A Story of Songs - Walking Songs and Birds of Paradise

Moonbelle Productions presents original performances of the award winning show Walking Songs - a story of songs from Te Araroa and Birds of Paradise - a story of songs for the spaces between. Join Milly & Benny in this rich, musical storytelling to question the precariousness of life, the discomfort of growth and how we might fill the gaps with song. “Milly and Benny have an unmatched ability to bring depth through story, song and laughter. Every moment pulls you in, even the silences speak” - Melbourne Fringe Festival Founding Moonbelle Productions in 2023, writer/vocalist Milly Moon debuted with an award-winning solo show, Walking Songs. This intimate story follows a journey on Te Araroa, re-telling in song and verse, walking the world’s toughest through-hike, and celebrating the power of the voice, the body and Mother Nature’s healing spaces. “My goodness she can sing. There’s a soulful, almost gospel tone to [her] music, performed with minimal accompaniment and little ceremony…it’s mesmerising” - Wee Review UK After two international tours, Walking Songs was answered with Birds of Paradise, a story that sees a transition to a new space where hiking boots are exchanged for frames on a wall. Developed from conversations between Moon and co-performer Benny Coles, Birds of Paradise is woven with poetry and unadorned music, exploring the friend’s multi-generational life experiences. Artist and poet Benny Coles, brings his signature style of spoken word, raw and dark-edged, with a distinctly musical lilt. “The vocals were astounding - deep, raspy and soaring. Benny [is] a fierce expressionist, a true eccentric storyteller with poetry that invited us into many emotional landscapes.” - Heartline Reviews AU These independent stories combined, are a testament to every feeling we’ve tried to push down, every grieving process we’d thought we’d been in for too long and every dream we haven’t quite reached. They’re a story of celebrating the humanity and connection we find when we accept where we are in life, however transitory, challenging, mundane or joyous. PG 14. content warnings - themes of grief & loss. Some explicit language.