Enchanting illumination and mystical darkness will unfold as Patch Theatre’s latest creation ZOOM opens across Adelaide and regional South Australia.

Using original music, lasers and projections, ZOOM is the first work by Patch’s new Artistic Director and lighting virtuoso, Geoff Cobham. Inspired by Crockett Johnson’s much-loved children’s picture book Harold and the Purple Crayon, the high-end production takes the audience on a transformational journey with light and discovers that the dark is a magical place.

Geoff Cobham, Artistic Director of Patch Theatre said: “I loved the story of Harold and the Purple Crayon as a kid, I still do! This particular book and the idea that you can draw a landscape of wonder and excitement and then immerse yourself in it, played an integral part in my interest in light, in theatre and now in theatre production for kids.”

ZOOM is a captivating story of a child alone in her bedroom, unable to sleep and curious to understand. When a lost star arrives in the middle of the night, adventures happen and with the assistance of the audience, the girl discovers a community of people who can help her return the star home.

Geoff Cobham continued: “I wanted to create a show for our 4 to 8-year-old audience that was more than just entertaining and continued the Patch legacy of producing work that is utterly engaging, explores big ideas and takes young imaginations to a whole other place. Children of this age are such a capable audience. We know from our work with Early Childhood Educators that children in the 4 to 8-year age range are forming abstract thoughts. You see them use objects in their dramatic play to represent other things or make movements to represent a more complex action. Their ability to pretend and the scope of their imagination fascinates me and I think it’s important to nurture and challenge that through the arts.”

Combining old-school whimsy with state of the art technology, ZOOM features the talents of composer Jason Sweeney and up-and-coming actors Temeka Lawlor and Angus Leighton.

Audience members are invited to ‘bring a piece of dark’ to the show which will be exchanged for their own personal light.

Geoff Cobham explains: “The theatre itself will have an element of darkness to it when children first enter so each child will receive their own interactive light which will aid as a little spark that keeps them safe and helps guide them through the interactive sessions of the show. We want to demonstrate how the dark can be a magical place where dreams are made and that light is at its most beautiful when it’s surrounded by darkness.”  

ZOOM opens at the Space Theatre in the Adelaide Festival Centre on Tuesday July 23 and runs until August 10. The performance will tour to Port Pirie, Whyalla, Renmark, Mt Gambier, Tanunda, Golden Grove and Noarlunga.

General Public performances

Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

·       Sat July 27 11am and 2pm

·       Sat August 3 11am and 2pm

·       Sat August 10 11am and 2pm

Space Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

·       July 23 – August 9

·       Port Pirie, Northern Festival Centre – August 13

·       Whyalla, Middleback Theatre – August 15

·       Renmark, Chaffey Theatre – August 20

·       Mt Gambier, Sir Robert Helpmann – August 22

·       Tanunda, Barossa Arts Centre – August 27

·       Golden Grove, Golden Grove Arts Centre – August 29-30

·       Noarlunga, Hopgood Theatre – September 3- 6

Created by                    Geoff Cobham, Dave Brown, Roz Hervey

Composer                     Jason Sweeney

Designer                       Michelle Delaney

Technical Designer        Christ Petridis

Technical Intern            Alexander Hatchard (Carclew Fellowship)

Animation                    Luku

Performers                   Temeka Lawlor, Angus Leighton

Patch Theatre has been making shows for 4 to 8-year-old children and their families from our home in South Australia since 1972.  In our 47 years, we’ve made 109 much loved theatre works and performed to over 1.8 million children around the world. 

In 2019, Patch has embarked on an exciting new direction under the leadership of Geoff Cobham (Artistic Director) and Teena Munn (Producer), focussing on a reimagined style of design-rich theatrical experiences that put children and their curiosity first.

After premiering new works in Adelaide, Patch tours extensively regionally and nationally (for which we have Australia Council National Touring status) each year.   International touring continues to grow, as we add to over 30 seasons across the USA, Canada, Singapore, Korea, Japan, China, Hong Kong and New Zealand.

Anthea Hagar | 0403 651 665 | antheahagar@gmail.com