Art Murmurs - Reviews

How To Win A Pub Quiz

25/3/2019

by Laura Ferguson

Turns out Wellington loves itself a pub quiz. Cavern Club is full of us trivia-ninjas and judging from the hubbub of noise punctuated by the odd whoop or cackle, Friday-night fever has well and truly set in and partnered up with its good friend alcohol. Once our host, Alex Love, takes the stage, we are very much to learn How To Win A Pub Quiz. “Well, hello, Wellington, how’re doing tonight?” Love begins, and our responses range from measured to maniacal. “Ooh, you’re going to be a lively one, aren’t you?” he retorts, grinning excitedly before setting up his bell and dinging it.

Orpheus

25/3/2019

Emilie Hope

I was determined to end Fringe 2019 on a high. And I got it. I walk upstairs of Tuatara’s The Third Eye and into the space that seemed to have a gorgeous indie facelift of gold, purples, blues, and greens, via Tony Black’s gorgeous lighting of the buttresses. Orpheus’ magic was in the air. And that lifted my soon-to-be-contagious spirits.

Mr Fungus Returns

25/3/2019

Austin Harrison

Mr Fungus Returns is a mischievous and entertaining children’s show, with room to become a family favourite. Mr Fungus (Fergus Aitken) leads us through an hour of mime, prop-work, and clowning which has a basic two-part structure. Act one is an elaborate physical journey as Mr Fungus makes his way to the theatre. Obstacles include a snowstorm and a cleverly executed bus journey in which Aitken switches between seven or eight familiar, bus-dwelling characters.

Bear North

23/3/2019

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.

Au Ko Tuvalu

22/3/2019

Kate Norquay

Tuvalu 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.

Sexy Ghost Boy

22/3/2019

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.

The Boy, George

21/3/2019

Kate Norquay

The 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.

period.

21/3/2019

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!

Uther Dean Reads 300 Haiku

21/3/2019

Lizzie Murray

300 haiku
That is a lot of haiku
He reads every one

Fringe Wives Club: Glittery Clittery

20/3/2019

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.

Lovecrafted!

19/3/2019

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!

Manless Mamet: Toxic Masculinity & Tequila

17/3/2019

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.

10 Things I Hate About The Taming of the Shrew

17/3/2019

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.

Summer Camps

17/3/2019

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.

Where's Your Hot Friend?

16/3/2019

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.