An old man sits down to read the tale of a bookbinding apprentice. As his words fill the room, the story slips off the page and into the workshop around him.

The Bookbinder is a dark fairy-tale brought to life through inventive puppetry, paper art, shadow play and atmospheric storytelling, echoing the imaginative worlds of Coraline and The Labyrinth.

First performed in the back room of a second-hand bookshop, this award-winning production has since travelled the world – from the attic of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s oldest bookbindery to New York’s Lincoln Center – touring Australia, South Africa, the UK, Canada, China and the USA. It has received numerous honours, including Best Theatre and Best in Fringe at NZ Fringe 2014, the International Excellence Award at Sydney Fringe 2014 and the Children’s Theatre Award at Fringe World Perth in 2015.

A one-man performance from Trick of the Light Theatre, made for readers, dreamers and bookworms alike.