Dunedin Fringe Festival

Unravelled from the fringes of a fringy fringed, fringeless fringe. In a category all of its own, the lunatiC fringE presents, No Show. A total non-event. "You’d have to be insane to see this." "Well, if you’re not prepared help yourself, I cant help you." Look Out for The No Show Show Pony Cruising On the Loser Cruiser.

Three Dunedin comedians will, strangely enough, be doing comedy! Their sets are much more thought out then their event description, so you have the guarantee that the shows better than this blurb. Don't believe it? Come check out Reuben Crimp, Simon Kingsley-Holmes, and Annie Hayes making up for this vague description. Entry by koha.

NZ based Irish comedian Alan McElroy brings his new show Wingin’ It to Dunedin Fringe! As a busy MC, Alan relies on his quick wit and improvised banter with the crowd, which makes each performance unique. Now, he is making a one hour show out of it, this one…Wingin’ It. Alan has performed in festivals around the world and is just back from the Edinburgh Fringe. And FINALLY!!!! He gets to perform at the cream of the crop, The Greatest Stage On Earth! The mighty Dunedin Fringe! They say ‘Never give up on your dreams’, well, I/he hasn’t! 'Audacious, Ironic, Frenetic, Irish...Good for a laugh.'- Theatreview 'If it's the best of the new talent you're after, look no further than Alan McElroy...while the mic's in Alan's hand, there's no chance of getting bored'- Concrete Playground

Unfortunately this event has been cancelled. From the Southern Hemisphere's #1 Trump impersonator - Donald Trump has had a hard life: he's never fitted in, his dad hates him, and he's in a minority group (the top 1%). After taking control of America, he digs deep and realises it's time to take control of his own life. In his 71st year, he will finally ignore his parent's expectations and achieve his childhood dreams. From World Top 10 Trump impersonator (Laugh Factory, Hollywood), Alexander Sparrow. As seen in the Wall Street Journal (US), and on TVNZ’s Breakfast, TV3’s The Project, and PRIME TV’s Back Benches. Nominated Best Actor, 2017 Nelson Fringe Festival Winner Breakthrough Act, 2016 Wellington Comedy Awards ‘He’s good’-TV3 ‘Very good’ - TVNZ ‘He nails it’ - Prime TV ‘Captivating showmanship’ - Theatreview ‘It’s dumbfounding how hilarious he is’ - Regional News ‘It really doesn’t get better than this’ - Art Murmurs. You don't want to miss this! Fringe Tags;Comedy, Theatre, Improvisation

Singer/songwriter/entertainer Gary Starlight has had a tempestuous showbiz career. In his 'greatest hits' comeback concert, Gary recounts his life story in a very special interactive performance where every autobiographical song is determined by the audience’s suggestions. Hear about Gary’s highs and lows: from humble beginnings to superstardom, through number one hits to public meltdowns; in a show where not even Gary knows where his story is going. Veteran improviser, comedian and writer Jeff Clark has been a member of The Court Jesters for over twenty years; he is a regular performer in Scared Scriptless and a fixture in the Christchurch comedy scene. As Gary Starlight, Clark incorporates the skills of musician Kris Finnerty and each show’s audience into a truly unique 'one-night-only' experience where no two shows are the same. Originally commissioned by The Court Theatre, An Evening with Gary Starlight is an improvised musical comedy that blends lightning-quick wit, storytelling skill and musical ability to create a show that’s half cabaret, half improv and wholly entertaining. Come let Gary shine his starlight on you! Winner 'Best of Fringe' - Nelson Fringe 2015; Part of the 2017 World Buskers Festival and the Cavell Leitch NZ International Jazz & Blues Festival 2017. 'Delightful, smart, laugh-out-loud musical comedy' - What’s Up NZ; 'So good… if you ever see the name ‘Gary Starlight’ anywhere, you’ve got to go' - James Daniels, The Breeze Chch; 'Jeff Clark's Starlight persona is inspired, and he accepts and incorporates the sometimes dubious ask-fors with absolute commitment…' - Erin Harrington, Theatreview; '[Clark’s] years of experience as a Jester and talent for lightning-fast rhyming come to the fore in the very funny improvised numbers as he creates entire songs off the cuff. It’s an impressive feat... he manages it without so much as dropping a rhyme all night.' - Cityscape; 'It's hard not to fall in love with Gary Starlight. It seems likely that this show will go on to conquer the far reaches of the universe. If you weren't a Gary guy or Gary girl before you will be soon.' - Nelson Mail

Sunday Morning Gothic: two sensual goths, Audrey Porne & Reuben Todd. Apocalyptic Us: a show on death, and sex, and being beautiful. Sketch, stand-up, and low drama. Apocalyptic and silly. www.tinder.com/@SundayGothic xx

Dunedin Public Library will host this all day multi-cultural smorgashangi of Dunedin diversity, featuring storytellers from various communities including PNG, South Africa, Norway, Hong Kong, Deaf, Indian, Russian, Croatian, Syrian, Tokelau, and more. Plus the amazing Cook Island dance troupe Kia Orana, as well as the puppets of Rare Byrds, and the sounds of the Dunedin Youth Orchestra and kickass circus tumblers from Flow Arts. Thanks to Creative Communities funding, we are building on the 2017 festival to create a bigger event... and a great way to celebrate St Patrick’s Day with a few pints of story, dance and music.

Hello everyone its your aunty here family bbq will be at mine this year. Bring a plate but im on a diet so please be considerate. Byo booze and durries no scabs this year thank you. Winner of Best Comedy Auckland Fringe 2017 and sold-out in Auckland and Wellington AUNTY is back, and more outrageous than ever. Fresh off a season at The Basement and BATS, Johanna Cosgrove brings her award-winning solo performance to Dunedin for the family reunion you never knew you wanted or needed. This one woman tornado is an homage to the Aunties we love, and love to hate. As the sav starts pouring, new boyfriends are lovingly embarrassed, everyone in the audience is part of the whanau. The yarns are spun and drama ensues as we begin to question the attitudes and relationships with our own family. Recommended Koha: $15. Restrictions: Bad language ** Aunty also has shows at Fortune Studio, and at a private residence (49 Walter Street), please get tickets at: www.dunedinfringe.nz

Hello everyone its your aunty here family bbq will be at mine this year. Bring a plate but im on a diet so please be considerate. Byo booze and durries no scabs this year thank you. Winner of Best Comedy Auckland Fringe 2017 and sold-out in Auckland and Wellington AUNTY is back, and more outrageous than ever. Fresh off a season at The Basement and BATS, Johanna Cosgrove brings her award-winning solo performance to Dunedin for the family reunion you never knew you wanted or needed. This one woman tornado is an homage to the Aunties we love, and love to hate. As the sav starts pouring, new boyfriends are lovingly embarrassed, everyone in the audience is part of the whanau. The yarns are spun and drama ensues as we begin to question the attitudes and relationships with our own family. Restrictions: Bad language Unfortunately the Friday session has been cancelled! ** Aunty also has shows at Fortune Studio, and Fortune Mainstage, please get tickets at: www.dunedinfringe.nz

Best of Scottish Comedy has become a regular feature of Dunedin Fringe. With the undoubted links between Scotland and Otago, the show returns in 2018. This year brings a new line up but the same desire to bring laughter with a kilt from the frozen north to the deepest south. Sideswipes and observations of the world from a Scottish perspective. Dunedin Fringe regular Bruce Fummey is joined by the outstanding talent of Ray Bradshaw, who’s stellar rise in the UK and international comedy is massively deserved. You’ll see why. Both Bruce and Ray are award-winning comedians back in the UK, and both come with UK TV and radio credits. A double Scottish Comedian of the Year finalist, Ray Bradshaw has numerous radio credits under his belt with BBC Scotland, and Radio 4. 'Excellent' - Chortle; 'a very promising writer, able to create some enjoyably twisted punchlines' - Chortle; 'Has a Clear Comedy Gift' - Edinburgh Evening News. Bruce Fummey was named Scottish Comedian of the Year in 2014 and has been nominated for Fringe comedy awards in the UK and Australia in 2013,2014,2015 and 2017. 'This man exudes infectious warmth and humour' - Chortle; 'Put simply, he is a very, very funny man' - Skinny.

“Family are the ones who will always be there for you" ...unless they disapprove of you, or are dying, or can never be born. Blood Relative is a solo autobiographical dramatic re-telling by genderqueer artist and fertility-challenged Ren Lunicke (of the award-winning dark comedy “Ze”: queer as f*ck!) featuring Ren’s disapproving radical evangelical mum and Ren’s beloved grandmother, whom they care-take in the months prior to her passing. All three generations struggle in the shadow of death to dominate the narrative of what makes a “happy family.” Constantly disappointed by their expectations for biological bonds, they must examine the power and possibility to redefine and remake "family" for oneself, and decide how each of them fits into that new picture. This inter-generational love story is for anyone who has been disappointed by family, that felt the apple fell far from the tree, or who thought the generational divide was too far to cross. First show KOHA! One night only 8 March, 2017. 6pm. Bio: Zir Productions is the performance vehicle for Ren Lunicke, a genderqueer Ameri-nadian Kiw-aussie based in New Zealand and best known for their award nominated and winning show "Ze": queer as f*ck! as well as alternative comedy. Zir shows mine personal experience, psychology, philosophy, and spirituality to connect audiences to themselves, the "other," nature, and even the divine with deep pathos and devilish humour. Previous performance works have included solo story-telling shows, spoken word poetry, street performance, gallery work, commissioned performance art pieces. (for "Ze") Nominated for Best Comedy - FRINGE WORLD 2016 Won "Best Use of Awkward Silence" - Toronto Fringe 2016 Won 3rd place "Artistic Risk Award" - Vancouver Fringe 2016 Blood Relative: " a magnificent piece....touching...The delivery of these controversial topics was exceptional." - Independent Theatre Association ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ 5 / 5 -Perth Happenings "powerful and insightful...a must see" - The Queer Av

Unfortunately this event has been cancelled. Does art come from our human part or our animal part? If the answer is the latter, why aren’t more sheep exhibiting nationally in galleries? From acclaimed comedian Jesse Griffin (Wilson Dixon) comes a totally immersive show about art. “Centaur is a hilarious and unique comedy experience that is a must-see for comedy fans looking for something different.” KUWNZ Since humans started living in caves there has been art, and art critics. "I thought the depiction of the migrating buffalo being attacked by spear wielding clan members was overly simplistic and brutal, and trivialised both the migration of the buffalo and something else." Expect the very finest in art speak/wank as the comedian as artist exhibits a number of art pieces he’s created and performs several live artistic pieces for the audience to experience. Accompanying this is an accompanying commentary along with criticism of the artworks and the world at large. The audience will be encouraged to enter the artistic discourse - although their views and input will be largely ignored. "(Jesse) Griffin is one of the most hilarious creatures in New Zealand, and his vivacity and confidence in this show was admirable." What's Good, 2016 Jesse Griffin is best known to NZ audiences for his FRED Award winning country singer character Wilson Dixon which has played to sold out houses nationwide and overseas. Jesse has and continues to appear on TV (800 Words, 7 Days, Jono and Ben, Golden, Cadbury Dream Factory) and was the creative force behind the Flight of the Conchords charity song Feel Inside and the All Blacks 2015 World Cup song Team Ball Player Thing with Lorde, Taika Waititi, Dave Dobbyn and others for Comedy for Cure Kids as the Creative Executive Producer, head writer and director. This show is R18 and Contains adult themes & occasional coarse language. And Art. Gallery (23 Princes St) open for free viewing of Centaur artwork between Mar 9 to Mar 17 12pm - 2pm (not Sun 11) The project has been supported through Letting Space’s Urban Dream Brokerage service with funding from Dunedin City Council.

