The Auckland Fringe first burst on to the scene in 2009 and has quickly established itself as a superb platform for artists to showcase their work and for lucky audiences to be in at the very cutting edge of New Zealand creativity.
This year’s Fringe runs from 15 February – 10 March and will bring you cabaret, comedy,theatre, dance, visual arts, music and more!! With venues all across the city you are bound to be near something so check the Auckland Fringe site for full venue details.
Below we have plucked some picks for you to sample if you just don’t know where to start with planning your Fringe experience.
Swan Song
Embrace the summer with the Wet Hot Beauties as they perfom Swan Song at Parnell Baths 13 – 17 Feb. This is described as ‘A classical love tragedy pool party’ and follows their 2011 sell out ‘Sirens’.
Swan Song is a Swan Lake/Baz Luhrmann-inspired water ballet mash up with their trademark cheeky modern twist.
Have some more outdoor adventures with Fringe in the Park 16 February at Myers Park from 12 noon, and it’s free!! The opening event sees Myers Park bursting at the seams with activities for the kids, refreshments, coffee, lost islands and scores of Fringe acts sharing their spoils in showcases and live installations. Bring the family for a one off live instagram of the Fringe.
Wandering Creatures is a special event at Auckland Zoo from artist Kim Newall,Wednesday 13 Feb – 20 March, who creates imaginative, hybrid, creatures with legs like pigs, beaks like birds or trunks like elephants. Made using of a mix of traditional drawing and animation methods, and digital interactive media,
The creatures exist in the space between digital and physical and evolve their unique identities through audience engagement.
Wandering Creatures at Auckland Zoo
Black Faggot takes us to the fantastic Basement Theatre 16,18 – 20 Feb . Here you will see a series of humorous monologues exploring the gay Samoan male experience, from a camp closeted member of Destiny Church to a butch Hamo homo with plenty of swag and everything in between.
With Iaheto Ah Hi (Stanley of Sione’s Wedding) and Beulah Koale (Shortland Street). Roy Ward directs.
Staying in The Basement Theatre will bring you to A Night To Dismember 16 Feb – 2 March. Wil Greenway presents this show fresh from success at the Adelaide and Melbourne Fringe seasons. A Night To Dismember is a low budget/hi fantasy heavyhearted comedy about inadequacy, asteroids, and the shark that ate his arms.
This charmingly hairy idiot will give you a fantasy comedy, replete with lyrical surreal gore, man-eating sharks and talking asteroids.
For some more comedy try There’s No Such Word as C#nt 21 – 23 Feb. “I bet you can’t write 100 poems in 100 days,” said Andie’s sadistic girlfriend one drunken Sunday. And so it was that Andie has done so every day since November 2012. Every day a different topic set by a random person.
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Andie is a NZ comedy veteran having been a NZ Comedy Festival Fred Award finalist & NZ Theatresports champion described as an ‘improvisor, writer, actor, entertainer – a foul-mouthed, beer drinking, rhyme spitting, pun slinging gentleman from Glendene!’
Andie’s final poems!
These shows are the last three nights of this 100 day challenge. Not only will Andie share the highlights and lowlights of this writing journey, he will ask you to help him write the last three pieces of rhyme to complete this Herculean odyssey.
Everyone may be talking about Django Unchained but here is a Tarantino homage you really shouldn’t miss. How does Pulp Fiction with strings attached sound?
‘A barkingly implausible, bat-shit crazy late night cult piece of weird.’
Puppet Fiction is on at The Basement Theatre 27 Feb – 2 March This award-winning hit from the Wellington Fringe features James Nokise, Anya Tate-Manning, Jon Coddington and a star studded cast.
If you still want more puppets then you can soak up some Shakespeare with A Midsummer Mess from 27 Feb – 1 March. Thought you’d seen A Midsummer Night’s Dream? WRONG! This fast moving comedy is down right silly while it presents it’s unique play within a play.
‘It may start off like Shakespeare but what came before only the Gods know and the end is a never-ending mess!
Velco City is a live-action cartoon following the lives of citizens in a city held together by hooks and hoops. The audience should expect a visual and comedic feast, with the entire set and costumes drawn in wicked Crayola felt-tips.The cast Eli and Hamish are the winners of ‘Best Comedy’ at the last Auckland Fringe and this time they are in onesie jumpsuits covered in Velcro strips what could be better! Check it out 25 Feb – 2 March.
The Road That Wasn’t there see Kiwi theatre group Trick Of Light Theatre return after a stint at the Edinburgh Fringe last year. From the 24 – 27 Feb at The Basement Theatre comes this twisted New Zealand fairytale.
The play is rooted in New Zealand folklore, from the lost moa roaming the foothills to faeries who drink moonshine out the back of Pyne Gould Guinness. This story is told by three actors and fifty three puppets which include a character inspired by Wellington’s iconic Blanket Man.
Finally a musical pick from us as we can’t wait to see Lower Bar Collective on 22 February 1 – 3 March at Whammy and Silo Park.
Atmospheric soundscapes blended with projected images build into something that almost creates physical mass. Bringing us instruments, sound samples and spoken work to make this unique improvised sonic texture.
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Have some more outdoor adventures with Fringe in the Park 16 February at Myers Park from 12 noon, and it’s free!! The opening event sees Myers Park bursting at the seams with activities for the kids, refreshments, coffee, lost islands and scores of Fringe acts sharing their spoils in showcases and live installations. Bring the family for a one off live instagram of the Fringe. 
