Aurora Energy Brings Exciting Festival Line-up throughout the Region

The Festival of Colour 2015 programme is out and tickets are on sale now.

Grady Cameron, Aurora Energy chief executive says “We are proud to continue our long-standing partnership with the Southern Lakes Festival of Colour, in this, our fourth festival as gold sponsor. The Aurora Energy touring programme will take some of the finest festival shows out to the wider region, from the Wanaka base to Queenstown, Luggate, Hawea and Cromwell.

“As the local electricity network, supplying nearly 31,000 homes and businesses in the Central Otago and Southern Lakes regions, we are delighted many more people will get to experience the excitement of the festival through the touring programme.

“The Southern Lakes Festival of Colour is an iconic event showcasing the creative energy of performers from New Zealand and overseas. We look forward to sharing these entertaining, and thought-provoking shows with the rest of the community,” says Mr Cameron.

Highlights of the Aurora Energy touring programme include:

• The Pianist, starring Thomas Monckton as a concert pianist attempting to play a highbrow concert that turns into an amusing catastrophe
• Acclaimed Melbourne trio, Suitcase Royale playing The Ballad of Backbone Joe - a murder ballad of junkyard theatre, visual trickery, dark humour and rag’n’bone live music
• The magic enchantment of The Bookbinder weaving shadow play, paper art, puppetry, and music into an inventive one-hour performance
• A mellow gig from rising song-writing star, Mel Parsons, with a voice that “could work any night in Nashville, yet somehow sounds intrinsically New Zealand”.

For media enquiries, please contact Gary Johnson, 021 224 2333.

About Festival of Colour

Proudly partnered by Aurora Energy, the Festival of Colour is an exciting biennial celebration of the arts. Six exciting days and nights of astounding performances and inspiring exhibitions set against the spectacular autumnal backdrop of the Southern Lakes. The Festival is based in Wanaka and with the support of Aurora Energy, reaches out to the wider region – to Queenstown, Luggate, Hawea and Cromwell. The 2015 festival takes place 21-27 April and will feature top theatre, music, dance and visual arts from local, national and international performers. Plus, there is an extensive schools programme and a free family street theatre day. For more information and ticket purchases visit www.festivalofcolour.co.nz.

2015 Festival of Colour Aurora Touring Programme

The Bookbinder (Wanaka)

An enchanting story from award-winning company Trick of the Light Theatre. It is a story of mystery, magic and mayhem. Inspired by the haunting works of Chris Van Allsburg, Neil Gaiman and Joy Cowley, The Bookbinder weaves shadow play, paper art, puppetry, and music into an inventive one-hour performance for adventurous adults and curious children. Awarded Best of NZ Fringe and Fringe Pick of the Festival.

The Ballad of Backbone Joe (Luggate)

Internationally acclaimed Melbourne trio, Suitcase Royale, arrive into New Zealand riding a murder ballad of junkyard theatre, visual trickery, dark humour and rag’n’bone live music. The Ballad of Backbone Joe tells a hilariously daft and gruesome tale of a murder set in a small country town, cooked up the way only The Suitcase Royale lads can.

Royale Riot (Hawea and Bannockburn)

Wear your best dancing shoes for Royale Riot – a night of bent and broken rockabilly tunes from award winning Australian band Suitcase Royale

The Pianist (Wanaka)

The Pianist is a hilarious contemporary circus piece starring that outstanding performer Thomas Monckton. The show is centred on, around and under a grand piano as this concert pianist attempts to play a highbrow concert that turns into an amusing catastrophe.

Mel Parsons (Wanaka)

With a voice that “could work any night in Nashville, yet somehow sounds intrinsically New Zealand”, one of NZ’s rising song-writing stars and two-time Tui Award finalist, Mel Parsons plays a mellow gig for our late morning family crowd. Having just released her critically acclaimed second album ‘RED GREY BLUE’, Mel is well known for drawing on the folk tradition of telling stories, and blending it with pop hooks and a unique sensibility to melody and harmony. Audiences will love her.

ENDS