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The Dust Palace is an esteemed performing arts theatre and circus located in Auckland, New Zealand. With its visually stunning and intimate circus theatre shows, The Dust Palace aims to challenge, engage, and delight audiences through narrative works that blend the genres of circus and theatre. Established in 2009, The Dust Palace has become the most established circus theatre company in New Zealand, consistently presenting fun, exhilarating, and thought-provoking performances.
The mission of The Dust Palace is to foster circus arts practitioners in Tmaki Makaurau and throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. They also strive to create circus theatre that takes Aotearoa's stories to the world, valuing quality, audacity, and humanity. The company believes in connecting communities, sharing skills, and creating shows that are frank in their exploration of human nature.
The history of The Dust Palace began in 2009 when they created their first shows for the inaugural Auckland Fringe. One of their notable early productions, “Burlesque As You Like It: Not A Family Show,” examined the place of burlesque in contemporary society and laid the foundation for their political and theatrical beginnings. The company was formed with members of the cast and crew of this show.
In 2011, The Dust Palace was invited to open Q Theatre's Loft space, which marked a significant step forward in their journey. They developed a show called “Venus Is. ,” which delved into the conversation between an older couple trying to rediscover their authenticity with one another. This performance received critical acclaim, leaving a lasting impression on the audience and the theatre community.
Another milestone for The Dust Palace was the production of “Love and Money” in 2012. This show drew inspiration from real-life experiences and writings of director Mike Edward. Set primarily in a strip club, the circus work in “Love and Money” was used to enhance the narrative flow, punchy dialogue, and physical comedy. The show received high praise for its breathtaking, beautiful, funny, and poignant performance.
In subsequent years, The Dust Palace continued to explore new avenues in their productions. They presented “Same Same, But Different,” a series of same-sex dance/circus duets, and collaborated with Auckland Live to create “Knock Knock. ” By 2015, The Dust Palace had successfully toured several shows including “with a stranger,” “Love and Money,” “Venus Is. ,” and “Cirque non Sequitur.
” This marked a turning point for the company as they began to experiment with new ways of blending story and circus.
The Dust Palace created two new works in 2015 called “Top of the Heap” and “Ithaca. ” “Top of the Heap” was a unique storytelling experience set on a pile of furniture and challenged by the pathways the circus performers could take. On the other hand, “Ithaca” was an elaborate dinner-theatre production in collaboration with Q Theatre, presenting a cirque-musical retelling of a classic tale.
As a leading circus theatre company, The Dust Palace offers more than just performances. They also provide professional development opportunities, workshops for all ages, event entertainment, and venue, equipment, and costume hire services. They have a dedicated school that offers classes for adults and youth, and they are committed to outreach programmes and scholarships.
The Dust Palace is supported by a community of loyal followers and sponsors who believe in their mission and vision. They always encourage individuals to join their whanau (family) and become a part of their artistic endeavours.
To contact The Dust Palace or book their services, individuals can visit their website or social media pages. With their dedication to pushing the boundaries of contemporary circus and theatre, The Dust Palace continues to captivate audiences in Auckland and beyond.
