Brie Keatley
Homebodies is a piece of theatre debuting at the 2025 Six Degrees Festival. Creatively helmed by Stella Vaivai (Script and Narrative Direction), Bronya Davies (Movement and Choreography Direction) and Henry Brosnahan (Design Direction and Production Management). This earnest piece of physical theatre is a delight to attend.
Homebodies is an episodic piece that symbolically tells the story of five protagonists through small glimpses of a point when their lives are changing. This is an immediately intriguing concept which I believe is followed through with some finesse.
My favourite of the vignettes features Grace Seini Charrington, as Felicity’s, 21st birthday party. Felicity, who is played with an understated realness, spends most of the scene worrying about the arrival of a flakey friend. Once she gives into the joy of the friends who are there we are witness to an infectiously joyful celebration. I couldn’t stop the smile on my face watching five people who look like they are genuinely loving being together onstage. Shared joy between audience and performers is such a sacred and often rare thing so I applaud the Homebodies team for achieving this. I especially applaud Vaivai and Davies for their work with the performers to create this response from me.
This joy is also upheld by the incredible performance of the actors. Ngarongonui Mareikura brings a grounded but somewhat unhinged optimism to the character of Casey. Tiaki Sharp as Tauarewa is extremely relatable as a burnt out law student, Heinrich Muller is a comedic brilliance without even showing his face in some scenes and Zoe Harris as Polly has me genuinely upset for her at multiple points. This cast works together, with the above example as the epitome of this.
However, although I really enjoyed the slice of life scenes, I did find it a little hard to connect as well to the physical movement transitions. I really admired the floating choreography that centred aroundby Davies but wondered if they could’ve transitioned between scenes better, like if each transition specifically focused around the character we were going to focus on next. This is not a detriment to the show as a whole though.
Along with the cast, I was also enraptured by the set. The BATS Stage has two clothing line-esque wires strung, perfectly positioned within reaching distance, across it where multiple set pieces were dragged across the wires by performers throughout the show. The aesthetic of the set, props, and costumes at some points were giving homemade, cozy and patchwork, in the best way possible. It felt like the performers were held by the design of the show, much like home. Brosnahan has created a set that stands by itself while supporting the performers both aesthetically and physically. This overall vibe is also bolstered by the outstanding music and sound design of Isaac Rajan.
The compositions of Homebodies are a mixture of moody guitars and upbeat tracks featuring found sound (This reviewer heard the sound of crossing lights and a phone alarm!) While this may sound busy, the sound design never overwhelmed the performance, it sat underneath it and provided an emotional base from which the rest of the show flourished from.
Homebodies had me leaving the theatre feeling warm. Having done the Six Degrees Festival myself a few years ago, I only wish my project could have been as thought through and wholesome as Homebodies is. Well done, team and especially to Vaivai, Davies and Brosnahan, on your olympian effort. What a delightful show.
Homebodies is on at BATS Theatre as part of the Six Degrees festival from the 26th to the 29th of November. You can book tickets here.
Disclaimer: I have worked with multiple members of the Homebodies team before. I have attempted to remain objective in my review but please feel free to leave a comment below if you feel otherwise, or email [email protected].