Shadowland

In the place where dreams are made of sits Pilobilus’ fusion of physical theatre, dance, and shadow illusion production of Shadowland.

More than just a dance pieces whose meaning often falls short of the audience’s comprehension, this is a coming of age story that we can clearly follow.

The story begins with a teen girl who falls asleep and takes a journey through her dreams to fantastical and sometimes frightening lands to discover her independence. With the aid of dancers, she is swooped through the air, given the feeling of floating on the clouds, with her body responding in fluid wave like movements.

The show intertwines dance segments in between shadow illusions performed by the own dancer’s bodies and aided with props behind a number moveable projector screens of various sizes. The dancers transform themselves into creatures great and small (as well as inanimate objects) taking the childhood play of creating shadows on the wall with your hands to a whole new level as a group contact sport.

Although the entire show is a marvel, the highlight of the evening is the encore segment, which gave a special tribute to Australia. The local touch shout-out to Brisbane a-la shadow-style was audibly appreciated by the stirrings of a patriotic crowd.

Created in collaboration with Steven Banks, (lead writer for the animated series SpongeBob Square Pants) alongside David Poe’s atmospheric score, the 80-minute production of Shadowland offers a unique theatrical experience full of creative imagination at play, and a great evening of awe-inspiring entertainment for the family.

Following its Brisbane season, Shadowland toured to Canberra, Sydney and Adelaide.

For more information, see the Shadowland website.