Dreams of a Lonely Planet

Our show considers the universal experience of struggling to belong, inspiring audiences of all walks of life to be courageous, think outside the box, and be proud of their uniqueness.

We tell the tale of our hero, Boy, and his journey to the Lonely Planet. Boy finds Earth to be a bit of a scary and confusing place. He yearns to escape and ride his flying bicycle far off into the sky…and galaxy beyond! The Moral Compass, a mystical goddess born of sun-rays and moon-shadow, is always watching fondly over Boy. When he falls asleep, she transforms his blanket fort into a magical portal and together, they journey to another world.

A welcoming lighthouse guides them through the night, all the way to meet the sole resident of a tiny planet, the Lamplighter. He cares for one thing and one thing only: his Lamp. Lamplighter and Lamp cannot be without each other, and they need no-one else. With love bursting from the seams, Lamplighter is a burst of colour that lights the darkness. Boy has never seen anyone like him; so brave and bold and free to be themselves. The Lamplighter shows Boy that his big feelings can be boundless, and that he doesn’t have to hide them anymore.

After joining Lamplighter in a celebration of Lamp’s birthday, it is time for Boy to continue on his journey, and for Moral Compass to say goodbye. As they part with a tearful farewell, Moral Compass returns to dust, and her soul dances through the milky way as Boy follows the stars back home.

Form and Style

Contemporary dance and puppetry are the two main forms presented in our show. We use these forms to tell our story in an abstract way. This invites audiences of all ages to be analytical, curious and imaginative, in order to make their own interpretations of what they see. Our show is quiet, sensitive and gentle, splashed with moments of whimsical humour.

The characters we play are embodied with detailed movement and cartoonish, playful expressions. Some scenes are accompanied by voice recordings, to provide more context into the characters’ thoughts and feelings. Using a blankfort fort as our projection screen, shadow puppetry plays out like live-animation, depicting the characters’ long journeys through the cosmos. Our original sound score guides the emotional ebbs and flows of the story; from anticipating adventure, to laughing in silliness, to lonely birthdays and poignant farewells.

Our set and costume design plays an integral part in creating the magic of the show. The backdrop features a sweeping mural of the Lonely Planet’s galaxy; skies of pink, purple and blue, with planets, moons and shooting stars. Boy is dressed for adventure, equal parts Amelia Earheart and Ziggy Stardust, complete with a pilot’s scarf and lightning bolt face paint. Moral Compass glows golden in her vintage pierrot-esque outfit and sparkling sun-crown. Lamplighter wears his bright personality through a polka dot shirt, pastel waistcoat and mint green leggings with fluffy pink edgings.

Community Engagement

We offer a 1-hour dance and craft workshop for children aged 7 – 12, centred around the themes of belonging and uniqueness. For school groups, these can be held on school grounds, or in the performance venue after students have viewed the show. In the dance component of the workshop, children can learn choreographed dance sequences from the show, imaginatively create their own movements inspired by the show, and embody the show’s characters through playful improvisation. In the craft component of the workshop, children are invited to make a “jar of dreams”, by writing in and decorating a small cork-sealed jar with a description of their own “Lonely Planet”; a unique place where they feel creative and inspired. Children may wish to contribute their jars to our foyer display.

We also offer post show Q&A sessions with the cast, held in the performance venue directly after viewing a show. We can provide educational notes, if a teacher would like to discuss themes, concepts, dance and puppetry with their students in class before or after seeing the show.

We offer the following foyer activation activities:

• Chandelier of Dreams: this is a foyer installation of mini-jars (to which children can contribute after participating in a workshop) that hang like a chandelier in fluffy, glowing clouds. The chandelier can be set up in a hallway or foyer near the entrance to the theatre.

• Colour in your own Lonely Planet: pencils and colouring-in paper provided, and you can add your finished work to our pin-up board.

• Pin-up board: an eye-catching display with informative behind the scenes designs, original puppet designs, show synopsis and team/character photos.

• Artwork display: original cartoon drawings by Estelle Brown, made at the time of the show’s conception, can be displayed in a glass box, a frame or hung on the wall with string.

REVIEWS

“A very sophisticated foray into children’s theatre, devised by performers who know how to draw an audience (young and old) into a place of rapturous, wide-eyed wonder. Keep an eye out for Flying Bicycle Collective because these guys, in their debut show, have already discovered the magic formula for children’s theatre.” (Rosalind Appleby, Seesaw Magazine)

“Dreams of a Lonely Planet has found its power within its simplicity. The show’s key forms of storytelling, movement and shadow puppetry, are executed brilliantly. I found myself quite unexpectedly being wrapped up within the magic of this story and left feeling nostalgic and reminded of the power of imagination.” (Holly Furguson, Magazine 6000)

“Towards the end one begins to suspect this is not, in fact, a playful space-themed children’s dance performance, but a metaphor for infatuation, heartbreak, loss, and letting go.” (Nanci Nott, ArtsHub)

Available Marketing Collaterals

Professional performance photos and trailers (1 min and 3 min versions) taken from our September 2022 season with AWESOME Arts Festival and The Blue Room Theatre

• Promotional photos and video trailers from outdoor photo shoot, designed for social media stories and posts

• Professional Hero Poster – can be printed as AO, A3, A5, and as flyers

• Program (A4 double-sided) with information about the show, characters, credits and acknowledgements

• Media Release

• Active social media campaign on Instagram and Facebook engaging with venues and communities before and during the tour (@flying_bicycle_collective)

credits

Estelle Brown and Izzy Leclezio are Perth artists and founders of Flying Bicycle Collective, an emerging contemporary dance and cross-disciplinary performance initiative for young audiences. As choreographers, performers, dance teachers and professional writers for the arts, they have worked for Natalie Allen, STRUT Dance, The Blue Room Theatre, AWESOME Arts, Perth Festival and Dance Australia.

Our third performer Isobelle Collie is an independent dance and physical theatre maker, whose work reflects a deep interest in psychology, philosophy and self-expression. Yvan Karlsson, founder of Monkey Brain Theatre, played a vital role as director in the creation of our original

production.

Holly Ballam is our versatile can-do stage manager, bringing experience working for The Blue Room Theatre and WA Opera. Nikita Bernardo is an upcoming Perth-based designer. She is the master-mind and detailed craftsperson behind our colourful costumes, set and galaxy

mural.

Peter Young is an experienced lighting designer who brings it all to life, lighting our mural in a myriad of moods, lighting the magical blanket fort (home to our shadow puppets), and programming a Bluetooth Lamp that can “speak” through pulsing light. Peter works across many venues in Perth and has toured with a CiricuitWest supported show, “BANG! BANG” by Scott Elstermann and Shona Erskine.