Enjoying some southern comforts
A STAR of next week’s Festival of Colour has arrived in the district a week early for some family business.
James Rowland, of the United Kingdom, will perform oneman show Every Brilliant Thing during the first two days of the Wanakabased festival.
But first he is spending down time in Glenorchy with younger brother Matthew, who has lived in the township for the past two years and works for horsetrekking company Dart Stables.
Rowland said it had been a trip of firsts: visiting New Zealand, riding a horse, and on Monday night, seeing the aurora australis from the top of Mt McIntosh.
He had even been for a swim in Lake Wakatipu.
‘‘It was incredibly cold, but compared to the UK actually quite warm.’’
In Every Brilliant Thing, he tells the story of a 7yearold boy whose mother has tried to kill herself.
‘‘In order to cheer her up, I decide to write a list of everything that’s brilliant about the world.’’
Written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe in 2014, the show was toured around the world by Donahoe for three years before he passed the baton to Rowland, a longtime friend, this year.
‘‘It is about depression and suicide, but handles it with humour and in a way that shares the sadnesses and joys of life with the audience.’’
It had been described by British newspaper The Guardian as ‘‘the funniest show you’ll ever see about depression’’, he said.
He took the show to the Auckland Arts Festival last week after a twoweek tour of Australia.
From his first performance in Auckland, he noticed an ‘‘instant upsurge in friendliness’’ from audiences across the Tasman.
That connection was vital as the show had an element of audience involvement.
‘‘In this show it’s very gentle and kind, and there’s never a situation where anybody’s being put on the spot or being asked to do anything they wouldn’t want to do.
‘‘But the show doesn’t work without it, and it was a real delight in Auckland.’’
Judging by the people he had met at the pub in Glenorchy this week, he was expecting southern audiences to be even more convivial.
The Festival of Colour runs from April 4 to 10. One show, No Science to Goodbye, will be held in Glenorchy on April 7.