All the way from London, British Comedian Charmian returns to the Fortune Theatre with a brand-new show. Last year Charmian visited New Zealand for the first time with 2017 Dunedin fringe hit ‘Charmian Hughes-Soixante Mirth’. She is Thrilled to be back! This time she invites you on a comedy quest that will boldly go, climb every mountain and uplift humanity in that universal search for the perfect fit in Life’s great puzzle. Do you ever feel the world is the wrong size or you never quite understood the rules? Maybe we just started off with the wrong instructions at birth – do we need to write new ones? All those myths and fairy tales, old ones and modern ones, we thought made sense of the world, were they actually made to mislead us and get us to accept the status quo? Maybe it’s time to bust out! And make our own stories. ‘A class above other stand ups – a great entertainer not to be missed!’ (Dominion Post); ‘A joy!’ (Scotsman); ‘Funny poignant profound’ (NZ TheatreView); ‘Four stars!’ (Funny Women ). Charmian has been doing her comedy since 1987 when she ran away from the circus to become a stand-up comic after breaking the vow of Mime Silence. She has played throughout the UK comedy Circuit, in the UK houses of parliament, and even in a top security prison. She has taken seven solo shows to the Edinburgh Festival, and in 2017 performed at the Dunedin, Auckland and New Zealand fringes. She has compered the Glastonbury Festival several times and is a Comedy Award Nominee. ‘The best gags’ The Independent (UK); ‘Charming ribaldry’ The Guardian (UK); ‘Like Josie Long’s mum’ Chortle. www.charmianhughes.co.uk

As a young believer, Penny knows that being a Christian is complicated. Between creationists, homophobes, idiots, control freaks, militant atheists, street evangelists, power, sex, and Harry Potter, is there any room left for faith? Join us as Penny weighs the pros and cons of Christian culture. Is it worth the trouble? Is there anything left in Christianity? A hilarious and biting satire of Christian culture, Christian is a play about the difficulty of belonging in a world of spiritual pluralities. Christian comes at a time where New Zealand Christianity is reassessing itself. Both pro- and anti-gay marriage factions within the church agree that the 2013 gay marriage referendum marked a shift in the role of religion in society. The increasing acceptance of the gay community has also led some Christians to acknowledge their role in the damages caused to the gay community. This play continues the self-examination of Christianity, questioning the shape of the faith in modern society. Written and directed by James Tregonning, Christian is brought to you by Christians, non-Christians, ex-Christians, pre-Christians, and probably a Buddhist or something. Intended for mature audiences - contains adult themes and sexually explicit language, discussion of sexual assault and homophobia.

Occurring as a semi regular event in different incarnations, club six is a dance party bringing together a mix of live acts, djs and visual enhancements. Music to move, music to be moved by...what time is love? featuring.. sound: Richard Maybe's Passion For Nature, Acid Police, Lumen Lux, Frost light: Nikki, Blitz Friday and Saturday for Club Nights – special nights of themed music created and curated specifically for Dunedin Fringe. With a $5 only door charge these killer evenings start at 10pm and the party rolls on until 1am. A fringe highlight, not to be missed. Artists with a 2018 Fringe Artist Pass get Free entry!

Dunedin City Jazz Orchestra is Dunedin's premiere Big Band led by Jazz Legend Calder Prescott MNZM. DCJO specialises in the music of the great bands of the swing era as well as playing Funk and Latin numbers too. Great for dancing to or just enjoying the sounds with a drink. Friday and Saturday for Club Nights – special nights of themed music created and curated specifically for Dunedin Fringe. With a $5 only door charge these killer evenings start at 10pm and the party rolls on until 1am. A fringe highlight, not to be missed. Artists with a 2018 Fringe Artist Pass get Free entry!

Showcasing local Ōtepoti musicians, Summoned//Syphoned explores the push and pull of sound and experience. Curated by Radio One’s Music director Erin Broughton, Summoned//Syphoned opens with a Black Box performance by Eliana Gray and Broughton at 9pm. Musical performances commence at the Festival Club from 10pm. Let yourself be drawn into the new shape of our local sound. Friday and Saturday for Club Nights – special nights of themed music created and curated specifically for Dunedin Fringe. With a $5 only door charge these killer evenings start at 10pm and the party rolls on until 1am. A fringe highlight, not to be missed. Artists with a 2018 Fringe Artist Pass get Free entry!

The Beat Skips were born to make you dance and forget your burdens. Playing live versions of DJ remixes of live songs, expect house music beats coupled with jazz and funk backbones on top of classic tunes. Friday and Saturday for Club Nights – special nights of themed music created and curated specifically for Dunedin Fringe. With a $5 only door charge these killer evenings start at 10pm and the party rolls on until 1am. A fringe highlight, not to be missed. Artists with a 2018 Fringe Artist Pass get Free entry!

Comedy Drop Outs features three of New Zealand’s most off the wall acts. Drop D is a hurricane of a comedian, who has been storming the South Island. Georgie Sivier is South Island Raw Champion and has been described as ‘mental.’ Starring a special (secret) headliner, this show will be a party you won’t forget. Just be prepared - this is like nothing you have seen before. ‘Drop Dee, a man simultaneously sporting the skinniest jeans and the largest shoes I have ever seen, is a comedian with energy and a brain bursting with ideas and I’m looking forward to seeing him again.’ - What’s Up Christchurch ‘Georgie Sivier is superb.’ - Dame Kate Harcourt.

Apologies, this event has been cancelled. A group of dancers and drummers from Cowichan people, Vancouver Island, are visiting New Zealand as part of a cultural exchange visit, being hosted by Puketeraki Marae. It is intended that rakatahi from Kai Tahu will perform together with the Cowichan group.

Aaron Jelley invites you into the minds of five artists, each coping with their own grief… to varying success. Failed careers, failed relationships, failed dreams, everyday disappointments catapult these disparate characters into surreal inner worlds of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and, with luck, acceptance. Enjoy the mess, and thank the stars it's not you. After four years in improvisational comedy, Aaron Jelley has dived headfirst into the world of stand up, quickly establishing a reputation as a dynamic, unpredictable performer and, for better or worse, a wholly original act in the blooming Christchurch comedy scene. He is your best friend, your worst nightmare, your favourite child, your darkest secret. Aaron Jelley will steal your heart and feed it to you. Aaron Jelley. Will. Make. You. Laugh. 'One of the most exciting and original new acts in Christchurch' - Grandpa Figs; '... Christchurch resident...' - Stuff.co.nz

Dai Henwood finally brings an hour of stand up to Dunedin! You’ve seen him on 7Days, Family Feud and The Project; plus his DVD’s, podcasts and general internet nonsense, now you can see him live. Having been performing comedy since blimmin’ ages, Dai has now become a fixture of the New Zealand comedy furniture. He’s won the Billy T Award, The Fred Award (twice) and the NZ Comedy Guild Best Male Comedian (also twice). From the days of Insert Video Here, he has always been a shining light of positivity, he’s as Kiwi as hokey pokey ice cream, jandals, and dropping your ice cream right after you’ve bought it. Don’t worry; the dog will lick that up. Dai’s comedy chops are better than anything you’ll get from the butcher, and only $23.00 a kilo. Let’s get our Henwood on!

Inspired by the musical Dance Dance Revolution, GASP! Dance Inclusive presents Dance Revolution Dance. Once upon a time, in a future world, on a planet far, far away, dancing has been banned for decades, a rule enforced by the 'No Fun Police'. But the people can no longer stop the tapping of their feet, the swaying of their hips and the bobbing of their heads. The dance revolutionaries rise up from the shadows to challenge the 'No Fun Police', and bring back the beats. Gasp! Dance Inclusive is a group of dancers with a diverse range of abilities who love to create and perform. Inclusive dance, also known as integrated dance, is part of the disability culture movement, which recognises and celebrates the first-person experience of disability. Inclusive dance choreographers have high artistic expectations of all dancers with an emphasis on exploring dancers' unique ways of moving. Inclusive dance not only embraces diversity but thrives on it.

A photographic exhibition with a soundtrack that explores the socio-cultural implications of society's discarded clothing and rubbish. This collection of contemporary artefacts found on Dunedin’s streets is part of the on-going series Sh*t That Finds Me On The Street that aims to inform us more about these crazy times we live in than any piece of fake news. Alan Dove is based in Dunedin and works as both a commercial and fine art photographer. He has won awards in both the New Zealand and Australian professional photography competitions. This will be his second time entering the Dunedin Fringe Festival with last years DePixelation multi-media exhibition intriguing many.

