Marina Mascarell

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird

Overview

Fiction is our new reality, and we devour it frenetically. Old structures are rupturing and the void is being filled by billions of personal stories. This piece poses many questions: the body’s meaning and its capacity to transform; the relationship with technology, and the connection with nature.

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird is the journey of some bodies towards the unknown, as mutant creatures in an oneiric valley. A place where the dancers abandon binarisms and old forms to embrace a transition process from what we were and are to what we will be. Bodies are penetrated by a constantly transforming place, decentralising the human, shifting our focus to still have a chance to survive; as hosts of a finite world, in an attempt to decode the old and understand where those ghosts will go or if we will succumb as well.

Creatives

Choreographer Marina Mascarell

Composer Nick Wales

Set & Costume Designers Lauren Brincat and Leah Giblin

Lighting Designer Damien Cooper

Media

★★★★ “This is Mascarell’s first Australian production, and her choreography is a novel treat: organic, inventive, and teetering on that whimsical border between humanoid, animal, and inert. A must-watch for the curious.” – Sydney Morning Herald

“Cleverly supported by Nick Wales’ superb score, the stage is a visual delight. There is a sense we are watching the sails of a whimsical ship. As the dancers pull and push the ropes, the silk banners rise and fall, creating visual magic.” – Fjord Review

★★★★ “Seven dancers pull on ropes and manipulate the fabric, bringing to mind at different stages sailors on an ancient ship, campers in the wilderness and perhaps survivors somewhere on a distant planet.” – Limelight

“This emotional piece gifted the dancers solos, duets and coalesced moments that showcased their fluidity, technicality and artistry. – The Wonderful World of Dance

“The dancing is slinky and powerful, fluidly controlled, including handstands and magnetic leaps.” – Sydney Arts Guide

Performance History

2024 Performances

Mercat de les Flors, Barcelona, Spain (Ascent triple bill)
14 – 16 March

Royal Opera House, London, UK (Ascent triple bill)
25 – 28 March

2023 Performances

World Premiere
15–26 March 2023
Sydney Opera House

National Tour
Canberra, ACT
9 – 11 March

Wyong, NSW
6 May

Adelaide, SA
11 – 13 May

Bendigo, VIC
31 May

Warrnambool, VIC
3 June

Darwin, NT
19 July

Alice Spring, NT
22 July

Hobart, TAS
27 – 29 July

Launceston, TAS
2 August

Newcastle, NSW
9 August

Port Macquarie, NSW
12 August

Sydney Coliseum Theatre West HQ, Rooty Hill, NSW
26 August

Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse, VIC
29 August – 2 September

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Overview

Fiction is our new reality, and we devour it frenetically. Old structures are rupturing and the void is being filled by billions of personal stories. This piece poses many questions: the body’s meaning and its capacity to transform; the relationship with technology, and the connection with nature.

The Shell, A Ghost, The Host & The Lyrebird is the journey of some bodies towards the unknown, as mutant creatures in an oneiric valley. A place where the dancers abandon binarisms and old forms to embrace a transition process from what we were and are to what we will be. Bodies are penetrated by a constantly transforming place, decentralising the human, shifting our focus to still have a chance to survive; as hosts of a finite world, in an attempt to decode the old and understand where those ghosts will go or if we will succumb as well.

+

Creatives

Choreographer Marina Mascarell

Composer Nick Wales

Set & Costume Designers Lauren Brincat and Leah Giblin

Lighting Designer Damien Cooper

+

Media

★★★★ “This is Mascarell’s first Australian production, and her choreography is a novel treat: organic, inventive, and teetering on that whimsical border between humanoid, animal, and inert. A must-watch for the curious.” – Sydney Morning Herald

“Cleverly supported by Nick Wales’ superb score, the stage is a visual delight. There is a sense we are watching the sails of a whimsical ship. As the dancers pull and push the ropes, the silk banners rise and fall, creating visual magic.” – Fjord Review

★★★★ “Seven dancers pull on ropes and manipulate the fabric, bringing to mind at different stages sailors on an ancient ship, campers in the wilderness and perhaps survivors somewhere on a distant planet.” – Limelight

“This emotional piece gifted the dancers solos, duets and coalesced moments that showcased their fluidity, technicality and artistry. – The Wonderful World of Dance

“The dancing is slinky and powerful, fluidly controlled, including handstands and magnetic leaps.” – Sydney Arts Guide

+

Performance History

2024 Performances

Mercat de les Flors, Barcelona, Spain (Ascent triple bill)
14 – 16 March

Royal Opera House, London, UK (Ascent triple bill)
25 – 28 March

2023 Performances

World Premiere
15–26 March 2023
Sydney Opera House

National Tour
Canberra, ACT
9 – 11 March

Wyong, NSW
6 May

Adelaide, SA
11 – 13 May

Bendigo, VIC
31 May

Warrnambool, VIC
3 June

Darwin, NT
19 July

Alice Spring, NT
22 July

Hobart, TAS
27 – 29 July

Launceston, TAS
2 August

Newcastle, NSW
9 August

Port Macquarie, NSW
12 August

Sydney Coliseum Theatre West HQ, Rooty Hill, NSW
26 August

Arts Centre Melbourne, Playhouse, VIC
29 August – 2 September