Darren “Dizzy” Partridge: The Magic of Cirque Alice

Something strange is happening on Queen Street. Tomorrow night, The Civic falls down the rabbit hole. Cirque Alice has arrived, and it’s the show’s first time in New Zealand. It comes from Simon Painter and Tim Lawson — the pair behind Cirque du Soleil’s Mad Apple, The Illusionists and Le Noir. So these people know spectacle.

Their Wonderland is packed with aerialists, acrobats and contortionists who seem to ignore gravity entirely. There’s puppetry, comedy and magic too. All of it swirls to wild new remixes of classical music. The cast is stacked with former Cirque du Soleil performers and America’s Got Talent stars. And blink and you’ll miss it — just twelve Auckland performances, from 28 August to 6 September.

The Civic itself is part of the magic. Auckland’s grand old picture palace already feels like Wonderland after dark. The show runs two hours, with an interval to catch your breath. And it’s recommended for ages six and up, so bring the kids. Creative directors Ash Jacks McCready and Kirsty Painter shape the chaos. The choreography comes from Dane Bates.

Right at the heart of the madness sits the Mad Hatter. He’s the ringmaster, the troublemaker, and your guide through Wonderland. The role runs on comedy, magic and mischief with the audience. No two nights are ever the same. Wearing the hat in Auckland is British comedy magician Darren “Dizzy” Partridge. His act is magic, physical comedy and a bit of light-fingered pickpocketing, all with cheeky British charm.

Darren’s own story reads like a fairy tale. He grew up in Britain and found magic late, at eighteen. He was sharing dressing rooms with circus performers, and the tricks rubbed off. Seven years later, he’d turned professional. His heroes are Tommy Cooper and Penn & Teller — and honestly, you can tell. These days he calls Florida home.

Darren gave me sneak peek down the rabbit hole…

Tickets from Ticketmaster

Leonie Moreland