Saying goodbye is never easy, especially when it’s a farewell as poignant and artistic as this. Australia’s beloved Slingsby Theatre Company is bowing out with one final, breathtaking show, and it’s a masterpiece you won’t want to miss. Nestled in the serene Adelaide Botanic Gardens, a unique circular wooden structure has emerged, designed to intimately host 110 audience members. Above its entrance, a sign reads, ‘Wandering Hall of Possibility,’ hinting at the magic within. But here’s where it gets emotional—this isn’t just another performance; it’s the company’s last hurrah after two decades of captivating young audiences and their families.
A Concise Compendium of Wonder is a trilogy of shows, each reimagining fairytales by the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen, and Oscar Wilde. But this isn’t your typical fairytale retelling. The stories span millennia, from famine-stricken medieval Europe to a moon colony in the year 3099. What’s truly remarkable is how these tales are interconnected, performed by the same three actors in a theater that transforms with each act. And this is the part most people miss—Slingsby’s ability to weave darkness and hope into stories that resonate with both children and adults.
For 20 years, Slingsby has been a pioneer in creating immersive, thought-provoking theater for young audiences. Their artistic director, Andy Packer, describes their mission as ‘speaking to the future adult in the eight-year-old and the child that still exists in the 80-year-old.’ Their productions tackle heavy themes like death, loss, and loneliness, but always with a sense of optimism and wonder. Remember Emil and the Detectives in an abandoned theme park? Or Man Covets Bird, where the audience sat on real grass inside the theater? Slingsby’s magic lies in its ability to make the extraordinary feel tangible.
But here’s where it gets controversial—Slingsby’s closure isn’t just a creative decision. Despite their global acclaim and tours across Australia, Asia, Europe, and North America, the company has struggled with funding. After being denied multi-year federal funding for the third time, Packer admits, ‘We realized we’d come to the end of that.’ This raises a bigger question: Is the arts funding system failing the very creators it’s meant to support? Packer believes government funding should increase, but he also challenges artists to reflect on their own sacrifices, asking, ‘Am I just in a hamster wheel here?’
The trilogy itself is a departure from Slingsby’s usual process. Instead of playwrights, they commissioned short stories from acclaimed Australian authors Ceridwen Dovey, Ursula Dubosarsky, and Jennifer Mills. Each story tackles contemporary issues like climate change, inspired by children’s concerns voiced in Slingsby’s school workshops. Mills’ The Childhood of the World, Dubosarsky’s The Giant’s Garden, and Dovey’s The Tree of Light are not just stories—they’re conversations about our planet’s future.
And here’s the hopeful part: Slingsby isn’t just closing its doors; it’s passing the torch. The ‘Wandering Hall of Possibility’ will live on with other companies, and its materials will eventually be recycled. Even their final tour is eco-conscious, with sets transported only by land or sea. Packer sums it up beautifully: ‘I want to take the audience into the darkness, but I don’t want to leave them there. I want to lead them back to hope.’
As Slingsby prepares for its final curtain call, Packer reflects with both sadness and pride. ‘It didn’t have to be this way,’ he says, ‘but that’s where we’re at.’ And perhaps that’s the most profound lesson of all—finding beauty in endings and hope in new beginnings.
What do you think? Is the arts funding system in need of a overhaul? Or is it the responsibility of artists to adapt and find new ways to sustain their work? Let’s discuss in the comments below.
A Concise Compendium of Wonder is at Adelaide Botanic Gardens as part of the Adelaide Festival until 15 March. Don’t miss this chance to witness Slingsby’s final, wondrous farewell.
