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.
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 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.
Jenny NimonWellington 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.
Jenny NimonWritten and performed by Damien Warren-Smith, and directed and cowritten by Cal McCrystal, Garry Starr Performs Everything is riot of a show that will delight theatre-makers and casual audience members alike. Having won awards in the Adelaide, Brighton, and Manchester 2018 Fringe Festivals, and having been nominated for both Best Newcomer and the Golden Gibbo Award in the Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2018, I was intrigued to say the least. Let me break down this must-see of Wellington Fringe Festival 2019.
Harry GibbonsThe promotion for Imposter Child describes it as contemporary (which it certainly is) fresh (which again it very much is) and hilarious. Well it was certainly genuinely funny and there were a number of very funny moments in what proved to be yet another great Fringe Festival contribution.
Kate NorquayJosh Davies grew up with no sight in his left eye and only 15 percent vision in his right eye. Now he’s making comedy about it. Josh Davies, Look! I’m Blind is a stand up comedy show about the awkward, frustrating and confusing aspects of being blind, most of which are caused not by the blindness itself, but by everyone else's reaction to it.
Jenny NimonWaste Not Want Not: Bethany’s Guide to the Thrift Life, Bethany Grace Miller’s debut solo show, is a piece of comedy that thrives off a thrifty Wellington audience. It is witty, imaginative, and strangely close to home.
Kate NorquayHarleQueen is a one-woman comedy show written and performed by Abby Howells, and directed by Anya Tate-Manning. HarleQueen is a celebration of female fools, taking us on a journey through the history of female comedy. Abby intermingles the stories of famous female comedians like Joan Rivers and Mabel Normand with her own discovery of her love for comedy.
Kate NorquayOrder Up is a devised cabaret show inspired by the stories of hospitality workers in Wellington.It is also performed by a cast of mostly past or current hospitality workers. Order Up is a fun late night show which will make you laugh and cringe. But more than that, Order Up is both a critique and celebration of the hospitality industry that will make you think twice before you complain about shoddy service.
by Laura Ferguson Fun Fact: the cinematic masterpiece that is She’s the Man starring Amanda Bynes and Channing Tatum is a modernised version of Twelfth Night. Did I watch She’s the Man eleventy more time as “research” for this play? Yes, I did. Did I like this play better? My gawd, yes henny! Why? Because Anastasia Matteini-Roberts’ version has EVEN MORE DRAG! My personal opinion is that everything in life would be better with a little more drag tucked into it, so I was gagged to find out that one of the plays in Victoria University’s Six Degrees Festival had made my queer little dream come true.
Emilie HopeDolphins are fun, friendly, and full of energy, and Thinking Dolphins at BATS was also all of these things. As I walk up to the Heyday Dome, the doors are closed and I panic that the show has already begun! Thankfully, this was only to keep the mysterious stage smoke within the theatre. As soon as I stepped into the space, the actors greeted me and spoke enthusiastically to the audience. Their energy juxtaposed the ominous smoke and the moody blue and green lighting palette.
Emilie HopeCyndi Lauper’s Time after Time, quickly followed by Madonna’s Material Girl, welcomes me into BATS Random Stage to see a show about women, sex, and beauty standards. Low Level Panic by Claire McIntyre, directed by Six Degrees Festival’s Harriette Barker, ticks those three boxes, as we watch flatmates Mary (Charlotte Glucina), Jo (Amy Dean), and Celia (Zoë Christall) as their bathroom turns into a place to confide in each other and to the audience. |
Local Honest ReviewsAt Art Murmurs, our aim is to provide honest and constructive art reviews to the Wellington community. Archives
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