Blending storytelling puppetry, music and live video projection, this magic-realist gem is brought to the stage with beautiful, strange, emotional richness, all the way from Ireland.

Inspired by acclaimed Colombian novelist and short story author Gabriel García Márquez’s Un Señor Muy Viejo Con Unas Alas Enormes, this production by Dan Colley takes the audience to a kitchen in a theatre where two storytellers find an injured old man with enormous wings, who may be an angel. After consulting with the neighbour – who’s an expert on all things magic – the couple decides to shelter him in a chicken coop, leading to a story of encountering a wise woman, a skeptical priest and hopeful pilgrims seeking healing.

This highly inventive show, combining music, puppetry and live video, taps into both the best and worst of humanity. “We are thrilled to bring this magical performance to Vernon. The masterful storytelling with this charming dark tale will have children and their families riveted,” says VDPAC Artistic Director Erin Kennedy.

The production is directed by Dan Colley, a Creative Director, Producer and writer for theatre and film. Colley specializes in ensemble-devised theatre, theatre for young audiences, comedy, community participation, puppetry, and outdoor spectacle. He trained as a Youth Theatre Facilitator with Youth Theatre Ireland and holds a BA (Hons) in English and Philosophy from NUI Galway. He is a member of the Project Arts Centre, a board member of the Dublin Fringe Festival and is Theatre Artist in Residence at the Riverbank Arts Centre, Newbridge, Ireland.

Colley expresses, “I’m delighted that this piece will get to be shared with audiences in Vernon. Whenever it meets people in a new place, I’m always fascinated to see how they read its strange, ambiguous characters. Everyone sees something different in it and it’s often about something close to home”.

The audience can expect a magical experience with an engaging story that “is brilliantly, wittily, inventively told…” (The Wee Review, August 2022). This beautiful narrative offers great entertainment for all ages, both adults and kids alike. Critically acclaimed with five-star reviews, called “Transcendently beautiful” by The Scotsman, and “Near theatrical perfection” by The Arts Review, this production has captured the imagination of audiences around the world.

Supported by Culture Ireland, the show has toured extensively in Ireland, visiting renowned venues like Riverbank Arts Centre, The Abbey Theatre, Everyman Theatre and the Project Arts Centre. International tours of the show include the Netherlands, the USA, Canada and the UK, with highlights at the Irish Arts Center in New York, and the Ottawa Children’s Arts Festival. Notable awards include Best Design at the Dublin Fringe Festival in 2019 and the Lustrum Award at the Edinburgh Fringe for an ‘Unforgettable Show’ in 2022.