Prospect Park Productions NZ is proud to present Dark Dunedin: Heaven Looks On, a three-part thriller podcast, with a Gothic Dunedin as its beating heart. As you accompany the protagonist on her journey, you’ll discover – or re-discover – nostalgic, historic, and supernatural features of and in the city; the whoosh of Lamson pipes at Penroses Department Store, twinkling stars in the St James theatre, and Kēhua, sprites, and demons dancing under the moonlight in the Town Belt. When a young woman’s body is discovered in the Dunedin Town Belt, Louise Hepburn finds herself haunted by both the case and her past. A single woman of middle age, she likes to believe that she is an invisible woman in the Edinburgh of the south. Identified as a potential witness, Louise must now unlock the mystery, following different paths of light that pass through the prism of Ōtepoti, the place of the steep points at the bottom of the world. Produced entirely in Dunedin with a star cast and original music, we invite you to join us for the Dunedin Fringe Festival launch event and/or tune in for the premiere, which will be aired exclusively for Otago residents before the podcast is made available for download worldwide. Launch Event: We’re excited to be hosting a launch event as part of the Dunedin Fringe Festival, with a guided, interactive walk through the northern end of the Dunedin Town Belt culminating in a celebration at Olveston Historic Home. Numbers are strictly limited and bookings essential. Podcast and Premiere Listening: To be the first audience to hear Dark Dunedin: Heaven Looks On in its entirety, tune in to Otago Access Radio 105.4 FM at 9pm on 11 March 2018. All three episodes of the podcast will then be available for download from 9pm 12 March, allowing you to take the mystery with you whenever, wherever you go. You could even take it to the next level and listen while you explore the sites in the story… Cast: Julie Edwards, Dougal Stevenson, Phil Vaughan, Marama Grant, Robert Shand, Terry McTavish, Matt Wilson, Margo Latton, Dimitri Latton, Cheryl Amos, Mark Neilson, Phoebe Smith, Lani Swann, Simon Anderson. Prospect Park Productions is writer Emily Duncan and producer H-J Kilkelly, and was formed in 2016. Their first production Hold Me (dir: Tabitha Arthur) opened at BATS theatre to sell-out houses and Emily was nominated for Best New NZ Playwright at the Wellington Theatre Awards for the script. Their next play, Shaken (dir: Dan Greer), was part of the Wellington Short+Sweet Festival 2016 and earned a best actor award. H-J and Emily are both Dunedin bred and are incredibly excited to be launching this exciting new work in their hometown. To ensure the best quality tour, numbers are strictly limited. Please email us to register at: h-j@prospectparknz.com

2016 Billy T Award Winner, David Correos has developed an international reputation for delivering full noise, powerful, messy comedy that defies genre and labels. It’s a maelstrom of comedy that has seen him get five-star reviews at the Edinburgh Fringe. Of course, you can also expect body paint, electrical tape, potentially a bread knife and sometimes cinnamon. This is a stand-up comedy show that is spectacle and jokes, and 100% Correos. There is emotion, personal danger, and sweat. So much sweat. It's a comedian putting his body on the line to make people laugh, and boy he does it well. This year’s show has already required discussions around extra power supply, and a special risk assessment. What you’ve seen David doing on TV shows like AotearoHA and 7Days, doesn’t prepare you for the energy and boundary-pushing of his live shows. A comic on the edge of sanity and reason, and all the funnier for it. "I don’t believe there’s anything Correos wouldn’t do for the sake of entertainment." – theatrescenes.co.nz "Seems to only have to stand there to get the laughs." - theatreview.org Koha entry.

Dr Marigaux's Voodoo Soul Big Band is a big band like no other. Delivering high-energy stomps, deep soul, and hoodoo voodoo grooves, the band is wild and untamed. Directly from the Aramoana swamps and the underground tunnels of central Dunedin, Dr Marigaux plays from the heart. The band’s awesome rhythm section lays down the beat for the brass and sax sections to blow over, the doctor’s vocals wail and the whole band takes you to voodoo heaven. Doors open at 8:00pm

Two extraordinary musicians play in an intimate gallery setting while the audience has the opportunity to visualise their performance through their own creativity. Drawing materials will be available for those who want to make their mark, or simply come for a wonderful experience in this creative environment. Nick Knox weaves together rich complex melodic strands in his keyboard improvisations, combining these with powerful dark and sensitive vocal pieces, and exploring an aesthetic of primal beauty. Bethany Robertson, an emerging Dunedin singer-songwriter, has an explosive vocal potency and control, which has been thrilling audiences locally when singing Amy Winehouse covers and her own beautifully crafted songs. An exhibition of drawings and etchings of musicians by Pauline Bellamy will be on display at Bellamys Gallery during gallery hours throughout the Fringe Festival.

Dunedin often embraces the gothic with its architecture, literature, music, and more recently in its city brand script. This event takes a walk through the dark side of the cities gothic heritage with a blend of poetry, music and photography. Poet Ian Loughran, musician Stephen Killroy and photographer Michelle Chalklin Sinclair collaborate on an evening for the bold and inquisitive. Ian Loughran is an acclaimed published and performance poet who has enjoyed sell-out events in Australia, the UK and New Zealand (Including the 2014 Dunedin Fringe Festival). He was award-nominated at the 2009 Dunedin Fringe Festival. He has curated many successful events combining poetry and music most recently at the Dunedin Readers And Writers Festival 2017. Stephen Kilroy is an acclaimed musician and played an important role in the Dunedin sound of the 1980’s. He has been a member of the bands Chug, Stephen, King Loser and Heka. Michelle Chalklin-Sinclair has enjoyed many plaudits for her photography not least for her bestselling combined photography and recipe book the ‘Dunedin Fonebook’. The event will be a haunting theatrical journey using spoken word, music, lighting and photographic imagery set in the heritage surroundings of Dunedin’s iconic Otago Pioneer Women’s Memorial Building. The venue has limited capacity, don’t miss out.

An aerial silks spectacular performance over, around, and in Dunedin’s St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool. Through Maori creation stories of Rangi and Papa, and Rangi’s jealous rival Takaroa, the show will explore elements of earth, air, fire/light, and water. Featuring aerial silks artists, dancers, singers, and more, Elemental promises to be a unique performance event not to be missed! Brought to you by the team who produced last year’s award-winning Circus Alice (Outstanding Innovation 2016, Dunedin Theatre Awards), Elemental is an original site-specific work combining the remarkable skills of Brophy’s Aerialists with the excitement of contemporary dance, synchronised swimming, live singers and an array of other performers. Elemental has an R13 rating for adult themes. This event is outdoors and audiences will be standing. Please dress for the weather. In exceptional circumstances, a seat may be arranged by emailing ignatius@dunedinblog.co.nz

It's been 10 years since Eli became Head Environment Prefect at high school, and he still hasn't managed to save the world yet. Can this short gay rescue the planet with one hour of comedy? Probably not, but come along for the ride anyway! The latest hour of comedy from multi-award winning stand-up Eli Matthewson. Nominated Fred Award (Best Show) 2017 NZICF 'Nails every punchline' - NZ Herald 'He's Hilarious' - The Spinoff 'A must see' - Stuff.co.nz

Building on the success of the 2017 event, eminent techno producer son.sine (Nurture/Delsin) and Christchurch producer Sans Def return with a multi-speaker exploration of the Techno narrative. If we are doomed to repeat history then we must look for ways to navigate the loops. Restrictions & warnings: Loud music

Travel through the blackest night to the time before. Let your hot groin drive you forward, your desire only to sing and dance once more to that dark refrain. You get to be a real part of a live performance theatre. Featuring well-known local musicians, singers, and performers, you are a critical part of the performance itself – we want you! The well-known top secret location offers a plethora of space for you to perform in, following the horror love story of aliens and betrayal. You will be used, fed and by the end of the night, dishevelled and spent. But exhilarated. Come. Taste the flesh. Then come again. Meet at Blueskin Nurseries car park, 2 Harvey St, Waitati... to be taken to the secret venue

Never tried stand up comedy but have always wanted to!? Fresh Comedy Competition is our way of ensuring our vibrant New Zealand comedy scene continues to thrive. We’ve got $500 in straight up cash prizes to encourage a pile of first timers to give it a shot. Snap (presented by RuseWebsites) will MC us through the night, ensuring a smooth ride and a great night for everyone. So if you think you’re funny… or you’re just consistently too poor to buy more DVDs for your Kevin Costner collection and that money could really go a long way… then this is the competition for you.

Unfortunately this event has been cancelled. I'll level with you, I've never been to America. Eye catching title though right? And I really needed one this year, because I'm not entirely sure what the show will be. So I'm sorry I lied, but honestly all I can do with the title at this stage is make it eye catching. I had this great plan of doing a whole hour about poo, not because it's a good idea, but because it's very clearly not. I just wanted to pull that off. Unfortunately I've been busy, so here's an hour of other new jokes, stories, and off the cuff banter. I can promise you it'll be good fun. We're gonna get to know each other and have a good time. Also, I love self-deprecation as much as the next person, but I'm honestly pretty good at this. I know, I know, as a Kiwi you shouldn't say positive things about yourself, but I've got USA in the title so I might as well act a bit American and tell you I can do this, and I can do it well. Even won a couple of awards like Best MC in the Christchurch Comedy Awards 2015, or Best Performer in the Frinch Awards 2016. Maybe awards don't do it for you, how about some critical acclaim, aka quotes from a few reviews... 'Clearly a talented comedian' - Theatreview 'Genuinely Lovely' - Nelson Fringe 'Leaves us roaring with laughter' - Art Murmurs I know it's all sounding a bit 'braggy', but that's just what we've gotta do at festivals... and in for a penny, in for a pound... so here's some quotes from a couple of prestigious comedians... 'Snap is unique piece of work. He is a very funny man with a very silly name. 10/10 would Snap again.' - Jordan Raskopoulos, The Axis of Awesome 'Snap is a larrikin national treasure, the cheeky pirate prince of crowd work and tales of unlikely shenanigans' - Justin 'Rusty' White Alright, that seems to have filled most of the word quota. Hope to see you at the show, but if you can't make it along than please do go support other shows during the Dunedin Fringe Festival, and once this is all wrapped up, don't wait till next year, keep going out to shows, and never stop supporting the arts in your city. On air 3-6 weekdays, www.PulzarFM.co.nz or 105.7 in Chch.

NZ’s brownest, funniest, and cockiest comedy trio are hitting Dunedin with a sketch comedy mixtape. Separately, Jamaine Ross, James Roque, and Pax Assadi are great stand-up comedians. But together, they’re New Zealand’s most racially diverse live sketch comedy trio, Frickin Dangerous Bro. Combining their well-crafted writing and trademark unpredictability, they plan on setting Dunedin alight with their unique brand of comedy. “It is hard not to fall for the lovable charm of Frickin Dangerous Bro” – keepingupwithnz.com “They’re New Zealand’s version of Key & Peele.” – tearaway.co.nz

Bare Essentials are a jazz, swing, rhythm and blues trio of considerable standing in the Dunedin music community. This is their first appearance at the Dunedin Fringe Festival, and we are very excited to have them! Their set will cover a history of popular songs dating back to the 1920’s that have become jazz standards. Featuring: John Meddings – guitarist/vocalist. John is a musician whose talent for fine tones, balance and technical ability has led to prominent artists seeking his expertise. John has played with Annie Crummer, Sir Howard Morrison, Ray Wolfe, Jacqui Fitzgerald, Suzanne Prentice, Don McGlashan, Barry Saunders and Ray Columbus. As a session musician, John has played on a diverse range of albums and soundtracks for television. Away from the stage, John has established himself as a leading stringed instrument repair technician. Recently retired from guitar tuition both privately and at the Otago University, John now enjoys arranging great compositions for Bare Essentials. William Davidson – vocalist - percussion. William worked professionally as the vocalist with the NZ 70s’ pop group 'The Kal-Q-lated Risk.' The group released several singles and two albums gaining the finals of the Loxene Golden Disc Awards in three consecutive years. The group extensively toured NZ for several years, and through its recording company, HMV was introduced to Decca Records UK moving to London and recording one album and again touring and supporting various UK artist. 'Bare Essentials to me is a wonderful thing – with little else than an acoustic guitar, maraca and saxophone we endeavour to play precise rhythmical movement, working with dynamics and textures to create wonderful music.' Tony Stephens – saxophonist – vocalist - percussion. Tony loves to play music. He’s lucky enough to play with two of his all-time favourite muso’s; William and John. Tony plays Tenor Saxophone and percussion and loves to sing. As William has a voice unmatched locally or nationally, Tony (along with John) love to create wonderful three-part harmonies; complementing the tight and polished Trio. Tony’s virtuosity and musicianship give spark and flare to the trio.

