Hawke's Bay Arts Festival brings eclectic range of shows to Napier

Troll combines storytelling, projection and puppetry.

A range of shows open this week in Napier as part of the Hawke's Bay Arts Festival. The performances have broad appeal to suit a range of budgets and interests.

After a one year hiatus, the opening weekend of the festival will bring the streets of Napier to life once again, when Napier's arts quarter will play host to Nuit Blanche - Art After Dark, this Saturday night, October 15.

Napier's galleries, back alleys, carparks, and lanes will feature contemporary art exhibitions, installations, live music, DJs, moving image projections, dance, and street performance. Also on Saturday, October 15, is Tutu's on Tour. A selection of works will showcase the Royal New Zealand Ballet, including Le Corsaire, The Nutcracker, and ballets by Christopher Wheeldon, Olivier Wevers and Shaun James Kelly.

Skin Tight will be at MTG Century Theatre on Tuesday, October 16. Skin Tight premiered at BATS Theatre in 1994. It won a coveted Fringe First Award at the 1998 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has been produced in the UK, Australia, South Africa, Europe, Canada and the USA.

In association with The Small Hall Sessions, on Wednesday, October 19, Jackie Goes Prima Diva will be at the Meeanee Hall. Jackie will be accompanied by Grammy-nominated pianist Stephen Small, who divides his time between playing and recording with world orchestras (London Symphony, Czech National) and NZ rock 'n roll royalty (Hello Sailor).

On Saturday, October 22, Hello Darkness will be performed at the MTG Century Theatre. While receiving treatment for prostate cancer, writer Peter Wells reached out to the world via Facebook, where he examined his life as he also contemplated the end of it. Peter's posts were collated and published under the title Hello Darkness. Now, award-winning playwright Victor Rodger has adapted Hello Darkness as a one man show. Directed by Shane Bosher and featuring Roy Ward, Hello Darkness is both moving and amusing.

Troll is on Saturday, October 29, at 1pm at MTG Century Theatre. From internationally acclaimed Trick of the Light Theatre comes a lo-fi wi-fi fable, combining storytelling, projection, and puppetry. As mobile phones become light sources, laptops transform into skyscrapers, and charger cords morph into puppets, Tröll tells a story both mythic and modern, in the vein of Stranger Things.

For full schedules and information for these Napier shows and more, visit www.hbaf.co.nz