Festival Director Notes:

“Since 1920 some of the world’s most outrageous performers have played to hundreds of thousands of audience members in a dozen countries in the intimate, seductive atmosphere of The Famous Spiegeltent.

What better cause for celebration than the 90th birthday of this grande dame of showbusiness and one of Sydney Festival’s favourite playspaces?

This magnificent tent has so many stories to tell, and many ghosts from opera to vaudeville and circus artists - how to celebrate 90 years of Spiegel magic, intrigue and escape? With Spiegelmaestro David Bates we decided to give The Famous Spiegeltent its very own show that placed the rich history, and the tent itself, at the centre of the story. Sydney Festival invited director Craig Ilott and shape-shifting musical phenomenon iOTA to create a completely contemporary show befitting of the tent’s journey through the 20th and 21st centuries, evoking the spirit of performers past and present who have created magic there, embraced by the sensual surrounds of coloured canvas, carved wood, smoke and mirrors...

In Smoke & Mirrors you’ll see some familiar faces (in not so familiar roles) and meet a brilliant and eclectic troupe of talent that features some of Australia’s best cabaret, circus and musical performers. Sydney Festival is deeply proud to present the World Premiere of Smoke & Mirrors. Come with us as we run away to the circus...”

Lindy Hume
Festival Director, Sydney Festival

Director Notes:

“I’d just like to acknowledge the collaborative environment presentalong the Smoke & Mirrors journey. iOTA and I as co-creators have been blessed with creative input from each and every  performer/musician - for whom individual performance is not where it ends but where it begins. All have embraced the process and contributed mightily to it.

To the ‘brains trust’ and key creatives/collaborators – Nick Dare, Tina Harris, and Saskia Moore.

To Adam, Dan, Josh, Matt, Lisa and the Festival family.

And finally to Lindy Hume and David Bates for having the courage to roll the dice on a new show and team.”

Craig Ilott
Director

Biographies:

Joe Accaria

Joe is a Sydney based drummer/percussionist/composer who graduated from Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1993. Since then Joe has performed and recorded extensively throughout Australia, Europe, Asia, Africa, Central America and the USA. He has performed with an eclectic group of artists, including Andrea Bocelli, Cyndi Lauper, Joe Cocker, Jamiroquai, Smokey Robinson, Human Nature, David Campbell, Yothu Yindi and Tap Dogs.

Chris Ball

Chris studied saxophone and piano at the Sydney Conservatorium in 1990. Since then he has worked continuously, in Japan, Germany and Switzerland as well as around Australia, as a saxophonist, pianist, vocalist, composer and producer.

Nicholas Dare

Nicholas’ design credits include: The Pillowman (Company B Belvoir) for which he was nominated for a Sydney Theatre Award; Lovesong (MTC); Hegwig and the Angry Inch (Showtune Productions); Honour Bound (SOH); The Emperor of Sydney, The Marvellous Boy and The Woman With Dog’s Eyes (Griffin Theatre Co). Other productions include Edmond and Dealer’s Choice, both directed by Craig Ilott.

Martin Hailey

Martin is a versatile guitarist whose credits include artists as diverse as Jimmy Little, Abby Dobson, Jenny Morris, Lo-Tel, James Blundell, Karma County, Diana Anaid, GANGgajang, Human Nature, Pseudo Echo, Junglehammer, Pape Mbaye, Nina Hagen, Paulini and David Campbell. Recently Martin has been in the UK as a producer and guitarist for Jimmy Somerville’s new record.

Tina Harris

Tina is a multi-instrumentalist with a diversity of talents as a performer, composer and musical director. She was musical director for Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Showtune Productions), and composer and music director for Dosostias (Parallel Theatre), and was associate musical director on RENT.  She has also performed in cabaret with Paul Capsis, Todd McKenney, Genevieve Lemon and Christine Anu. In her other incarnation she is a funk and salsa bassist.

Craig Ilott

Craig’s credits include The Pillowman (Company B); Love Song (MTC); The Pig Iron People (STC); Hedwig And The Angry Inch (Showtune Productions); Rainbow’s End (Riverside); Dealer’s Choice, Edmond (Albedo Theatre), and The Suitors (Easily Distracted).  He received a Green Room Award for Best Director of a Musical for Hedwig And The Angry Inch. The Pillowman was nominated for six Sydney Theatre Awards in 2008, including Best Director and Best Production.

iOTA

iOTA’s theatre credits include Hedwig and the Angry Inch for which he won a Green Room Award, a Sydney Theatre Critics Award and a Helpmann Award for Best Male Actor; The Rocky Horror Show for which he was nominated for Best Male Actor and Graeme Murphy’s Berlin with the Sydney Dance Company. He most recently played a coyote in Jose Rivera’s References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot.

Matt Marshall

Matt is a graduate of the WA Academy of Performing Arts. He works as a lighting and video designer across all genres ranging from theatre, events, corporate launches and nightclubs. His recent theatre credits include: The Wharf Review 2009: Pennies from Kevin (STC), The Distance From Here (Griffin Stablemates), A Flowering Tree (Perth International Arts Festival) and Abigail’s Party (Ensemble Theatre).

Chelsea McGuffin

Chelsea has over 15 years experience working within the physical theatre/circus industry and worked with CIRCA from 2001 until 2009. Her credits with CIRCA include by the light of the stars that are no longer, The Space Between, FURIOSO and Regarding the Joy of Others. She trained at the Centre for Performing Arts, Adelaide as a dancer then in 2002 she trained at The Moscow State Circus School and with international clown Angela Decastro.

Todd McKenney

Todd has worked across stage, screen, television and radio. He performed the role of Peter Allen in the critically acclaimed Australian production The Boy from Oz which earned him two Mo Awards, the Variety Club Heart Award, the Glugg Award, the Green Room Award, the Australian Dance Award and the Helpmann Award. Todd was most recently seen onstage in Priscilla, The Musical.

Saskia Moore

Saskia is an award winning independent arts producer, artist (and occasional DJ). She has a Masters of Fine Arts and is Director of Vanilla Productions, producing and creating critically acclaimed productions at Downstairs Belvoir St Theatre, The Old Fitzroy Theatre, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Singapore Arts Festival, Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Adelaide Fringe Festival. She is touring her original artwork Audrey Jeane’s Travelling Slide Show for Perth International Arts Festival 2010.

ThisSideUp Acrobatics

Casey, Christian and James formed ThisSideUp in 2006 and have toured their production Controlled Falling Project throughout Europe in 2008 & 2009, including seasons at Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Spain’s Festival TAC de Valladolid and Italy’s Festival Teatri di Confine. All three have over 10 years of high level gymnastics and circus training, specialising in hand balancing, teeter board and russian bar.

Timothy Woon

Timothy studied magic and illusion in New Zealand, Australia and America; and contemporary dance and performance at the N.Z. School of Dance. He has worked throughout the Asia-Pacific region, appearing and disappearing in some surprise locations and transforming many high profile events.

Queenie van de Zandt

Queenie works in musicals, plays, cabaret, on television and film, and is a recording artist, comedienne and writer. She has worked for most theatre companies, producers and TV networks around the country. Credits include: Women of Troy (STC), Oliver! (Cameron Mackintosh), Scooby Doo (Warner Bros) and Very Small Business (ABC). She’s also known as her cult comedy character – Jan van de Stool. Nominated for 10 major theatre awards and winning three times, Queenie is a proud MEAA member since 1989.