Robert Catto, Photographer - Superb, Professional Photography for Business and the Arts in Sydney, Australia

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Today in New Zealand International Arts Festival history: The Prophet (2004) & Revolt of the Mannequins (2010)

Downstage Theatre
Downstage Theatre
Downstage Theatre
Downstage Theatre
Downstage Theatre
Downstage Theatre
Locations around Wellington
Locations around Wellington
Locations around Wellington
Locations around Wellington

Wow, we're getting towards the end of the Festival, aren't we!  Well, there's still time for a few more shows - this one's Hone Kouka's play The Prophet from 2004, by Taki Rua Theatre; and a rare example of when I had to do an actual 'photo call' for a show, rather than being able to cover a rehearsal or show.  I always resist doing that if I can, because I don't think you get the same emotional honesty in the images by getting actors to perform a quick bite of the show just for the camera; but sometimes, it's the only option.

As I recall, we did this one after an evening performance, so at least they'd just been through the show and could get back to those moments fairly easily - but I'd always prefer they come naturally out of how the show progresses than do a stop-start 'okay, next scene' cue-to-cue sort of thing.  It does mean I have to keep up with their pace, but that's the kind of challenge I enjoy!

Next is the Revolt of the Mannequins, an outdoor installation (of sorts) that ran for ten days all over shop windows in Wellington.  Very cleverly done, it showed a series of vignettes that changed daily showing different stories of mannequins taking over the shop fronts, breaking out - and even making it to the roof, in some cases...

There's one image at the end that shows the workshop where it all got made - not giving too much away, but there were a LOT of mannequin parts!