The storylinefollows Antarctic enthusiast Bonnie and younger sibling Nikau who have been promised ice cream, but, it’s a hot day, and on the way back from the shops, the ice cream begins to melt.
This 45-minute, family-friendly performance utilised a range of circus arts including aerial silks, contortion, stilt-walking, juggling and chair stacking to get the ice cream safely back home for the whānau.
Performed in the picturesque Mansfield Garden, the story wove in environmental issues and some educational elements specific to Aotearoa, which my 7-year-old fact-obsessed kid soaked up.
Nikau, played by Mary Piggin and Jaine Mieka as Bonnie, captured a playful tone throughout the performance and had the audience, a mix of young and old, captivated with their storytelling and humour.
Mary and Jaine were accompanied by the strength and skill of Beth St John and Oli Craddock who had supporting roles throughout the story but showcased the more awe-inspiring circus arts.
Prior to the show, an illustrated storybook was emailed to ticket holders to help younger audiences prepare for or reflect on the story, which was a lovely bonus.
The Dust Palace troupe of circus performers brought Ice Cream is Melting to the Hamilton Arts Festival – Toi Ora ki Kirikiriroa. Photo / Abby Dalgety
The storytelling elements were not just a visual mix of wonder, the music and sound effects built tension and surprise. Everything was well-timed and choregraphed almost perfectly.
Watching the performance at 1pm on a blistering hot summer day in Kirikiriroa with no shade, had the audience melting at times, but really drove home the plotline of melting ice creams.
It was great to see a performance tackle the global issue of climate change in such a captivating way aimed at a younger audience and not lose any fun and humour.
Mansfield Garden is a bit of a hike from the entrance, so we did have to stroll through the busy Hamilton Gardens.
However, it was a great opportunity to have a look around and a reminder of how lucky we are to have such an amazing backdrop for performances during the Hamilton Arts Festival.
My 7-year-old thought we had done two fun activities, wandering through the gardens and seeing some talented circus performers in a silly and fun ice cream survival story.
Abby Dalgety is a tutor at the School of Media Arts at Wintec Te Pūkenga in Hamilton.