From Sex to Soccer - Exercise, Sport and Me and everything else in between In a country where the leading headline is ‘Did the Prime Minister jinx the All Blacks?’ (after a sports loss); Rochelle Savage performs her comic one person play looking at the last socially acceptable obsession - sports and exercise. Rochelle has written for and performed in theatre (Laura Get Your Gun, Perfect, FACE), television (Skitz, TellyLaughs), radio (Deep Vein Thrombosis: A romantic comedy RNZ commissioned play) and film (Best use of character - New Zealand & Wellington; 48hr finalist). Below are some quotes from reviews of previous theatre writing - plays and sketch comedy 'Brilliant' - The Evening Post 'Full-on entertainment' - The Dominion 'Rochelle Savage’s play is very funny, pacy, and the three actors offer great naturalistic performances' - City Voice 'Anarchic, energetic, wonderful' - The Listener

Comic, poet and reformed psychiatric nurse Rob Gee presents a user-friendly guide to losing the plot. Fruitcake charts a night shift on an acute psychiatric ward, seen through the eyes of a jaded nurse who hears the voice of God – a kindly Jamaican woman – who gives him ten benevolent commandments to help him through the shift; and life. 'A witty, skilful storyteller… Gee has pitched it perfectly' Chortle, UK 5 Stars 'Hilarious... a one-man thespian army.' CBC, Canada 4 1/2; Stars 'A tour de force!' Victoria Times, Canada 4 Stars 'One show you’d be crazy to miss!' Toronto Eye 4 1/2; Stars 'A first-rate show.' Calgary Herald 4 1/2; Stars 'Hilarious... poignant... life-affirming... joyful!' Uptown Magazine, Canada. 'Terrifically well-written… the kind of Fringe performer you pray you’ll discover.' Orlando Sentinel. 'This is a man who stared into the abyss and saw it wink back at him.' The Ubyssey, Vancouver. 'An unforeseen highlight, a convulsively funny and surprisingly moving tribute to humanity’s collective psychosis.' Minnesota Examiner. Best of Fest – Ottawa, Winnipeg, Calgary Fringe Festivals; Patron's Pick - Winnipeg Fringe Best Solo Comedy – Buxton Fringe; Best Spoken Word – Minnesota Fringe; Critic’s Pick – Toronto Fringe Featuring dub poet Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze as the voice of God.

Jessica is just femme of centre, a cabaret badass with stories as compellingly debauched as she is epically expressive. “McKerlie is a stellar performer and commands the stage and your attention from the moment she begins. Full of charm, heart and thought-provoking stories.” – Theatre People Jessica’s brash, no holds barred, potent storytelling style will have you writhing on the floor with hilarity one minute, begging for more titillating detail the next. Implore her to please be gentle as she playfully deploys songs like a beer-can cannon, injecting humour and defiance into the room in a delightfully messy explosion of creativity. 'McKerlie’s songs are heartfelt, creative and touching, proving that you can do a lot with only four strings!' – Glam Adelaide This mischievous chanteuse brings you a collection of tales from the road, stories to make you shiver with anticipation, shudder with wanton lust, and bawl with tender longing. 'Confronting, sad, hilarious, affecting, but always entertaining - a must-see'” – Upside News Book early to avoid missing this powerfully animated, unscrupulous deviant at her best. 'You can’t not love this' -The Plus Ones 4 Stars– Upside News 4 Stars– The Scotsman 4 Stars – Planet Arts Melbourne

In 2017 Guy released his first ever stand up special In An Election Year available now on Youtube and Facebook. He was also a regular on shows such as Jono and Ben, 7 Days, and Bacon and Cheese, a primary school student production that he is yet to receive any payment for, despite frequent emails and threats of legal action against children.

Hands! is a one woman, and one musician bittersweet comedy about heartbreak and loss, soaked in grimy mini moog and swirly synth goodness. It is part theatre, part low-fi gig, part dance show, part ode to Kate Bush, and it is full of heart. Pip Smith is a performer and maker based in Hamilton. She grew up playing all the clown roles without any proper training, and singing in low-fi noise bands, also without training. She last fronted electro guitar punk band “Celebrity Death Hoax”. She used to work for Silo Theatre Company and other fancy pants theatre companies in Auckland making props and stage managing. She spent a lot of hours nagging set designer John Verryt and making him laugh because of her ever-changing hair. Her love of all things make-y, of physical comedy, music, and old school theatricality are married in this. Matty Taylor is an aspiring film-maker and composer. He has a love of Italian horror aficionado Dario Agento, David Lynch, and all things good and bloody with epic soundtracks. After taking a year off after finishing school to explore some of the world, he’s spending this year making stuff - if anything, come along to this for the music alone. Matty is a national treasure in the making and we can’t express how excited we are to have his talent and enthusiasm on the road with us. Mel Martin is a young, incredibly smart and talented director/writer who makes the pulse, rather than just having her finger on it. She already has a mass amount of incredibly well produced stunning contemporary productions to her name including, “Punk Play”, “Spring Awakening”, “Legally Blonde” and a retelling of “Romeo and Juliet” set in a women’s correctional institute. Some might wonder how Mel ended up on this rag-tag show, but really it’s best not to question these things. Needless to say, you should all come check this out! Look we know Hamilton gets a bad rap as a gross-cow-town and you might be scared that we don’t have anything interesting to say. Um. Yeah. Ignore that. Please? We made this for you, and we’d love to have you along.

The words 'happy' and 'hour' have appeared together for centuries when describing pleasant times. From William Shakespeare to Norm in Cheers, everyone loves a good Happy Hour. Tony Lyall's Happy Hour is a celebration of the good times in life. From having a baby to eating a good meat pie, everyone has a different idea of what it means to be happy. This show is an examination of what is essentially the meaning of life. Things people have already said about the show... 'Sharp, engaging and consistently funny' - Appetite for the Arts 'A unique and entertaining hour of comedy' - The Speakeasy.

Delve into the depths of Bev and Bruce's Storage Royalty, a company renting out vaults that enclose the deepest of human secrets, the forbidden feminine truths and a lifetime of memories. Here is a show like no other, mainly because most theatre shows aren't led by a pair of bumbling tradies called Bev and Bruce; this is a story that will have you in tears of laughter whilst touching on some real situations women know all too well. Winner - Best out of Town show - Nelson Fringe 2017 Nominated - Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Script, Edgiest show - Nelson Fringe 2017 'Through its journey through the ‘typical’ woman’s life, Her demonstrates many relatable women’s woes. We get a glimpse at the expectations heaped on girls from the moment they are born, consent issues, women’s reductions to their roles as mothers, the perils of ageing, and some classic ‘mansplaining’. Our two performers dip and dive between a line-up of characters, expertly creating caricatures that have the audience in stitches.' Aimee Smith 'Echoes from the wings'.

An exhibition of original landscape, architectural, botanical, futuristic and social comment paintings, commercial illustrations, prints and posters by Mark McLeod from the 1980’s to 2018; with a look at how books, film, TV, friends, family, wider cultural and financial influences, and personal life experiences have shaped the artist and his subject matter. Discover how a journey that started in the southwest outskirts of Sydney for a painfully self-conscious, idealistic loner progressed through the exploration of New Age and gay cultures in rural NSW in the 1980’s, gravitated to the mountain country of NZ in the 1990’s, then moved on to a love/hate rural lifestyle attempt in Southland before curiosity, the fundamental human desire for intimate companionship, and economic necessity got him railroaded into the idealism-shattering, cynicism-inducing hardcore-reality-check of sauna management in Dunedin. Down but not out, the dreamer keeps dreaming and painting. Next stop… Twizel? Restrictions & warnings: Some nudity in paintings, some social comments sure to offend some religious people.

SOLD OUT! BUT WAIT LIST AVAILABLE! If you would like to add your name to the waitlist please fill in this google form: https://goo.gl/forms/VDPtm14ihMyNAXH52 and your name will be added to the waitlist - those on the waitlist will be offered first chance to buy any tickets that come available on the door. There may also be standing room only tickets available on the door. NB - you will need to come to the show you put yourself on the waitlist for. Tickets will be sold on the door. The Dunedin Fringe’s naughtiest show about a good Catholic school girl’s journey from kilts and tights to fishnets and nipple tassels. Featuring the hilarious Maddie May, this show’s a bit cheeky in more ways than one… Co-created by Katherine Kennedy (performance) and Jordan Dickson (direction), this autobiographical comedy-strip show makes its world premiere at Dunedin Fringe! Content Warning: A little bit of nudity and a whole lot of feminism

Local Outsider Artist Philip Lomas invites you to delve into his imagination and join us on an impressively unpredictable adventure. This family-friendly, playful puppet experience takes us out of the everyday and throws us into an intergalactic escapade where aliens, astronauts, robots, and pirates collide. Embark on a journey with the great captain Jolly Rogers and his pirate crew as their simple daily treasure hunt takes an unlikely turn. Another worldly space creature named P.P.E is in grave danger and calls on earthlings to save the day. In an event of serendipity, Captain Jolly and his pirate crew stumble upon this desperate cry for help… and although very disarrrrghppointed in the absence of treasure, they bravely answer the call. Captain Jolly leads his pirate crew to where no Pirate has ever gone before. Naturally, a fish out of water encounters a few problems. The pirates are met with all kinds of unfathomable obstacles but with their fingers tightly crossed they might just overcome them and salvage the situation in outer space. Where themes, characters and plot have developed out of the passionate drawings of Lomas, a blending of creative exploration comes to life in the story of An Intergalactic Space Pirates Puppet Show. With assistance from Studio 2 and Margaret Freeman Gallery, Connections Centre, Friend-Link and the South Dunedin Community Pop Up Hub. Physical Theatre. Storytelling Community.

