Adapting the best they can
Photo by Benjamin Wilson.
Sisters Lily and Lauren Empson are ready to tell the story of Elsie, as soon as COVID permits.
They had planned to debut the original work this week at Hamilton’s Meteor theatre, but the district move to Level Three put a hold on that.
Halfway through packing into the theatre, they heard the announcement that Hamilton was changing levels due to cases in the community.
Depending on alert level two, they are looking at October 14-16 as new dates. Otherwise, they will look further into the calendar to find alternatives.
“With so much uncertainty around COVID and lockdowns over the last year and a half, I have learned to just roll with it” Lily Empson said. “We are in level three, and we can’t change that, so we just have to adapt the best we can. If we can do it next week, then we are all ready to go.”
Photo by Benjamin Wilson.
Created and performed by Lily and Lauren Empson, Elsie follows the story of a young woman trying to piece together fragments of family legend, fact, and memory left behind after the wake of Nana Elsie’s death.
Through the process of grief, a young woman meets Elsie long before she was a Nana, discovers the incredible life she led and the legacy that she leaves behind in the memory of her family.
Elsie combines physical theatre and contemporary dance to explore how shared memories are a tool to hold onto those we love.
This piece has created a part of the Boil Up Creative Development programme.
Photo by Benjamin Wilson.
The sister are local Hamilton talents and have been dancing and performing since they were children.
In 2021, Lily worked as the co-choreographer of Moving Parts NZ show Shifting Dynamics, Lauren was also a dancer in this show. Previously in 2020, Lily Choreographed Hamilton Musical Theatre’s Funny Thing That Happened on the way to the Forum, where Lauren played Vibrata.
Lily adds that she is “incredibly thankful for the mentorship and creative support the Boil Up Programme has provided. It has been a wonderful experience to work with industry experts, local mentors, as well as my family to create Elsie”.
Book your tickets here: Elsie
