NZIF 2021
DIGITAL PROGRAMME
FESTIVAL TEAM
Festival Director & Conference Facilitator: Jennifer O’Sullivan
Workshop Director: Jim Fishwick
Associate Director & Registrations Coordinator: Matt Powell
Production Manager: Darryn Woods
Marketing Manager: Emma Maguire
Youth Coordinator: Guanny Liu-Prosee
Participant Liaison: Stevie Hancox-Monk
Conference Delivery: Aaron Douglas
FESTIVAL DIRECTOR’S NOTE
In the second year in a row where nothing is guaranteed, where plan A must be accompanied by Plan B and C, and where making plans for live theatre seems at best naive and at worst downright foolish, it feels ironic that a festival celebrating the art of of spontaneous collaboration should be one of the fortunate few events taking place in New Zealand, let alone around the world. Improvisation is an art form that thrives under pressure, using whatever we have - the players, the space, the offers, the audience - and making something that is unique to that moment.
We are incredibly fortunate in Wellington that we have been able to gather; not just as audiences watch brand new works take the stage, but to meet and learn from each other in workshops, to connect with our colleagues and have deep, in-person (or zoomed) conversations about our art form. I am so grateful to our team, our presenters, to BATS Theatre, to our suppliers and supporters, and to our many participants for their trust and confidence that we could put this event together and be lucky enough to present it. And I am so grateful to you, our audience, for joining us for these new works and for sharing your energy with the performers. We literally could not do this without you.
- Jennifer O’Sullivan
AROHANUI
Huge thanks to our core funders Creative New Zealand, to BATS Theatre our wonderful hosts, and to our Australian, Auckland and Waikato presenters who were programmed and then unable to join us for NZIF 2021.
There are so many other people to thank and at time of writing this director was still making contingency plans - hopefully you know who you are and if you don’t come ask me and I’ll tell you what I’m grateful for <3
HERE’S A THING: NZIF OPENING
6:30pm, Tuesday 12 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
Take a leap into the unknown with our thirteenth improv festival! Join us for an opening showcase hosted by Director Jennifer O’Sullivan, with a cast assembled from across our fantastic performance programme.
Director: Jennifer O’Sullivan
Performers: Christine Brooks, Emma Brittenden, Laura Irish, Liz Butler, Matt Powell, Ryan Knighton, Dan Allan, Jennifer O’Sullivan
Lighting Operator: Darryn Woods
Live Musician: Matt Hutton
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen
MAGIC RULES, SONIC TOOLS AND WEREWOLVES
8:00pm, Tuesday 12 October
The Dome at BATS Theatre
Magic Rules, Werewolves, and Sonic-Tools is a short story anthology with a touch of the otherworldly. Expect exciting magic, silly monsters, and dramatic androids in this high-energy adventure as we explore some of the stranger sides of fiction.
Director: Malcolm Morrison
Performers: Aaron Douglas, Ali Little, Ciarán Searle, Ian Harcourt, Jonathan Mandeno, Lyndon Hood, Susan Williams, Wiremu Tuhiwai
Lighting Operator: Bethany Miller
Live Musician: Ben Kelly
Stage Manager: Alley Lane
MURDER ON A BOAT
8:30pm, Tuesday 12 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
There is a murder. There is a boat. There is a murder on a boat. Will it be solved? Hopefully! But who could have done the murder? It will be one of the characters on the boat! Inspired by Agatha Christie, murder, and boats everywhere. What is it? MURDER?! Where is it? ON A BOAT!
Director: Christine Brooks (Co-Created with Maria Williams)
Performers: Aaron Pyke, Laura Irish, Marea Colombo, Scott Sumby, Tristram Domican, Ben Zolno, Tara McEntee, Daniel Allan, Matt Powell, Elliot Lam-Po-Tang, Amelia Cartwright
Lighting Operator: Jennifer O’Sullivan
Live Musician: Matt Hutton
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen
the i-files
6:30pm, Wednesday 13 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
Special FBI agents Smoulder and Gully navigate their own complex relationship as they also investigate paranormal activity in a town near you. Two improvisers play the agents while others create the rest of the world, normal and supernatural, in this improvised X-Files-esque mystery/horror/comedy.
Directors: Laura Irish and Dan Allan
Performers: Aaron Douglas, Christine Brooks, Ben Jardine, Liz Butler, Trubie Dylan-Smith, Laura Irish, Dan Allan
Lighting Operator: Mitchell Sigley
Live Musician: Matt Carroll
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen
Duets
7:00pm, Wednesday 13 October
The Dome at BATS Theatre
A deep dive into finding what makes two improvisors connect, Duets helps showcase the unique voices that can emerge from disparate backgrounds. From fresh pairs to dynamic duos, this performance can reveal not only entertaining and moving scenes, but completely new forms; all drawn from the chemistry of these newly-aligned players.
Directors: Ben Zolno and Brendan West
Performers: Andreas Kubisch, Emma Maguire, Kitty Parker, Ciarán Searle, Kate Whitaker, Paddy Plunket, Scott Sumby
Lighting Operator: Brendan West
Stage Manager: Alley Lane
dungeons & improvisors
8:30pm, Wednesday 13 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
A bold group of improvisers take to the stage in an epic adventure of Dungeons and also Dragons. After four years of sell-out shows, Dungeon Master Brendon Bennetts is on the search for new adventurers to challenge. In Dungeons & Improvisers our heroes must step out from behind their character sheets and face their foes with wisdom, charisma, and an oversized 20-sided die.
