From November 10th The Playground (NZ Ltd) will open their development season of Ecology in Fifths by award-winning director and performance designer Sam Trubridge as part of the Massey University BLOW festival.

Ecology in Fifths questions the ‘clean green image’ of the New Zealand Landscape, revealing the environmental tensions that lie underneath our grassy paddocks and forest canopies. The work draws on H Guthrie Smith’s (1921) Tutira: The Story of an NZ Sheep Station, an obsessive account of the NZ ecology that is now a recognised classic in environmental science worldwide.

An elevated platform of grass becomes the stage - wherein suburban rituals, pastoral tragedies, and earthy reveries unfold to the rhythm of an immersive soundscape by NZ composer Bevan Smith. Seated on four sides of this structure, the audience is enveloped in the ecology of the work constructed through musical composition, choreography, and performance design.

This new work follows successful seasons of Sleep/Wake in the 2009 Auckland Festival and Wellington’s 2008 Fringe Festival. Sleep/Wake won a Gold Award in the 2009 BeST Design Awards and Fringe Awards for Best Production Design and Most Outstanding Performer. Prior to this The Playground presented The Restaurant of Many Orders at London’s Sadler’s Wells, Te Whaea in Wellington, and toured Italy.

The Playground is pleased to be working again with Elizabeth Barker who dances often with award winning UK company Punchdrunk Theatricals. Elizabeth has also worked with ENO and The National Theatre in London. Other dancers include Anita Hunziker (Footnote Dance), Alex Leonhartsberger, and Joshua Rutter. Viennese born Leonhartsberger has worked with companies in NZ and abroad, including Fabulous Beast, Australian Dance Theatre, Douglas Wright, Michael Parmenter, and RNZ Ballet.

Environmental issues are a critical theme in the production that extend into its design realisation, with an emphasis on developing sustainable practices. With the short life of many structures built for theatre it can sometimes be costly to our environment.

“Productions often compromise design or personnel in order to make theatre that tours easily. Our challenge is to ask how we can sustainably produce the original concept without having to lose the spectacle and intrigue of design led performance” Sam Trubridge, Director of The Playground (NZ Ltd).

The Playground has drawn on the use of local companies who already have sustainable practices in place.  Productspec has sourced eco-friendly products for set building, as well as offering architectural and design advice to the team.  Their posters are being printed by Astra Print, who have GOLD certification in the Enviro-Mark NZ Programme, on FSC credited paper sourced from Spicers Paper. Even the wine being served is carbon zero, thanks to Peter Yealands Wineries.

Performances will be held at the old Laser Force building on 15 Courtenay Place, which has been redressed for the show and decorated with new light designs by David Trubridge. Productions run from November 10 – 21. Tickets can be booked online with Downstage (www.downstage.co.nz) or by calling 04 8016946.