Festival has wow factor

Circus group Casus brings death defying feats and thought provoking theatre to Upsurge.

Upsurge looks set to live up to its promise as one of the most diverse and entertaining four-day festivals the Bay of Islands and Hokianga has seen.

Festival director Sophie Kelly said she had enjoyed pulling together a line-up that "pushes the boundaries as much as it entertains and surprises".

The variety of performances includes family drama, hip-hop, rhythm and blues, heartstopping/heartwarming circus-theatre, fantastical storytelling, nostalgia with Kiwi musician Tim Finn and nostalgia via a poignant play.

Screenwriter, playwright and novelist Duncan Sarkies and musician Joe Blossom recreate the work from Sarkie's new novel The Demolition of the Century in a funny, sometimes heartbreaking, look at families, memories and the fragility of the human mind.

White Cloud is musician Tim Finn's show crafted with award-winning playwright Ken Duncum and film-maker Sue Healey. White Cloud is an alchemy of observation, photographs and journals, story and song, delivering a potent celebration of family, ancestors and what it means to be Pakeha.

New Australian circus troupe, Casus, bring death-defying feats and thought provoking theatre to an endearing show called Knee Deep, while self-confessed story-o-phile and frock-o-holic Tanya Batt offers children of all ages traditional tales with quirky variants.

Then there's rhythm and blues Sal Valentine & The Babyshakes, playing at the Duke of Marlborough Hotel in Russell, and Eb & Sparrow, a genre-defying five-piece folk band moving effortlessly between a country shuffle and a Tex-Mex croon at Marsden Estate.

Out of the Box, Hip-Hop with Attitude features some of Aotearoa's finest hip-hop choreographers and dancers; and for a special night at the Copthorne Resort Hotel in Hokianga, New Zealand's International award-winning barbershop quartet The Musical Island Boys will deliver a dazzling performance.

Storyteller Tanya Batt will entertain the younger set with her magical and quirky retelling of traditional tales.

Multi-instrumentalist Adam Page will wow both young and old with his high energy, fun music.

And there's much, much more at venues including Paihia, Russell, Kerikeri, Kaikohe, Omapere, Hokianga and Kohukohu.

For more details on all of the performances and workshops visit www.upsurgefestival.co.nz-All tickets are available at The Turner Centre in Kerikeri, by phone on 09 407 0260 or online at www.turnercentre.co.nz