Director: Brendon Bennetts and Ciarán Searle
Performers: Wiremu Tuhiwai, Tara McEntee, Amelia Cartwright, Max Porozny, Susan Williams, Malcolm Morrison, Ryan Knighton, Matt Powell, Colin MacMillan, Emma Maguire
Lighting Operator: Zoe Higgins
Live Musician: Matt Carroll
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen
your extraordinary life
6:30pm, Thursday 14 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
An hour-long celebration of the amazing life of a real person: YOU! One audience member will be chosen to be the centre of our show as we meet important people from their past and relive the moments that shaped their extraordinary life.
Director: Matt Powell (Co-Created by Maria Williams)
Performers: Lyndon Hood, Jennifer O’Sullivan, Marea Colombo, Trubie-Dylan Smith, Ben Zolno, Susan Howard
Lighting Operator: Bethany Miller
Live Musician: Matt Hutton
Stage Manager: Alley Lane
shuffle gods
7:00pm, Thursday 14 October
The Dome at BATS Theatre
ALL HAIL THE SHUFFLE GODS! Have you ever put your music on shuffle and let your tunes decide your mood? Well, in this show your tunes decide the show!
Director: Liz Butler
Performers: Malcolm Morrison, Wiremu Tuhiwai, Emma Brittenden, Laura Irish, Tristram Domican, Christine Brooks, Ben Jardine, Steve Violich, Paja Neuhöferová
Lighting Operator: Dean Holdaway
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen
scratch night
9:00pm, Thursday 14 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
Hey, improvisors! Got something you’re keen to jam? Want to try something out without the pressure of a full show? Scratch Night is the perfect opportunity to give something a go, make some connections and make a fool of yourself - everyone else is in exactly the same boat!
Hosted by: Trubie-Dylan Smith and Marea Colombo
Lighting Operator: Malcolm Morrison
Live Musician: Ben Kelly
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen
onesie party
7:00pm, Friday 15 October
The Dome at BATS Theatre
Join graduates of NZIF’s solo performance workshop as they debut a selection of tasty, never-before-seen improv treats. Be part of the start of something very special, one improvisor at a time!
Director: Matt Powell
Performers: Matt Powell, Marea Colombo, Wiremu Tuhiwai, Laura Tremaine
Lighting Operator: Jennifer O’Sullivan
Live Musician: Liam Kelly
Stage Manager: Alley Lane
masterfool
8:30pm, Friday 15 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
Masterfool is a competitive improvisation format where players direct each other in scenes to win the affections of the audience. At the end of the night, we will crown the most cunning, daring, and masterful director the Master Fool! The player who wears the all important Jester hat when the gong sounds takes it all!
Director: Dan Allan
Performers: Ali Little, Ella Wells, Gita Majumder, Isaac Thomas, Jana Eckhardt, Megan Ritchie, Susan Williams, Trubie Dylan-Smith, Rachel Anastasi-Marais
Lighting Operator: Stevie Hancox-Monk
Live Musician: Ben Kelly
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen
The dive
9:00pm, Friday 15 October
The Dome at BATS Theatre
It’s closing time at the shadiest bar in town, but the bartender ain’t kicking anyone out, the piano player still has music to play, and the last few patrons still have money to spend. Someone has something to celebrate, someone is drowning their sorrows, and someone is searching for answers at the bottom of a glass. Will they find them before the bartender calls last drinks?
Director: Jennifer O’Sullivan
Performers: Alayne Dick, Marea Colombo, Ben Zolno, Matt Powell, and Jennifer O’Sullivan
Lighting Operator: Tristram Domican
Live Musician: Liam Kelly and Roger Sanders
Stage Manager: Alley Lane
blind / sighted
6:30pm, Saturday 16 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
Blind/Sighted is the story of a unique library, a library of moments, mystery, and games played in surprising ways. Books are portals to other spaces and times, whether you read them with your eyes, track them with your fingers, hear them with your ears, or follow their essence in a fast paced, joyful improv show. Blind/Sighted is a celebration of mixed improv skill levels, and the wonderful world hidden in libraries. Oh, and half the cast are blind or have low vision.
Director: Susan Williams
Performers: Mary Fisher, Renee Patete, Georgia Steel, Roamen Humphris, Wiremu Tuhiwai, Tristram Domican, Gitta Majumder, Lyndon Hood
Lighting Operator: Jennifer O’Sullivan
Live Musician: Roger Sanders
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen
peregrine V
7:00pm, Saturday 16 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
An improvised show that’s out of this world! The rag-tag crew of Peregrine V journey through space. Their travels are fraught with danger. What is it that brought them together? Will something tear them apart? This improvised sci-fi comedy-drama will leave you breathless.
Director: Jonathan Briden
Performers: TBC
Lighting Operator: Bethany Miller
Live Musician: Matt Carroll
Stage Manager: Alley Lane
NZ vs the world: bubble edition
8:30pm, Saturday 16 October
The Stage at BATS Theatre
Local improvisors face off against the best of our international guests - that’s if they dare show their faces back here again!** Round by round, we’ll see who’s got the goods - will Team NZ show the world who’s boss or will our international visitors humble our hometown heroes?
** Genuinely, we hope they show their faces.
Director: Jennifer O’Sullivan
Performers: Alayne Dick, Stevie Hancox-Monk, Wiremu Tuhiwai, Tara McEntee, Marea Colombo, Trubie-Dylan Smith, Brendon Bennetts, Ciarán Searle, Pajá Neuhoferová, Ben Jardine, Jerome Cousins, Liz Butler
Lighting Operator: Bethany Miller
Live Musician: Matt Hutton, Roger Sanders
Stage Manager: Fay van der Meulen