Kate Norquay
Bear North is a collection of comedic folk music songs accompanied by a dancing wolf. It’s as whimsical, surreal and absurd as that description suggests. It’s also a fun show, filled with beautiful music and a lot of heart.
Kate NorquayTuvalu is a small pacific island of approximately 11,000 people. It is likely to be one of the first parts of the world critically affected by sea level rise. Before Tuvalu is flooded, deep rooted crops will be destroyed by salt water pollution, and the frequency of violent storms will increase. When this happens, the people of Tuvalu will have to make a choice - migrate to a new country and adapt to a new culture, or drown with the island. Au Ko Tuvalu is an incredibly moving exploration of this choice.
by Laura Ferguson  We are waiting outside The Scruffy Bunny Theatre. A group of us clustered in twos and threes awaiting our entry. ‘This show is immersive’ we are told, ‘so order your drinks now’. Once the doors open and we head in, eerie green light pours over the stage area. The pew-like seating is arranged in a circle and we are given a set of instructions. I am intrigued, curiously glancing in every direction, waiting for a spectral form to coalesce somewhere nearby. Tonight, I’m a ghost hunter searching for the Sexy Ghost Boy.
Kate NorquayThe Boy, George is a queer, satirical, one-man-show about a fourteen year old Prince George. The Queen has died, and the world is questioning the need for the monarchy. George is understandably not happy, and we are treated to a deliciously camp hour long tantrum, as Georges tries to use social media, his physic, and his tenuous political connections to meddle in politics.
Lizzie Murray I wish I had seen this show when I was 11. I got my first period in a McDonald’s bathroom the night before my first day at my new school. I dreaded the next day. My pad felt like a big nappy and I thought everyone could tell I was wearing one. Amy Atkins and Ephemeral Theatre presents period., a charming one woman show that magically captures the struggles of dealing with your first period. It’s funny, interactive and educational. period.’s mission is to empower young girls and stop period shaming. And I loved it!
by Laura Ferguson  It is a Tuesday and people at BATS are really feeling their indulgence in tonight’s libations. Spirits are high, energy is zinging, this audience is R-E-A-D-Y and I am so here for it. When I saw the 2019 Fringe programme, I knew I had to go to Glittery Clittery, I mean it has all my favourite things: sequins, hella bops, bright colours and the clitoris. Waiting for the show to begin, people are dancing in their seats, laughing, some in front of me are taking selfies with the pink and blue neon lighting that makes you look better than any filter could. We are, in a word, lit.
by Laura Ferguson  I’m quite a fan of monsters and lore that came from H. P. Lovecraft, I can’t really handle the books since the prolific racism icks me out more than Cthulhu ever could. But my love of the various board games where you attempt to defuse the Great Old One’s plan to destroy the world had me intrigued to go see the Wellington Improvisation Troupe’s Fringe show, Lovecrafted!
Lizzie Murray Toxic masculinity spoils the fun again. Manless Mamet: Toxic Masculinity & Tequila is a short, punchy gender-bending rave. Two women, Courtney Eggleton and Lydia Rayne, take on hyper-masculine traits in this vibrant and tumultuous show.
 by Laura Ferguson Gillian English hates The Taming of the Shrew. So much she made a show about it and now I am seating myself at the aptly named 10 Things I Hate About The Taming of the Shrew. BATS theatre is packed with like-minded people like me. We all enjoyed the late 90’s early 00’s renditions of Shakespeare’s tales and 10 Things I Hate About You with the dashing Heath Ledger was a clear favourite. Once we all grew up though, we realised the messages in these films maybe weren’t great for our burgeoning puberty-ridden brains. English’s show is here to expand on why we should trust that feeling.
Kate Norquay Summer Camps is a piece of queer verbatim theatre, which documents the secret Lesbian Summer Camps held in the 70s and 80s. These camps were a place friendship and romance, activism, and most of all for lesbian women to truly be themselves. The show sets out to preserve these stories and share them with the next generation of queer women.
Lizzie Murray Musical comedian Troubadette (Rose Duxfield) presents her first solo Fringe Festival show Where’s Your Hot Friend? at Courtenay Creative. Her quirky folk songs are almost as sweet as the M&M cookies she dishes out before taking to the stage with her sidekicks: a stuffed-toy dragon and a guitar named Cheryl. Lilli Cornwell-Young Written and performed by Kate Aschoff in Gryphon Theatre, Adventures with Depression acts as a Depression 101 crash course into mental illness. Lead by the honest, forthright and witty Aschoff, as an audience we have the rare opportunity to get a glimpse into the finer details of living with depression, anxiety and dissociation.
Jenny Nimon Wellington Raw Comedy Quest 2019: Heat 3, held this time at Cavern Club, showcased a wide range of style and skill. The two-part show had a total of eleven contestants—each performing a set of up to six minutes—and was headlined by award winning comedian, Jon Bennett. MC Stephanie Laing, started off the show with some slightly stiff audience interaction and a few jokes, but relaxed as the show went on, supporting the contestants with wit and pace.
by Laura Ferguson  Stepping into the world of The Mournmoor Murders by Alice May Connolly and Maria Williams already feels intimately familiar to me. I grew up in a small town in North Otago which is mighty close to where the fictional town of Mournmoor is set in South Canterbury. I know where Fairlie and Washdyke are. I know that despite its burgeoning rockabilly scene, the “big smoke” of Timaru can be a bit of a shithole. Yet despite that, I know “Feel, Touch, Taste, Timaru” is still the best town slogan I have ever heard. Taking inspiration from many tropes from various murder mystery pop culture institutions such as Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories, and Twin Peaks amongst others, The Mournmoor Murders delivers crime mixed in with a hefty dose of hilarity.
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