Master’s students showcase their creative talent
Throughout January and February, three original works—plus a new take on an existing play—created by Master of Fine Arts (Creative Practice) Theatre students will be showcased at BATS Theatre in the Six Degrees Festival.
The Festival will begin with Monkey, directed by Sharon Li, on 25 January 2023.
“It is fantastic to have three new plays written, directed, and produced by the students this year, as well as a completely unique take on Lynda’s iconic play Monkey,” says Festival producer and University lecturer Dr Kerryn Palmer.
Monkey was originally performed at the Capital E festival in 2004, by adult actors for children. It is the story of Chinese children who experience bullying at school, inspired by famous work Journey to the West. Student Sharon Li, who is directing this production, chose to cast young people aged 10–15 in her production, with the goal of seeing how theatre projects can help children develop and think in new ways.
“I had a great experience working on this production and completing my MFA at Victoria University of Wellington,” Sharon says. “You get to produce the theatre you love through practical courses, and my classmates and teachers never fail to encourage, praise, and support me.”
From 1–4 February, BATS Theatre will host new works Raru e Maruakaītā and The Veil.
Raru e Maruakaītā is a jukebox musical that presents a traditional Cook Islands legend through traditional and modern music and Cook Islands and contemporary dance. This production was created by Poe Tiare Tararo and Hannah Taylor.
The Veil is an immersive theatre experience about the journey of Pasifika men to adulthood, especially around the keeping of secrets.
“What I'm most excited about is just seeing the lads on stage perform in front of an audience,” says writer Ezra Seiuli. “I'm a firm believer in things happening for a reason, and that whatever trials and tribulations we went through as a team was beneficial for us to grow and learn. They're such a talented group of men that breathe life into the piece and it's just exciting to finally see the fruits of our labour.”
The final show in this year’s Six Degrees Festival is Timelines, which runs from 9—11 February. During this show, BATS Theatre will be transformed into an immersive, interactive environment where audience members will go back in time to explore moments in the history of BATS. The audience will need to work together to travel back to the present day.
“I'm excited to see how this ambitious project unfolds in real time performance and what the challenges of managing it will be. The MFA has been guiding us toward the festival since last year and it's been a new and intriguing process creating the show alongside the learnings of the course. Something new for me and a bit different for most people, I hope everyone can get something out of it,” says Daisy Vahey Bourne, who created the show alongside fellow students Lani Swann and Morgan Delaney.
Find out more about the Festival or buy tickets here: https://www.6degreesfestival.com/