The Storyville Mosquito: the mosquito who dreamed of being an artist
The world premiere of a new work by Kid Koala at Place des Arts
Well-known for creating wildly unusual worlds that fuel the imagination, Kid Koala is presenting his new work, The Storyville Mosquito, at Place des Arts from November 27 to December 8, 2019. A show combining technology, music, and video—with some fifteen performers, 70 puppets, and five cameras on stage bringing this story-without-dialogue to life, working together like a well-oiled machine.
The Storyville Mosquito is a graphic novel that jumps out of its pages and comes to life before the audience’s eyes. The story of a young mosquito who leaves his small town to seek fame and fortune in the big city and fulfill his dream of playing in a renowned jazz band is literally illustrated, performed, filmed, and musically scored live. A team of performers, musicians, foley artists, and technicians bring the characters to life using miniature sets, puppets, multiple cameras and screens. The puppets—the emotional core of the narrative—transport the audience to their world without dialogue, accompanied by an original music soundtrack featuring a string trio and Kid Koala on keyboards, turntables, and electronic instruments.
“One of my fondest memories from childhood was when my whole family—grandparents, parents, and kids—would huddle together to watch Charlie Chaplin films, laughing along as the story unfolded. Since those days, something about the silent film format has always struck a chord with me. For The Storyville Mosquito, I had this idea in mind for several years: a mosquito pursuing his dreams finds himself faced with all sorts of challenges and must decide what’s really important to him. It’s taken me a long time to develop the story to the point of bringing it to life on stage, but I’m delighted to be working with a team of incredible artists to give the world premiere of this show in Montreal, in the Cinquième Salle at Place des Arts, a space that lends itself incredibly well to this work,” states Eric San (Kid Koala).
Two special performances for families and a chance to meet and dance with Kid Koala!
On Sundays, December 1st and 8, performances of The Storyville Mosquito will take place at 2 pm to give children of ages 6 and up, and their parents, the opportunity to experience the adventure… at a reasonable hour! The series of performances will culminate in a Robot Dance Party on Saturday, December 7 at 1 pm in Place des Arts’ large indoor public space. In a festive atmosphere, Kid Koala will demystify the process of creating electronic rhythms and discuss his work as a DJ. A costume-making activity is also on the program, ensuring the public will be good and ready to jump onto the dance floor for the robot dance workshop! A free event for the entire family.
The Storyville Mosquito – Cinquième Salle, Place des Arts
November 27 to December 8, 2019
Tickets : www.placedesarts.com
About Kid Koala
Eric San, known as Kid Koala, began his career as a DJ, releasing his first album, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, in 2000 on the renowned English label Ninja Tune. He has toured with the likes of Radiohead, Arcade Fire, the Beastie Boys, and Björk, and has collaborated on other musical projects with Gorillaz, Deltron 3030, and The Slew.
Kid Koala presented the highly acclaimed Nufonia Must Fall at Place des Arts in 2016, and the show has since toured around the world, notably to the United States, China, Chile, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. With The Storyville Mosquito, Kid Koala returns to Place des Arts, delving deeper into stronger emotional content and once again showcasing his talents as a composer, creator, and director.