In 2017, James Roque realised he'd been pronouncing his own Filipino last name wrong for the last 18 years. So he adjusted it back. And since then he's been feeling like a brand new immigrant (an immigrant who has NZ citizenship now, but still, immigrant as f***). Join James as he wades through the sometimes nasty swamp that is the topic of immigration and dissects what it means to be an immigrant in today's western world from a brown perspective. 'Roque’s performance is impeccable' - The Spinoff 'His show also ends up telling a story that has a lot of unexpected twist and turns, which will ultimately blow your mind.' - New Zealand Herald As seen on Jono and Ben and 7 Days.

Just Your Standard Comedy Show feat. Dylan Satherly, Justin Ngai, and Nathan Cross Straight from New Zealand's newest stand-up comedy scene comes a comedy showcase featuring 3 up and coming comedians from Palmerston North. Join the 3 lads from Palmy as they each come to grips with life, ethics, and their crippling aversion to fully growing up. If you're interested in taking a wet and wild ride to places you'll regret going to and crossing lines you didn't know existed, we have two words for you. ‘Why’, and ‘Dylan’. He is either the most pessimistic optimist or optimistic pessimist you'll ever meet, we're not sure which. All we know is he masterfully dances in and out of taboo subjects and he does it all armed with nothing but his quick wits, ignorant bliss and melancholic joy. Dylan Satherly is bound to make you laugh, or at least blow air out of your nose really hard. With a Masters in Philosophy, Justin Ngai is both blessed and cursed by his ability to justify pretty much anything. He has legions of fangirls and fanboys alike, constantly knocking on the front door of his imagination. He often asks Aphrodite 'why he was chosen to be the vessel of these good looks' — he never asked to be beautiful. If only they would leave him alone to play video games in peace. Since arriving in New Zealand from his native Scotland, Nathan Cross has struggled to feel like he fits in. In fairness he has always felt this way as he can’t help but find eccentricity in the mundane and normality in the absurd. A keen observationalist, who is able to hold up a mirror to Kiwi society and make us laugh at ourselves, Nathan has plans to make this country better and they all revolve around him gaining his citizenship!

Walking to Jutland Street is the impressive first book-length collection by up-and-coming Auckland-based poet Michael Steven, published by Otago University Press. Join Michael for the Dunedin launch of his book at the University Book Shop. The title refers to Dunedin’s industrial wharf precinct where some of the poet’s friends shared a flat in 2010. A poem about friendship in the face of the other, Walking to Jutland Street vividly recreates their evening ‘constitutional’ from the flat via the bridge over train tracks to the city and back, with its inebriated, surreal, sometimes nightmarish inhabitants. Other poems deliver snapshots of the human condition through bizarre personalities such as the subject of Dropped Pin: Jollie Street, 'a man who proclaimed to function/best in a state close to coma'. Still, others are tender love poems, travel poems (in 2016 the poet slept in the last bedroom of explorer Vasco da Gama), poems about family or childhood memory. A poet of gritty, day-to-day urban New Zealand reality (whether depicting teenage drug dealing, alcoholics or the night shelter), Steven is equally a writer steeped in literary tradition, Buddhist mysticism and world-historical narrative. His is a voice that aspires to capture quotidian experience or personality as a phenomenon implicitly of all times and places. In this pursuit, his literary cousins are Olds, Orr, Mitchell, Dickson, Johnson and Baxter. Michael Steven was born in 1977. His poems, essays and short fiction have appeared in places such as Brief, IKA, Landfall, Phantom Billstickers Café Reader and Poetry New Zealand Yearbook. He has worked as an electrician, a stage manager and a bookstore clerk. He lives in West Auckland with his partner and newborn son.

Bruce’s comic observations probe deep into medieval Scotland. Shakespeare shamefully misrepresented a man who, in his time, was a popular Scottish king. His death, at the hands of Malcolm, led to Anglicisation of Scotland… and eventually 'the English play.' If you want to know the truth about Scotland’s last great Celtic king and hear some smutty jokes, then this is for you. 'His research is deep, his timing is split second. His ad lib ability is amazing.' (Daily Record). 'Thank God, and Braveheart, for Bruce Fummey' 'An hour in the company of a delightful Scot… Take your brain to see him, he’ll put stuff in it, and you’ll feel the better for it.' (Chortle.co.uk). Audience quotes from this show at Edinburgh Fringe: 'Laugh out loud funny, brilliantly delivered and a real grasp of the problems of relying on bloody Shakespeare for anything other than a night out in Stratford. Caution this show may be medically dangerous for Daily Mail reading Fifers with high blood pressure.' (Richard Hardy) 'Visited this for a tour through Scotland's past. It was brilliant, Scottish history as it should be told, with humour and without all that English propaganda.' (Michael Cormack) 'Bruce's usual standard. A funny, informative show featuring historical research and dick jokes. Superb.' (Jason Harrison) 'Intelligent, funny and educational show. Bruce has a quick wit and seems a really nice guy; this is a definite must see if you want something thought provoking and clever. 10/10' (Lynn Foot)

One day the story will change.' - Medea. Heroine. Wife. Murderer. Mother. Enter the tormented mind of Medea and decide if she is truly a Barbarian or merely just a human. Laura Irish leads the audience on a twisted path of passion, honesty and violence - dissecting literature’s most despised woman while challenging mankind’s love affair with slighting the very people who give us life. This one-woman adaptation of Euripides' Medea weaves together the actor's personal story of motherhood with the ancient Greek text. It is an exploration of the universal plights and expectations of womanhood that we still face today and cheekily asks the bold question of society, 'So... what's changed and what still needs to change?' Medea, warrior Barbarian princess, falls in love with the famous Jason after saving his life and assisting him in acquiring the Golden Fleece. She is swept away to an unaccepting new world far from home to start a family with the man she loves. After their passionate union, Jason coldly fades from her and announces his engagement to a new younger woman. He turns his back on Medea and their children as they are exiled to accommodate his pending marriage. The Barbarian and the Betrayer face off in a destructive battle of pride, passion and revenge culminating in the unspeakable. Directed by Vanessa Wells, produced by Ghost Light Theatre Ltd. Written & Performed by Laura Irish. Laura Irish is an award-winning actress, improviser and playwright with a penchant for investigating villains. She is a classically trained actress, having studied Stanislavski and Shakespeare in NYC at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. She is the Artistic Director of the Nelson Fringe Festival and Director of Ghost Light Theatre in Nelson. Classical plays are her passion with her most notable roles being Bonnie Parker (Hot Chocolate and the Trail's End, A Story of Bonnie & Clyde), Lady Macbeth (Adelaide Fringe), Emilia (Othello) and Robin Goodfellow - A Puck (Nelson Summer Shakespeare).

New Zealand comedy's Scottish loveable rascal makes his solo fringe debut. These are the tales of the mischievous boy who refused to grow up. Ross Mills is the Peter Pan of scallywaggery and bare-faced cheek. Star of the 2017 NZ International Comedy Festival show Success with Women: A Comedy Seminar. Raw Comedy Quest Semi-Finalist 2015 and 2016. 'Highly entertaining' The Speakeasy

Suitcase Theatre welcomes you to an exploration of mental health. The conversation around mental health has been appearing more and more in mainstream media: does this mean we are finally having those conversations? The ones that help us understand what it’s like to live with a mental illness; the ones that remind us that we are not alone; the ones that shake off the shame and stigma of a label and start to actually help; the ones that help us to empathise, support and live alongside this undeniable part of humanity. Mental Notes continues that conversation. We invite you into the hearts and minds of people living through mental illness, and what it's like to be on the outside looking in. Mental Notes is a collection of stories from our community, your community. Some of these are one person's story. Some have been woven from a collection of experiences on the same topic. All stories are anonymous. Human stories, Dunedin stories, our stories. And, as always, we invite you to stay for a chat and a cup of tea after the show. Suitcase Theatre is passionate about producing theatre with heart. We take a two-pronged attack: starting crucial conversations in our community while celebrating and supporting organisations that are making a difference in Dunedin. Over the last two years, we have produced V-Day pieces, starting conversations around violence against women raising funds for Rape Crisis Dunedin and Stopping Violence Dunedin. This year we have written a new piece collecting stories and perspectives on mental wellbeing. In 2018 we are working in partnership with the Life Matters, Suicide Prevention Trust. All profits from the show will go towards supporting their critical work here in Dunedin.

Dan Brader has been doing comedy since 2007 all over Australia and his native home of New Zealand. He was a regular fixture in the competitive Melbourne and Perth comedy scenes where he also ran a number of comedy rooms himself. In between sojourns to Australia, he's been performing regularly in the Dunedin comedy scene as a headline act since 2010. His solo show Horrible, Horrible Human Being, which he toured throughout New Zealand, was a sell out in Dunedin and further cemented his reputation as a cult favourite here. Brader has also performed his unique brand of acidic, unashamedly brutal observational comedy and freewheeling storytelling in solo shows in festivals such as the Melbourne Fringe Festival, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and Perth's Fringeworld. He has also performed at the Dunedin Fringe Festival twice before in group shows. This will be his first solo show at the Dunedin Fringe Festival. Here's what the critics have to say: 'Brader is a comic you will love or hate, but he's never dull.' -New Zealand Theatre Review. 'Known for his morally-questionable storytelling, Dan has a way of making your own wild stories seem tame by comparison!'- Busselton Dunsborough Mail, 'Brader's unique comedic style set him apart. -The Southland Times; 'In a comedy world that can be a bit ‘same-y’, Dan Brader dares to be different' -ARTSHUB, 'He walks his own line and drags the laughs out of it with a sharp shake.' - Gagging For It

An American bear is on the loose in New Zealand. Describing himself as "the funniest American ex-pat married gay bear comedian from New York City living in New Zealand," Neil Thornton brings you an hour of his latest and funniest material: personal to political, intelligent to bawdy. Neil Thornton has performed all over the world, from big city pride festivals to small towns on the South Island, from New York’s historic Stonewall Inn, to the Porirua Soccer club. In the United States, Neil was a regular in New York comedy clubs, and performed in Philadelphia, Washington D.C., Provincetown, Fire Island, and more. He's a favourite at Auckland and Wellington comedy clubs, and recently appeared in the TV3 comedy special "After Hours." His fringe festival show, Ursus Americanus was nominated for the Best Stand-Up Comedy award, and his NZ International Comedy Festival show, Bearly Kiwi, was nominated for Best Newcomer. ‘Thornton is just a master of the craft of comedy.’ - Theatreview ‘A bold performer with intelligent material. Constantly amusing and thought-provoking.’ - Ruminator ‘I laughed until I cried and nearly got thrown out for snorting into my beer.’ - The Residents

An improvised stand up comedy show, where comedians bring the laughs with no prepared material. Using crowd work, improv and anything they can except pre-written jokes, comedians from around the world will bring it this Dunedin Fringe Festival. No Material Allowed had been to Dunedin Fringe Festival the last two years and sold out both seasons. Featuring some of New Zealand's top comedians as well as international acts, this show is a wild late night comedy show where anything could happen. Having won "Best Show" at the 2016 Christchurch Comedy Awards, and toured to festivals around the South Island, this is one show you don't want to miss! With every set improvised and never performed again, every show is different.

