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The greatest celebration of Irish music, song and dance
touring New Zealand for the last time.
Composed by Bill Whelan Produced by Moya Doherty
Directed by John McColgan

For the first time in nine years the pounding feet and swirling music of Riverdance, which has tapped its
way onto the world stage thrilling millions of people around the globe, will tour to Auckland, Wellington
and Christchurch from May 2012.

For those who have not yet experienced this joyous spectacle of Irish music and dance - and for diehard
fans - this is your last chance to feel the thrill of Riverdance when the legendary show visits our shores
for its farewell tour. And audiences will be able to experience the breathtaking energy and vitality of the
show up close as Riverdance will be performed for the first time in an intimate theatre setting.
Of all the performances to emerge from Ireland – in rock, music, theatre and film – nothing has rivaled
the energy, the sensuality and the spectacle of Riverdance. With its fusion of Irish and International
music and dance, the show received unanimous critical acclaim and broke all box office records during
its world premiere run in Dublin in early 1995.

When it transferred to London in June of that year, the audience response was so overwhelming that the
original 10 performances had to be increased to 151 shows. Since then, it has
packed theatres throughout North America, Oceania, Asia and Europe.
Riverdance focuses on the evolution of Irish dance, capturing the imagination
of audiences across all ages and cultures. It draws on Irish traditions and
combines the richness of the music with the magic and sensuality of the
dance.

With music and lyrics by Grammy Award winning Bill Whelan, produced by Moya
Doherty and directed by John McColgan, Riverdance is the development of an
original idea by Moya Doherty, which was initially performed at the Eurovision
Song Contest held in Dublin in April 1994 as a seven-minute interval act. Its
success has since become part of theatre history.

As Director John McColgan explains “There are now three companies touring the
world. These companies, named after Irish rivers – The Moy, The Shannon and The
Foyle – have become a kind of extended family, even a small village. The dancers,
musicians and singers don’t simply perform together, they travel the world together,
looking after each other, sharing their energies and aspirations, pushing each other to
new heights and to the highest of standards.”

Each of the touring companies consists of 45 cast and crew members, with
the remarkable Riverdance Irish Dance Troupe joined by the cream of Irish
musicians in the Riverdance Band and a spectacular array of talent from
around the globe.

RIVERDANCE FACTS
Since Riverdance began performances in Dublin in 1995, the show has...
• Played more than 10,000 performances
• Been seen live by over 22 million people
• Played in over 350 venues worldwide
• Visited 40 countries, across 4 continents
• Travelled 563,000 miles (or to the moon and back!)
• Played to a global television audience of over 2 billion people
• Sold over 3 million copies of their Grammy Award-winning CD
• Sold over 10 million Riverdance videos and DVDs
• Grossed over US$1.6 billion worldwide
And there have been...
• 1,500 Irish Dancers
• 14,000 Dance shoes used
• 12,000 Costumes worn
• 200,000 Gallons of water consumed
• 60,000 Gallons of Gatorade consumed
• 1,650,000 Show programs sold
• 1,500 Flight cases used
• 12,000 Stage lighting bulbs used
• 40,000 Boxes of tissues used
• 16,250 Guitar, bass and fiddle strings replaced
• 284,000 T-shirts sold
• 35 Marriages between company members
• 20,000 Cumulative years of study in step-dancing by Irish Dancers
• 45,000 Rolls of self-grip tape used by company physiotherapists
• 15,000 Hours of rehearsals on tour
• 5,500,000 pounds of dry ice used on stage
• 60,000 pounds of chocolate consumed (for energy!) by the cast

Tickets on sale from 9am Monday 19 September
AUCKLAND – ASB Theatre – 22 to 27 May
WELL INGTON – St James Theatre – 29 May to 3 June
CHRISTCHURCH – CBS Arena – 5 to 10 June
For further media enquiries only:-
Sandra Roberts
T: 021 525 104
E: sandra@skip.co.nz

Season Details
AUCKL AND
VENUE ASB Theatre
SEASON Tuesday 22 to Sunday 27 May 2012
TIMES* Tuesday 8pm
Wednesday 8pm
Thursday 8pm
Friday 8pm
Saturday 2pm & 8pm
Sunday 1pm & 6pm
BOOKINGS 0800 BUY TICKETS or the-edge.co.nz
Group Bookings 12+ SAVE!
Telephone Group Bookings or email groups@the-edge.co.nz

WELL INGTON
VENUE St James
SEASON Tuesday 29 May to Sunday 3 June 2012
TIMES* Tuesday 7.30pm
Wednesday 7.30pm
Thursday 7.30pm
Friday 7.30pm
Saturday 2pm & 8pm
Sunday 1pm & 6pm
BOOKINGS 0800 TICKETEK or ticketek.co.nz
Group Bookings 12+ SAVE!
Telephone Group Bookings or email groupbookings@ticketek.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH
VENUE CBS Arena
SEASON Tuesday 5 to Sunday 10 June 2012
TIMES* Tuesday 7.30pm
Wednesday 7.30pm
Thursday 7.30pm
Friday 7.30pm
Saturday 2pm & 7.30pm
Sunday 1pm & 6pm
BOOKINGS 0800 TICKETEK or ticketek.co.nz
Group Bookings 12+ SAVE!
Telephone Group Bookings
or email groupbookings@ticketek.co.nz
* Performance times may be subject to change without notice.