The Wider Earth, Dead Puppet Society’s majestic reimagining of Charles Darwin’s voyage on the HMS Beagle, is coming to IPAC, 16 – 19 March, 2022 as part of it’s national tour.

The award-winning production features an ensemble cast, remarkable puppetry, cinematic projections, and an original score by Lior and Tony Buchen, which when combined, bring to life uncharted landscapes and incredible creatures in a highly ambitious theatrical re-telling of one of the most important discoveries in history.

The Wider Earth was originally developed at St. Ann’s Warehouse in Brooklyn, New York, and is the result of nurturing from all over the globe after Dead Puppet Society spent time working with the genre-breaking Handspring Puppet Company in South Africa and traveling to the Galapagos.

This national tour marks the show’s first-time home since its world-premiere at the Queensland Theatre back in 2016. Dead Puppet Society Creative Director, David Morton, who penned The Wider Earth, said he and the team are excited to bring the production to the Illawarra.

“The Wider Earth is one of our most ambitious bodies of work... It’s more than just a reimagining of Darwin’s iconic journey around the world, it’s a coming-of-age story about science and faith, and how one doubting man with a questing heart set out to ask a question of Mother Nature and found the answer to everything.” Morton said.

Since its world premiere, The Wider Earth has wowed audiences from Sydney to London, touted as ‘Fascinating, insightful and Magical’ by UK publication Entertainment Focus, and nominated for the Best Entertainment and Family awarded at the highly globally recognised Olivier Awards in London in 2019. Receiving five-star reviews on the tour thus far from publications such as Scenestr, audiences in Wollongong can expect a performance to remember.

The story of The Wider Earth will take audiences from the dizzying heights of the Andes to the depths of the Amazon rainforest, through the storms of Tierra del Fuego, to the endless wonders of the Galapagos Islands, and while the sense of creation and theatre will be incredibly visual and at times, jaw-dropping, Morton advises the tale is very much for an adult audience.

DATES 16 – 19 March 2022 TIMES Wed 16 Mar, 7.30pm Thu 17 Mar, 11am & 6.30pm Fri 18 Mar, 7.30pm Sat 19 Mar, 1.30pm & 7.30pm
LOCATION IMB Theatre, Illawarra Performing Arts Centre
TICKETS Premium; $84 Adult: $72 Concession/Group 8+: $67 Under 30s: $62 Family of 4: $248 (Max 2 Adults) A per transaction fee of $6.95 applies for phone and online bookings. Under 30s tickets only available in person at the Box Office or over the phone.
BOOKINGS https://merrigong.com.au/shows/the-wider-earth/

AGES Ages 10+. Contains strobe lighting.