Apologies, this event has been cancelled. Notes From My Phone is a stand-up comedy showcase, featuring up and coming comedians from Wellington.

On the Fringes of Society is a Dunedin graffiti battle featuring local established graffiti artists, who have been honing their craft for years. This event pays homage to graffiti and hip-hop, showcasing these artforms in a local and raw way. The event will be run similar to the Secret Walls graffiti competition overseas, where each artist is given 1 board, paint supplies, and 90 minutes to produce their masterpiece and wow the crowd. In the end, the crowd determines who wins the battle. Throughout the night you can purchase food and drinks from the friendly team at Suburbia and enjoy local hip hop tunes, while you watch the artists at work.

In Once Upon a Dance, Jan Bolwell and Mona Williams draw on their extensive background in dance and theatre. Jan has written and performed in five plays, all of which have toured throughout New Zealand. Her latest play Taking the High Ground, about mountaineers Freda du Faur and Lydia Bradey, had its premiere season at BATS Theatre in Wellington in December 2017. Jan directed and choreographed Destination Beehive 2017, the hit political satire at Circa Theatre in Wellington in July 2017. She is also the director and choreographer of Crows Feet Dance Collective, Wellington’s unique community dance company for mature performers. Jan has just completed a successful national tour of her solo play Bill Massey’s Tourists about her grandfather’s WW1 experiences with Arts on Tour New Zealand. Mona grew up in Guyana where she studied ballet and also learned traditional Guyanese dance. She did further training at Stanford University, California where she was a Fulbright and Ford Foundation scholar. She studied contemporary dance with renowned Californian teacher Anna Halprin. Mona has a passionate interest in story-telling, writing, and Caribbean dance. She has travelled extensively as a story-teller internationally and throughout New Zealand. Jan and Mona bring their two different dancing and theatre worlds together in Once Upon a Dance as they share their stories, dance together, challenge each other and generally have a good time. They hope as well to entertain their audiences!

Fāgogo in Sāmoan refers to fables that are told to people in a shared context. The receiver of a fāgogo is vested with an expectation to pass on the story, making it their own and then passing it on. This oral tradition is sustained from generation to generation and acts as a transmission tool for ideology but also as a genealogical archive for shared historical and cultural context. A fāgogo can mirror the real world in ways that transcend contemporary life, through cultural imperatives that pre-date Western beliefs and value systems. Often considered a place where heritage and tradition fall away from colonial distortions, and, in some instances, from linear narrative conventions, a fāgogo can build our perceptions of the world while simultaneously presenting us with perspectives that are ethereal. In Pati Solomona Tyrell’s practice, fāgogo is situated as a restorative practice, shared with other artists and collaborators from the Pasifika LGBTQI space in Aotearoa. In the film that gives this exhibition its title, the research, writing, choreography, styling and garment construction is all collaborative and honours the tradition of fāgogo by sharing the responsibility of telling this story and allowing artists to respond to their own cultural heritage, unpacking the colonial gaze placed on queer brown bodies to return gender and sexually diverse identities back to their oracle status. The exhibition will draw out threads of this conversation by presenting many of Tyrell’s other narratives, such as his extensive documentation of the community over five years as the principal photographer for the FAFSWAG Arts Collective. The exhibition is proud to occupy two sites of Ōtepoti; Blue Oyster Art Project Space and Dunedin Public Art Gallery's Rear Window. Please visit Blue Oyster Art Project Space's website for more details. Pati Solomona Tyrell: Fāgogo was originally hosted at ST PAUL St Gallery, AUT University, in 2017.

The summer is coming. You know what that means: beaches, bathing suits and boys (or girls depending on your sexual orientation. I personally prefer girls I just didn’t want to ruin the alliteration). Hi, I’m Paul Williams, and I’m coming down to perform this excellent show. Flights were expensive so please come. There’ll be some songs, also there’ll be some jokes and also I’ll help you find your one true love. Cheers.

After a sell-out season at the NZ International Comedy Festival, 7 Days regular and one-third of the critically acclaimed sketch group Frickin' Dangerous Bro, Pax Assadi is bringing his one hour show to Dunedin for the first time. Regarded as one of the most dynamic and exciting young comedians by his peers and audiences alike, this is a show not to be missed. "A genuine talent with a natural gift for stand up" - Keeping Up with NZ "He has funny bones" - Theatreview "Easily one of the best local comedians at this year’s festival" - Mac+Mae

A highlight of the Fringe calendar, the Polson Higgs Opening Night Showcase will kick off the 2018 Festival with a bang. Launching the Festival on the 7th of March, the Showcase will feature some of the best of the fest, with dance, comedy, theatre, and music from international stars and local talent. You’ll be guided through this stellar line-up by our fabulous MC’s: Comedian and television personality Te Radar (most recently seen on the trail of the nefarious, eccentric, and pioneering characters of Aotearoa’s history in Te Radar's Chequered Past), and recently retired parliamentarian (and ‘neo-retrovist from way back’) Metiria Turei. With entertainment from some of the country’s most exciting performers, and music from house band Tahu and the Takahēs, featuring dazzling diva Tahu Mckenzie, this is a night not to miss. Tickets will sell fast - so join us at the Town Hall for a cracking opening ceremony! How to book your tickets: Door sales – available 1 hour prior at the venue. Hold on to your ticket! Did someone say Afterparty? Bring your Showcase ticket to the Festival Club Afterparty and get 2 for 1 drinks on your first round. The fun continues until 1am with entertainment and general tone-setting for the following 11 days.

Pretending Things are a Cock is the product of Bennett’s three years of global wandering, and combines the artistic, phallic-filled photographic display with hilarious and surprisingly heart-wrenching tales from Bennett’s life. This Just for Laughs award-nominated show for Best Comedy has now been performed to sell-out audiences and critical acclaim worldwide. The show has toured to some of the most prominent festivals in the world including the renowned Edinburgh Fringe (2012) and Just for Laughs Zoofest in Montreal (2013). A unique stand-up experience, PTAAC is a hilarious, but also strangely affecting pot-holed journey into the idiosyncratic world of Jon Bennett. Just for Laughs Award nomination for Best Comedy (Montreal Fringe, 2010); Pick of the Fringe Award (Winnipeg Fringe, 2011); Selected (Just for Laughs Zoofest, 2013); Critics Pick of the Fringe Award (San Diego Fringe, 2014); Pick of the Fringe Award (Calgary Fringe, 2015); Pick of the Fringe Award (Boulder Fringe, 2015); Funniest Show Award (London Fringe, 2015); 'The funniest show at the fringe. Don’t miss it. 4 Stars;' - Calgary Herald. 'Instantly likeable, Bennett is a deft storyteller with a frank, confessional style that blends pathos and humour to great effect. 4 Stars' – Uptown Magazine (CAN). 'Dick obsessed humour goes much deeper. 4 Stars' - Now Toronto. 'Bennett delivers belly laugh after belly laugh. 4 Stars' - London Free Press. 'As Thursday’s show let out one of the audience members said, 'That wasn’t what I was expecting.' This statement is insane. 4 Stars' - Saskatoon Pheonix. 'Jon Bennett is such a warm and charismatic performer he turns one of the most puerile concepts into something quite special indeed. 4 Stars' - Hairline Reviews (UK). 'At the end of this hilarious and thoughtful hour, no one seems to want to leave the room. 4 Stars' – Edmonton Journal (CAN). 'True brilliance 4 Stars' – Vue Weekly (CAN). 'Bennett is a rare talent, and this is one of the funniest shows at the Festival.' - The Press (NZ). 'Bennett has a near-mystical ability to spin a yarn, bringing characters and places to vivid life.' – The Skinny (UK). 'Part travelogue, part personal adventure, Bennett tells these stories engagingly, swinging nicely between the hilarious and the sublime.' – Fest Magazine (UK). 'The bad-travel stories of Bill Bryson, the familial weirdness of Augusten Burroughs, the sharp wit of David Sedaris and slides that range from the bizarre to the ridiculously hilarious.' – CBC Manitoba (CAN). 'Delightful and enthralling' – Australian Comedy Review (AUS).

Peppered Unicorn are a group of women from Christchurch. They need to confess a few things, do you? A dynamic hour of sketch, improvisational comedy and peppy monologues. Salted with awkward confessions, embarrassing moments and emotional rants. Honest, funny, and offbeat: sounds delicious! Jo Ghastly is a seasoned improviser and emerging stand up comedian known for her uncanny ability to read minds. Debbie Klausen is a film-maker, improviser and sketch comedian; she likes to ride her bike and is reportedly very good at her job. Susan Jean is an emotional train wreck but also a good listener so it all balances out really. She is an improviser and sketch comedian. Audrey Porne recently broke everyone’s heart. She is a stand-up comedian, sketch comedian, twitter superstar and improvisor. Watch out she’ll lick your teeth. Lucy Darlington likes to get naked at airports. Here’s what the critics are saying: ‘I smirked throughout and almost laughed once’ - Angus, 13. ‘It’s funny but I think you need to try harder’ - Al’s grandson. ‘You think you’re funny’ - Susan’s son, 15. ‘Stop selling teeth on the internet’ - Audrey’s Mother. Warning: may contain explicit feminism.

