Herosilo — Toaki Okano: Brel for Silo Theatre 2012 (detail)

Work / Set Design

Striking images for New Zealand theatre Silo’s summer season by Toaki Okano

Words by Rob Alderson, Monday 23 April 2012

When people ask us what we look for in prospective employees one of the things we always say is a cultural knowledge as broad as it is deep and an insatiable hunger to sniff out the best creativity around. It takes us to some pretty leftfield corners of the web, such as the website of New Zealand theatre Silo.

The theatre’s statement reads: “We create bold work: showcasing energetic and uncompromising performance. Epic in scale, with no embargo on either ambition or artistic risk. We deliver cutting-edge next generation storytelling from around the world and New Zealand. We’re global in our outlook – speaking to contemporary concerns, dealing with human, emotional and sexual politics.”

And that they practice what they preach is proved in these brilliant pictures for their summer season, with Auckland art directors Alt Group and photographers Toaki Okano representing five very different plays in a series of striking, indelible images. They’re mighty effective too and would make me go to the Silo if I lived that side of the world. What the heck, I might go anyway…

Private-lives_cmyk — Toaki Okano: Private Lives for Silo Theatre 2012

Top-girls_cmyk — Toaki Okano: Top Girls for Silo Theatre 2012

Tribes_cmyk — Toaki Okano: Tribes for Silo Theatre 2012

The-pride_cmyk — Toaki Okano: The Pride for Silo Theatre 2012

Brel_cmyk — Toaki Okano: Brel for Silo Theatre 2012

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