Enchanting intergalactic illumination will light up Arts Centre Melbourne this summer as Patch Theatre’s award-winning immersive show ZOOOM tours to Melbourne for the very first time. Combining state-of-the-art technology with old-school whimsy, the performance for young people aged 4–8 will play at the Fairfax Studio from 6 – 11 January 2026.
In ZOOOM, a child who cannot sleep journeys across the universe to help a lost star find its way home. With original music, lasers and projections, the Ruby and Independent Arts Foundation Award-winning production takes audiences on a transformational adventure with light — revealing the dark as a magical place.
Inspired by Crockett Johnson’s Harold and the Purple Crayon, the show embraces the book’s philosophy of children making sense of their world through art. Since its 2019 premiere, ZOOOM has been performed over 250 times to more than 50,000 people across Australia, the Americas, Singapore, Shanghai and Taiwan.
Unlike traditional theatre, ZOOOM invites children to move, dance and even control parts of the performance. Audience members are encouraged to “bring a piece of dark” to the show, which is exchanged for their own personal light.
“While performing around the world, it’s been amazing to see all the different ‘pieces of dark’ that children have brought to the theatre. The request is purposefully ambiguous, we love seeing the delight on the children’s faces as they explore their imaginative realms,” said co-creator and performer Temeka Lawlor.
“They arrive with artwork, stories and songs they’ve made up – one child told us they’d brought the dark that sits behind their eyelids! The dark can be a scary concept for young children, but ZOOOM demonstrates how the dark can be a magical and exciting place to play with light,” she continued.
Geoff Cobham, Artistic Director of Patch Theatre, adds: “Its immersive style breaks the fourth wall that typically separates the performer from the audience and transports them to a place of wonder. Over the past four years, feedback from children, parents and educators has been that ZOOOM opened their eyes to the creative possibilities of theatre and light.”
For more information visit artscentremelbourne.com.
