They say you can get lost in a good book. But it’s worse getting lost in a bad one...

An old man sits down to read the tale of an erstwhile bookbinding apprentice. As he speaks the story spills from the pages and into the bindery. The Bookbinder weaves shadow play, paper art, puppetry, and music into an original dark fairytale in the vein of Coraline and Jonathon Strange and Mr Norrell.

First performed in the back room of a second-hand bookshop, it has gone on tour across Australia, South Africa, UK, Canada, China, and USA–from the attic of Aotearoa / New Zealand’s oldest bookbindery to the Lincoln Center, NYC. Its awards include Best Theatre and Best in the Fringe at NZ Fringe 2014, the International Excellence Award at Sydney Fringe2014, and the Children’s Theatre Award at Fringe World, Perth in 2015. From Trick of the Light Theatre comes an inventive one-man performance for older children and adults.

“A real delight”–The Guardian, UK

“Spell-binding storytelling at its purest and best...”–Theatreview, Dunedin

“A beautiful, articulate and engaging show that is as engaging as it is mysterious"

★★★★★–alledinburghtheatre.com, Edinburgh