duncum's stunning adaptation of F Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gadsby, and Christchurch Samoan theatre company Pacific Underground's Angels.

• Dave Armstrong's rollicking new Kiwi comedy Le Sud, a PC-free zone which imagines a French-colonised South Island and wickedly pokes fun at three cultures while leaving no sacred cow un-jabbed.

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• Zany Lyttelton theatre-circus troupe the Loons' Happy Home Road directed by Mike Friend. A show that, according to its writer Joe Bennett, "giggles while it bleeds" with its extraordinary mix of circus, dance, music and drama.

• The dazzling T'ang Quartet from Singapore with young international pianist sensation John Chen, featuring a specially commissioned Piano Quartet by the Chinese-New Zealand composer Gao Ping. A celebration of the significant contribution of modern China to the global arts scene

The WinterGarden returns as the festival focus in Cathedral Square with the entertainment hub for night time gigs, the TelstraClear Club, and also featuring the exciting addition of the magical TV One Ice Dome, an ice rink which will be open to skaters of all ages and abilities throughout the festival. A comprehensive programme of theatre, dance music and visual arts, including a Creative Day on Friday July 24 with performances by from students and staff of the Creative Industries Faculty at CPIT, will bring the Cathedral Square alive with a true festival buzz. Highlights at the TelstraClear Club include the legendary singer/songwriter Paul Kelly with A to Z, national treasure Dave Dobbyn, alt-cabaret trio The Tiger Lilies and Irish blues and jazz diva Mary Coughlan.

ENDS

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