Regions

Curiosity! Choice! Wonder!

What’s inside the Wonderbox?

Sensorium Theatre – Australia’s leading theatre company making work specifically designed for young audiences with disability and their friends – invites children to roll the dice and set out along a safe, exhilarating pathway into the unknown.

Inside a giant puzzle-box of illusions, kooky-carnival friends with magic in their pockets lead audiences into an immersive multi-sensory wonderland of fantastical large-scale projections, strange tiny delights, and infectious live music. EVERY child’s curiosity is celebrated and rewarded with wondrous surprises. As boxes reveal boxes within boxes each child is given the opportunity to find a magical version of themselves.

Inside the Wonderbox, micro moments of whole worlds in a matchbox lead into macro universes where EVERYONE, their face reflected in the stars of the Milky Way, is invited to be wonderful!

Every aspect of the show has its audience in mind and, considering the different needs that any given audience might have, this is a huge challenge. It’s also really important to rise to this challenge. With Wonderbox, Sensorium Theatre does just that. This production is a beautiful example of the inclusive potential of live theatre.”

Seesaw Magazine (Perth Festival 2023 Premiere)

Audience preparatory materials

Wonderbox includes comprehensive online preparatory materials, offering exclusive insights into the show’s story, characters, and techniques, enhancing the audience’s experience by familiarizing them beforehand for a more enjoyable show.

Capacity building opportunities

As part of our weekly package, we offer two sought-after professional learning workshops. These sessions cater to diverse professionals, including venue staff, artists, educators, librarians, therapists, and carers. Valuable for anyone working with individuals with disabilities, these workshops also benefit broader contexts like childcare, playgroups, and community services. We welcome participation from frontline service providers as well as those in formal and informal education or therapy roles, enhancing capacity across various sectors and communities.

Credits

Co-Artistic Directors
Michelle Hovane & Francis Italiano

Director & Designer
Francis Italiano

Assistant Director
Michelle Hovane

Musical Director & Composer
Jamie David

Songwriting and Additional Composition
Rebecca Bradley and Jamie David

Dramaturgs & Devisors
Francis Italiano, Michelle Hovane, Rebecca Bradley, Jamie David, Daisy Sanders

Movement Director
Daisy Sanders

Rehearsal Director
Ella Hetherington

Costume Designer & Associate Set Designer
Amalia Lambert

Headpiece Design & Construction
Mand Markey

Costume Construction
Ellen Flatters

Lighting Designer
Lucy Birkinshaw

Audio Visual Designer & Projections
Roly Skender

Creative Coder & Technical FX
Steve Berrick

Performers
Jamie David
Bec Bradley
Rachael Woodward
Gabriel Critti-Schnaars
Joana Lavole

Production Manager
Roger Miller

Stage Manager
Catherine O’Donoghue

Assistant Production Manager
Joana Lavole

Produced by Performing Lines WA

Information for Presenters

WONDERBOX will be touring nationally and internationally in 2024 & 2025.

Full-length documentation video available on request

Recommended age
8yrs+

Audience size
Up to 15 children, plus their carers, for a maximum of 30 people per show (usually a 1:1 ratio)
This show has been created for children with all abilities and is fully accessible for those with wheelchairs.

Schedule
Monday: Travel
Tuesday: bump in + professional dvp
Wed – Sat: 2 shows per day + bump out

Touring requirements
Touring party: 6 performers, 2 crew
Bump in: 8 hours (3 crew)
Bump out: 6 hours (3 crew)
Space: Preference rehearsal or large room (L: 14m x W: 10m x H: 4.6m)

 

Jeremy Smith Senior Producer
Cecile Lucas Marketing Coordinator and Associate Producer

Presentation History

2023
Perth Festival
Perth, WA
Awesome Arts Festival
Perth, WA
View full Presentation History

Full Presentation History for Wonderbox

2023
Perth Festival
Perth, WA
Awesome Arts Festival
Perth, WA
2024
State Theatre Centre
Perth, WA
Geelong Arts Centre
Geelong, VIC
Bunjil Place
Narre Warren, VIC
Tamworth Town Hall
Tamworth, NSW

Project Partners & Acknowledgements

Wonderbox has received significant public and private support including the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body; the WA Government through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries; Cassandra Gantner Foundation, Wind Over Water Foundation, the Australian Culture Fund, Spinifex Trust, JEM Foundation and Arts Impact. The world-premiere of the work was commissioned and presented by Perth Festival. Wonderbox is produced by Performing Lines WA.

 

Images by Jessica Wyld
Promo video by Edwin Sitt

In everything we do, we acknowledge that we live on Aboriginal land and constantly learn from the wisdom of First Peoples.

Where we are and the history that precedes us informs how we work and how we move forward.