Image courtesy of shadowlandlive.com
Shadowland by Pilobolus is an international theatrical presentation, which has journeyed all the way from the USA and has reached the shores of Australia.
The 1.5 hour show depicts the tale of a teenage girl who yearns for independence. One night she goes to sleep and from her dreams she awakes to her shadow waiting behind her bedroom wall. The girl travels deeper and deeper into Shadowland where she encounters intriguing characters and creatures.
The show tells the tale of the young girl's adventures using mind-boggling lighting, sounds and you guessed it, shadows!
Image courtesy of shadowlandlive.com
I was very fortunate in being invited to the opening night of Shadowland at the Arts Centre Melbourne on Wednesday, 28 May 2014. As I was ushered towards my seat, which happened to be in a prime location and bestowed upon me excellent views of the act, I waited with baited breath. The show started at 7:30 pm on the dot.
Shadowland commenced with a young girl who goes to bed, falls asleep and drifts away into a dreamland where she awakes to find her shadow. The dreamland can be mostly viewed in dull colours with occasional introduction of bright hued segments into the performance.
As you follow the young girl on her journey you will find yourself being sucked into her world where shadows dominate, evil rears its head and love comes in many shapes and forms. Shadowland creates images and shapes that evoke a paradigm of emotions as you find yourself becoming part of the show itself.
Only using their bodies, the extremely good-looking and talented troupe creates incredible shapes with great precision. Animals such as dogs, camels, elephants can be formed in a moment by the acrobatic troupe while flowers, jellyfish, cooking pots and
all kinds of unexpected shapes can be conjured in an instant seemingly out of thin air.
Image courtesy of shadowlandlive.com
When the magic finally ended and the cast bowed its heads, a five minute long clapping ensued as the audience gave their heartfelt felicitations to the charming cast. This prompted the cast to carry out a second part of the show where they portrayed the tale of the troupe travelling all the way from America to Australia and touching down on Melbourne. You catch sights of indelible images of the Statue of Liberty, JFK, planes, hot air balloons, cars, the great outbacks, kangaroos, koalas and so on.
The stunning conclusion which culminated with a life size impression spelling out 'Melbourne' drew more vigorous claps from the enthralled crowd followed by a standing ovation.
Image courtesy of shadowlandlive.com
The astounding choreography accompanied by sensational performances by the troupe makes Shadowland the first show of its kind anywhere in the world. Hats off to this extraordinary show which truly blew my mind!
Shadownland has finished their shows in Melbourne and after wooing Melburnians they have set off to captivate more souls.
After Melbourne, Shadowland will be enticing patrons in the following locations on the given dates:
Auckland from Tuesday 3 June to Sunday 8 June (Auckland Civic Theatre)
Brisbane from Tuesday 10 June to Sunday 15 June (QPAC The Playhouse)
Sydney from Tuesday 17 June to Friday 20 June (The State Theatre)
Canberra from Saturday 21 June to Sunday 22 June (The Canberra Theatre)
Perth from Wednesday 25 June to Sunday 6 July (The Regal Theatre)
Adelaide from Wednesday 9 July to Sunday 13 July (Her Majesties Theatre).
Image courtesy of shadowlandlive.com
Pilobolous is an internationally recognised dance troupe which has performed in over 64 countries and been part of 100 choreographic works.
Shadowland by Pilobolous has entertained more than 500,000 people around the globe.
Ticket prices for Shadowland start from $74.50 while discounts apply for concessions card holders and group bookings. The show is recommended for audiences aged 8 years and over. Please visit the
official website to learn more about the amazing show and the ticketing options.