Roast Battle hits Dunedin for the first time ever! Eight brave stand up comics compete in a match of wit and insults. The comics compete onstage while adhering to the three golden Roast Battle rules: original material only, no physical contact, and every battle ends with a hug. With no jokes off-limits, anything can happen. Each battle is simple: two comedians take turns throwing their best roasts at each other, and a panel of pro judges decide who was the King of Sting. After three rounds of elimination, we crown that night’s Roast Battle champion. Your roastmaster will be Angel Jordan (@jordyce) with a lineup to be announced. Insults will fly, and not even the audience is safe, so thick skin is mandatory. 'This show was not for the light-hearted. Everyone and their dead Dad gets insulted in this fierce, no-holds-barred evening of roast.' 'Jordan instantly builds a rapport with the audience, throwing off hecklers and vying up the hype with the audience before each round.' – What’s Up NZ

Same-Same, but Different is a stand-up comedy show displaying some of Christchurch's freshest comedic talent, venturing away from home for the first time. All three acts debuted in Christchurch during 2017, and have been regularly performing and honing their craft throughout the year. With a variety of backgrounds and an even wider range of delivery and skills, these acts are bound to have something that’ll tickle your funny bone. Featuring the whimsical scepticism of Jonty Bennett, the tall tails of Nick Mohi, and the musical musings of Thomas Klever, this show runs for three nights at Inch Bar, Tues 13th - Thurs 15th of March, from 6pm to 7pm. Entry by koha.

This piece is an exploration of themes of emptiness, absence and loneliness and its translation into movement and sound. I began the creative process at my final semester of my MA degree in Contemporary Dance Performance, where I explored these themes, which arose from a personal experience at the time in order to create a solo. The movement emerged as I was tracking sensation in my own body, researched the above themes and investigated the relationship between my body's response to it, and the sound created in response to my body's experience. After a well-needed distance from the piece, I started to rebuild it, as my perspective on the themes and embodiment of it changed. I felt a certain responsibility towards myself, my artistic expression and the piece to grow and change proportionally with me. As a dance artist, I am very much interested in combining elements from two sources that inspire me and my movement greatly: anatomical exploration of the body that leads into movement, and physical translation of moments from a world of fantasy as well as my own world of surrealistic dreams. Therefore, the work will emerge through movement improvisation with articulate vocabulary composed through exploring the capacity of the body’s anatomy and its potential for generating movement, quirky details stemming from my interest in fantasy, spoken word, and sound improvisation reacting and complementing the movement. 'Emptiness which is conceptually liable to be mistaken for sheer nothingness is, in fact, the reservoir of infinite possibilities.' – D.T. Suzuki. The aim of this piece is to bring the audience on a journey toward understanding and accepting these vulnerable emotions and its various manifestations in others as well as themselves.

Steve is just a typical performer, apart from the fact he doesn't speak, uses props and has music playing throughout. So Steve may be not be very normal, but is a master of making the absurd funny. A daring delinquent, wearing an orange beanie and black sweater, Steve will make you bust a gut with laughter. Last year Steve performed his critically acclaimed show This is Steve at the Dunedin Fringe Festival, Go Media Comedy Carnival and Nelson Fringe Festival, to rave reviews. So this Dunedin Fringe Festival he brings his brand new show, Steve Learns His ABC's. 'This is Steve hits me in the same way an album by the Ramones does'” - echosfromthewings 'Ludicrously, Side-splittingly Funny.' - whatsup 'A consistent hour of comedy that I can promise you is unlike anything you have experienced before' 'Pure, unadulterated physical comedy' - Theatreview Nominated: Best Solo show (2017 Nelson Fringe Show) Best out of town show (2017 Nelson Fringe Show) Won: - Edgiest show (2017 Nelson Fringe Show)

Everyone you know was once a stranger. "Strangers" explores the moment when two strangers meet. It may be a fleeting moment of connection, the start of a whirlwind romance, or the beginning of a deadly rivalry. Watch as our actors create beautiful moments of humour, heartbreak, and humanity in an unscripted exploration of the genesis of relationship. Impulse Theatre perform twice monthly shows in Christchurch. The cast are experienced actors with years of theatre, improvisation, stand-up comedy and screen acting experience. "Strangers" is their new show - coming for the first time to Dunedin! Dunedin Fringe cast includes Jonathan Briden, Joanna Prendergast, Debbie Klausen, Lucy Darlington, Aaron Jelley and Mark Darbyshire. Audience reviews 'Fantastic show, by turns hilarious and thought-provoking. Who knew Christchurch had such talent?' 'A really funny, clever and inventive show! Loved it.' 'A very amusing and fast-paced performance. I've been twice and had two completely different experiences.'

monkeyhorse is a new performance company formed by Wellington actor, Claire Waldron, and choreographer/director, Chris Jannides. 'Stupid Bitch' - a comedy with dark edges - is their first production and is inspired by this familiar phrase. It is predominantly a solo show featuring multiple female characters who might at time be called sb's by others. Sad, funny, poignant, original, this debut performance by monkeyhorse tests the collaborative potential of its creators who, between them, draw on a wealth of experience in the performing arts.

When two of N.Z.'s highly respected classical musicians, Sydney Manowitz (violinist) and Donald Cullington (pianist), performed at last year's Fringe, a reviewer commented "a virtually full house shared the joy... it was a real treat to hear these two in such fine form, and to experience the genius of Bach. Bravo." This year the focus will be on Mozart. While some of the compositions stem from Mozart's maturity, the players also enjoy offering two remarkable sonatas by the boy Wolfgang -aged 8!!! The ten masterworks will be presented in a two concert series. The venue is Knox Church - noted for its fine acoustics. Koha would be much appreciated.

Dragging his renegade carcass up and down the country like a man possessed, David Merritt is one of the hardest working (and nicest) poets you're ever likely to meet. Humbly constructing poem books by hand from the detritus of consumer waste, he uses recycled Readers' Digests to create word treasures that are unmistakably his own. Mating insightful political comment with arresting emotional themes- expect poetry that strips the cynicism from your arteries. Expect whimsical  tangents and badger noises. Expect an accompaniment of sound sorcery from Chris Heazlewood (guitar) and Justine Francis (viola) to gently squeeze your throat. Koha entry.

Ally Baharoon has been wrestling with his stutter for over 20 years. This has brought him an incredible amount of embarrassment, existential torture, and luckily also, comedy material. From freaking out potential mates on first dates to jarring potential employers during job interviews, The FunTalker is Ally's long journey of coming to terms with his speech impediment. The show is filled with amusing anecdotes and youthful wisdom of learning to love one's obstacles and gearing up the willpower to overcome them.

A play for voices. Come and experience the joy of rhythmic and poetic storytelling. This show has been created through a public story sharing and feedback format. Members of the Nelson and Tasman communities came together to tell their stories about mountains and water. These were crafted into The Girl who Climbed a Mountain and Saved the World. A pair of green gumboots encounter a giant eel, a traveller gives himself to the Ganges and a young girl gazes up at Mount Taranaki... will the mountain move once more? Reminiscent of Dylan Thomas' Under Milk Wood. Uplifting, new, NZ theatre. If you have access requirements, please contact The New Athenaeum to let them know: natheatredunedin@gmail.com or 021 242 2228. There will be a Touch Tour at 10am before the 11am showing on the 12th of March. Please book this at: wintergreencreative@gmail.com

Steve Wilbury has been entertaining audiences across Europe for the past fifteen years. Now firmly settled in New Zealand he has been touring this show around the South Island for the last year. The Greatest Magic Show (in your town) has brought international standard circus and magic to communities that may not have seen a live magician in decades. Steve's frenetic cabaret energy creates a show that sparks with impossible feats and jaw-dropping mysteries. This special festival edition of The Greatest Magic Show (in your town) will be the last time this show is performed. ‘Painfully Funny’ - Edinburgh Evening News 'Hilarious...and not sparrow-sized’ - Nelson Mail

Come be wowed with street performances using Acrobatic Partner Yoga. Taking inspiration from circus arts and dance, these performances will explore themes such as flow, connection and trust. This reflects Dunedin Acro Yoga philosophy of building community and connection. Be ready for a beautiful visual display that will delight audiences of all ages. After the performance, you will also have the opportunity to try a few acro yoga move yourself in a supportive environment. Please wear comfortable, loose clothing. Koha.

Depicting the trials and tribulations that faced early Scottish migrants in the late 1800s when they set out for their new life in Dunedin. Robert Scott and Michael McLeod have teamed up to perform original music that will provide the backdrop, or soundtrack, to a selection of narrations. A broad group of local writers were commissioned to create stories or poems, loosely based on fact. These writings have either been turned into songs that will be sung by Robert or Michael, or have been pre-recorded and will be accompanied by live music. The stories will describe the difficult conditions the migrants faced aboard the ships during their long voyage; they'll tell of disease, hunger, loneliness, despair and, the anticipation of finally arriving on a foreign shore to a new beginning...a new hope. For early settlers, song was one of the few things they had to help them along their journey through life, it was a very important way of sharing feelings and memories. To fit the mood of the stories, much of the musical pieces are presented in folk style as was typical for the settlers. For the show's duration, various still/moving images will be projected onto a screen to further contribute to the overall feel. Robert and Michael have a long and varied connection as part of the NZ and local music scene, playing in many bands, such as: The Alpha State, The Bats, The Clean, Shifting Sands, and many others. They have a long history of artistic and collaborative endeavours, this project is a new chapter in their careers. The Journey: From Ayr to Here has a second show at Havana Club on Thursday 15 March

Depicting the trials and tribulations that faced early Scottish migrants in the late 1800s when they set out for their new life in Dunedin. Robert Scott and Michael McLeod have teamed up to perform original music that will provide the backdrop, or soundtrack, to a selection of narrations. A broad group of local writers were commissioned to create stories or poems, loosely based on fact. These writings have either been turned into songs that will be sung by Robert or Michael, or have been pre-recorded and will be accompanied by live music. The stories will describe the difficult conditions the migrants faced aboard the ships during their long voyage; they'll tell of disease, hunger, loneliness, despair and, the anticipation of finally arriving on a foreign shore to a new beginning...a new hope. For early settlers, song was one of the few things they had to help them along their journey through life, it was a very important way of sharing feelings and memories. To fit the mood of the stories, much of the musical pieces are presented in folk style as was typical for the settlers. For the show's duration, various still/moving images will be projected onto a screen to further contribute to the overall feel. Robert and Michael have a long and varied connection as part of the NZ and local music scene, playing in many bands, such as: The Alpha State, The Bats, The Clean, Shifting Sands, and many others. They have a long history of artistic and collaborative endeavours, this project is a new chapter in their careers. The Journey: From Ayr to Here is also showing on Saturday 10 March at the Dunedin Musicians Club, please see separate listing to purchase tickets.

