IMAGINE LIVE invites you on a journey of creativity, friendship, and the wonders of our natural world. Performers breathe life into the pages of Alison Lester’s beloved book, revealing hidden depths and unexpected adventures. IMAGINE LIVE is heading to the DreamBIG Children’s Festival in Adelaide this weekend for four magical performances.
The production was adapted for stage by Jolyon James. Jolyon is a multidisciplinary visual artist, writer and performance maker. Between 2014-2021 Jolyon was the Artistic Associate and lead artist at Arena Theatre Company and has held teaching and directing roles at The Victorian College of the Arts [VCA] and Monash University. In 2019 Jolyon wrote, directed and designed Robot Song, winning the prestigious 2019 Helpmann Award for Best Children’s Production.
Joylon spoke to Glam Adelaide about IMAGINE LIVE and what drew him to the arts as a career path.
“For me, a career in the arts never felt like a choice. I come from a family of professional artists across a wide spectrum of disciplines from visual arts and photography to writing and theatre. My mother was a well-known painter and textiles artist and all my siblings are practicing professionals. We are a constant source of inspiration for one another. I learnt very early that in a world of perpetual flux and change, creativity was a constant. More than being an opportunity for self-expression, for me creativity was a way to self-regulate, focus and make sense of things.”
Joylon is the writer, director and designer for IMAGINE LIVE. We asked him what drew him to Alison Lester’s incredible book to adapt it for the stage.
“This book completely captivated me as a new parent over 15 years ago and has not left our bookshelf since. Our family has sung it, acted it out, and invented our own places inspired by Alison’s stunning illustrations and words. Imagine taught me that narwhals are real, that your bed is a boat and most of all that your imagination can sustain and hold you long after your iPhone is out of charge. Imagine holds an important message for us all, but is particularly powerful for young people navigating life during these current complex times. Recent studies point to an alarming escalation of anxiety and mental health issues in young people and, placed against the backdrop of unfettered technology, social media and tired anxious parents, Imagine is a beautiful reminder that connection, creativity, and play are powerful ingredients for good health and well-being. I truly believe our imaginations are more important now than ever.”
Jolyon worked closely with a brilliant creative team (Composer: Nate Gilkes, Performer and Assistant Director: Ashlea Pyke, Performer and Digital Puppeteer: Philip McInnes) to take this production from page to stage.
“I have an incredible team who I trust deeply. Nate Gilkes is a gifted composer who approaches his work with a profound sense of humanity. His music anchors the piece while still allowing it to span the rich spectrum of the book’s locations and ideas. My other key creatives, Ashlea Pyke and Phil McInnes, apart from being my dear friends, bring a wealth of skills and experience from decades in the industry. I’m also lucky, as writer, director, and designer that a huge amount of the creative conversation just takes place inside my head – I can quickly make script changes, add or cut scenes or props at any moment to best support the action on stage. Surprisingly, these creative departments very rarely disagree!”
IMAGINE LIVE is in town for the DreamBIG Children’s Festival. There are four performances over this coming weekend — May 10 and 11 at 11.30am and 2.00pm each day.
“DreamBIG Children’s Festival is an absolute highlight for me. My previous show Robot Song also played at the Dunstan Playhouse Theatre and the young Adelaide audiences were a complete delight. I think the way we have approached the adaptation will most surprise audiences. Instead of a classic book adaptation, I’ve attempted to put what it feels like to read this book on stage. To me the book has always been an invitation for play, to push the furniture aside and dive headlong into other worlds. While always honouring Alison’s stunning original material, we have woven in a sense that anything could happen at any moment, that the world is populated with magical things and all you have to do is open your heart to the possibility. My favourite comment made by a parent who saw the show recently was this: ‘I adore this book and had no idea how you would adapt it to the stage, and now I cannot imagine it being anything else.’ “
IMAGINE Live
Dunstan Playhouse, Adelaide Festival Centre
Saturday 10 May: 11.30am and 2.00pm
Sunday 11 May: 11.30am and 2.00pm
Age Suitability: Ages 5 – 11
https://dreambig.adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/imagine-live
Photo credit: Peter Foster Photography
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