The ShoW
‘Around the World in 80 Toys’ is a cinematic & theatrical adventure for aficionados of cinema, puppetry, magic & devised theatre.
The eclectic collection of vintage toys & objects from Georges Méliès small toy shop become characters and settings for a globe trotting live movie that combines magic, miniatures, toys, puppets & ingenious special effects.
Dive into the history of the movies in a work that blends theater and cinema in a way you have never seen before. ‘ArounD the WorlD in 80 ToyS’ is a homespun, haunting & hilarious live action film about the planet, our wind up plastic and metalic creations, harrowing through space, creativitivy and reinvention.
Ode to CINEMA
‘ArounD the WorlD in 80 ToyS’ is inspired by the true story of Georges Méliès, the father of cinema and special effects who ended up working in a small toy shop in the Montparnasse train station in Paris in 1925. The eclectic collection of vintage toys & objects from the small shop become characters and settings for a globe trotting live movie that combines magic, miniatures, toys, puppets & ingenious special effects.
CreativE TeaM
Thaddeus Phillips - Creation, design, performance
Tatiana Mallarino - Creation & Direction
Steve Cuiffo - Magic & Illusions
Ian Vespermann - Video & Sound
TOuR DaTES
2026
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ReviewS
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‘A dizzying toy sized world of cinematic imagination.
Phillips’ new solo piece ArounD the WorlD in 80 ToyS is unlike anything else onstage. A Rube Goldberg machine of miniatures, projections, live camera work, shadow work and sleight of hand. ArounD the WorlD in 80 ToyS is an experiment in form that explores what theatre can be in an age of screens, interactivity and hybrid storytelling.
- ONSTAGE COLORADO
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‘Layered with whimsy & charm’
- BROAD STREET REVIEW
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‘A wild theatrical adventure’
- BROADWAY WORLD
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‘A ground breaking fantasy’
- WHYY
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‘Phillips could have been a great silent-film comedian’
-The New York Times
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