Grand Opening

“When the Barbarians took over the Opera House.”

Grand Opening is a site-specific promenade performance presented in your city’s favourite historic theatre - a whirlwind tour of the building's forgotten spaces.

Grand Opening subverts traditional audience and performer roles, showcases undervalued community performing arts voices and gives public access to grand performance venues.

The ushers have lost the keys, and we are forced to enter through the back door, a journey that ends with the audience themselves presenting the show's Grand Finale. On the way we encounter local artists, community groups, outsiders and celebrities.

Grand Opening has been performed at Wellington's Opera House as part of CUBADUPA 2014, at Auckland's Civic Theatre as part of Auckland Live's Summer in the Square 2018 and again as part of Auckland Live’s Cabaret Season 2019, and at Toitoi: Hawke’s Bay Arts and Events Centre in 2020. (Available as a bespoke event).

Grand Opening: The Way of the Barbarian (dir Jacob Perkins)