The Motorway is a 45 minutes solo performance based on the story The Southern Thruway by Argentinian writer Julio Cortázar, about a group of people who get stuck in a traffic jam for days. In this setting, the characters unfold and develop various relationships of cooperation thus reflecting small societal groupings and their whereabouts. Although the story was created within a different cultural setting, it resonates with an Aotearoa/New Zealand context as it addresses topical and current issues, challenges today’s fast pace life and celebrates human connection that cuts across cultures, demonstrating shared humanity. This play is interdisciplinary in nature; an amalgamation of storytelling techniques, physical theatre, stylized choreography, and a bilingual text. By using Spanish and English languages and a Latin American text, The Motorway opens the performance to a wider audience with different cultural backgrounds, reflecting the diverse society of Dunedin and Aotearoa/New Zealand.

Who better than a man to explain feminism? Okay, we're being sarcastic, obviously. But we got your attention, didn't we? The Respecting Woman Tour is an hour-long comedy show featuring some of New Zealand's hottest, funniest and probably gayest up and coming young comedians. Come along, have a drink, share some laughs, have consenting smooches with a cutie, and enjoy as we talk about everything under the sun. Sex, dating, love, sex, not politics because we don't know it very well, sex, race, work, sex, advertising, feminism and of course sex are all on the table. Bring your open mind and ID to prove you're over 18 and can take a joke, and have a good time. The Voice of A Generation - Angel Jordan (@Jordyce) is a truly woke stand-up comedian, writer and hero to the disenfranchised youth of the world. Combining bombastic one-liners, devilishly dark insults, socially conscious sexual innuendo and completely detached irony, he’ll touch your heart with his adorkable charm. In addition to being roastmaster of New Zealand’s only show where absolutely nothing is off limits – Roast Battle – he's also the host of the cutest podcast in the world – How I Became a famous Comedian. If he had any friends, they would probably say really nice things to quote here. Fresh Meat On the Block - Elliot McKenzie is a gentleman on the streets and a dissatisfying bore when it comes to folding sheets. Say his name three times in a mirror, and he probably won't hear you, but he'd like to know you tried. He's a comedian, basically. 'Hahahahaha'- stranger sitting beside Elliot watching another comic perform 'Jeez Elliot stop taking it so seriously, we're just folding sheets' - Ex-girlfriend with poor sheet folding attitude. 'Elliot I need that bio asap' - Event Promoter

Amped plays Black Box! Amped is a youth mentoring project which pairs young musicians with experienced mentors and puts on all-ages gigs around Dunedin. The Festival’s most mysterious pop-up performance space is back for a fourth year of full-frontal Fringe exposure, with surprise acts unveiled in the Fringe HQ window, 26 Princes St. Featuring eclectic performances and installations every day. Intrigued? Satisfy your curiosity at the Short Black Box. Presented by: Common Ground Free Entry

The beginning piece to Summoned//Syphoned Club Night, curated by Radio One’s Music director Erin Broughton.... Exploring the push and pull of sound and experience. Performance by Eliana Gray and Broughton at 9pm. Musical performances commence at the Festival Club from 10pm The Festival’s most mysterious pop-up performance space is back for a fourth year of full-frontal Fringe exposure, with surprise acts unveiled in the Fringe HQ window, 26 Princes St. Featuring eclectic performances and installations every day. Intrigued? Satisfy your curiosity at the Short Black Box. Presented by: Common Ground Free Entry

Katharticus Ukulele Experience: Michael and Greg Trounson are a dynamic duo whose original music ranges from surf rock instrumentals to infectious, catchy sing-along tunes with old school punk undertones to ambient transcendental pieces, all of which take the ukulele on an exciting journey into previously unchartered territories. The Festival’s most mysterious pop-up performance space is back for a fourth year of full-frontal Fringe exposure, with surprise acts unveiled in the Fringe HQ window, 26 Princes St. Featuring eclectic performances and installations every day. Intrigued? Satisfy your curiosity at the Short Black Box. Presented by: Common Ground Free Entry

“Our personal politics are rooted in values and these values can be projected through wearable objects” In The Body Political, visual artist Lauren Kalman works with students from the Dunedin School of Art presenting work resulting from a two day masterclass investigating the history of wearable protests, objects of identity and craft as a political tool. Lauren Kalman has been brought to New Zealand by ‘HS Project’; the Dunedin event was made possible with the support of FRED STAUB OPEN ART. The Festival’s most mysterious pop-up performance space is back for a fourth year of full-frontal Fringe exposure, with surprise acts unveiled in the Fringe HQ window, 26 Princes St. Featuring eclectic performances and installations every day. Intrigued? Satisfy your curiosity at the Short Black Box. Presented by: Common Ground Free Entry

Larry and his friend Nitunga find a mysterious orange box with magical and transparent spheres. What Larry doesn't know is that someone else is pulling his strings... The Orange Box is a silent theatre and circus show with marionette, contact juggling and acrobatics portè. Naranjarte, formed by Ana Lorite and Sergio Aguilar, is a Spanish company that mixes the arts of puppetry and classical circus, offering visual shows that have delighted audiences across the globe on their world tour. The Festival’s most mysterious pop-up performance space is back for a fourth year of full-frontal Fringe exposure. Featuring eclectic performances and installations every day. Intrigued? Satisfy your curiosity at the Short Black Box. Presented by: Common Ground Free Entry

Local legend Wolfman Stuey returns to the Dunedin Fringe Festival this year for a one-off performance in the Short Black Box. From Climate Change to Japanese connections in New Zealand, Wolfman Stuey will take you on a musical journey, covering a range of topics using a unique fusion of styles. The Festival’s most mysterious pop-up performance space is back for a fourth year of full-frontal Fringe exposure, with surprise acts unveiled in the Fringe HQ window, 26 Princes St. Featuring eclectic performances and installations every day. Intrigued? Satisfy your curiosity at the Short Black Box. Presented by: Common Ground Free Entry

The Subterraneans is a play based on a series of short stories from the book Sub-Terra by Chilean writer Baldomero Lillo. The Subeterraneans narrates the story of mine workers, presenting different scenes of their lives, their struggles and constant worries about money, family and death. The play addresses the status that miners have in society. The Subterraneans could be conceived as “the others” who are somewhat separate from society and their lifes and stories come to focus only when a tragedy strikes. Although The Subterraneans is an adaptation of a Chilean story it can be associated with New Zealand mining culture, historically in Central Otago and contemporary in Pike River. Thus, it resonates with an Aotearoa/New Zealand context as it addresses topical and current issues, and celebrates human connection that cuts across cultures, demonstrating shared humanity. This play is interdisciplinary in nature; an amalgamation of storytelling techniques, physical theatre, stylized choreography, and a bilingual text. By using Spanish and English languages and a Latin American text, The Subterraneans opens the performance to a wider audience with different cultural backgrounds, reflecting the diverse society living in Dunedin and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Part of the dance crew are members of Gasp! Dance Collective collaborating with us to create a platform for sharing different points of view, opening dialogue across cultures and disciplines, exploring new artistic possibilities, and enabling the local artists, creators and performers to come together and collaborate, enhancing the livelihood of the creative community in Dunedin.

Rusty debuted his smash-hit show I Learnt Something Once at the 2017 Dunedin Fringe Festival, going on to take it nationwide and over the Tasman to widespread critical acclaim and audience delight. Once again Dunedin Fringe gets the first chance to see Justin 'Rusty' White's new touring show before the rest of the world...a new solo hour of hilarity The Thinking Person's Idiot. 'Justin White is a hidden gem of a comic who deserves to be better known. If you see his name on a poster somewhere do yourself a favour and buy a ticket.' - Nzcomedyreviews Akl 'His dry, deadpan delivery complements perfectly the outrageous content of his stories for a combination that will make you ache with laughter' - TheatreView Dndn 'Can only be described as hilarious' - ArtMurmurs Wgtn 'A fearless mix of form and content, constructed with intention and intelligence' - EchoesFromTheWings Nlsn 'Funny, funny, funny, funny, funny' - TheatreView Dndn Winner Best Comedian 2016 Chch Comedy Awards. Winner Best Male Comedian 2017 Go Media Comedy Carnival. Winner Roast Battle All Stars 2017.

The Little Box of Operas presents a double bill of comic musical treats. In this world premiere production, Goldilocks a la Mozart, by Auckland composer William Green, retells the familiar tale but with a modern twist. Set to well-known – and sometimes surprising - music by Mozart, this short opera is comedy or satire, as you choose. The Four Note Opera, by American composer Tom Johnson, is also new to Dunedin. With no plot, no defined characters and a musical palette of only four notes. The Little Box of Operas’ artistic director has the singers’ destiny at her mercy. Described by Johnson as '‘part absurdist, part minimalist, part satiric and part simple comedy" it is performed regularly all over the world (with translations in at least six languages). The Little Box of Operas was created in 2015 to perform chamber operas in non-theatre venues in Otago. We prefer to work ‘in the round’, bringing the action as close as possible to the audience. Working without a stage or fixed sets makes the productions both flexible and portable. Our debut production Dido and Aeneas (2015) was performed in All Saints’ Anglican Church (Dunedin) and a private garden in Millers Flat; the 2017 comic double bill (Haydn’s La Canterina and Lee Hoiby’s Bon Appetit!) was presented in Hanover Hall (Dunedin), with later performances in Cromwell and Roxburgh. All our performances have been critically acclaimed; on La Canterina and Bon Appetit!: (Bon Appetit!) 'A solo performance by mezzo-soprano Claire Barton, who multi-tasked her way through a 20-minute cooking demonstration, vocalising operatically. […] Full of humour, genuine ingredients, and astute colourful piano accompaniment to match.' (La Canterina) 'The hour-long work was well-paced, with excellent string quartet accompaniment. […] Outstanding vocal and acting performances in this production, […] impassioned interpretation, […] facial bewilderment, created continual humour.' (Otago Daily Times, 6 March 2017) '[…] Exquisitely formal music in informal halls. As with last year’s Dido & Aeneas, the group’s professional standards were consistently high […]', 'We loved the risky physical demonstrations of actual components of a recipe […] and Claire Barton’s mastery of comic idiom: expertly deep-voiced yet sometimes as light as a soufflé.' (NZ Opera News, July-August 2017)

Toxic Mas is a one-man show that talks about toxic masculinity, his father's death and the one moment that changed his life forever. Cameron McLeod has been performing stand-up all over the country since 2014. Now comes his brand new show covering what it means to be a man, our relationships with each other, and why the idea that we are alive at all is amazing. Guaranteed to have plenty of laughs, this show also has multiple stories from his life - some serious, some funny, all thoughtful. Having performed at Fringe Festivals up and down the country, but with a focus on the last three Dunedin Fringe Festivals, Dunedin really feels like a second home. Cameron brings his brand new show full of hilarity, honesty and masculinity…whatever that means?

Ray Shipley is a crochet enthusiast and human being who is rubbish at small talk but quite good at telling you what to be angry about. Ray was recently awarded ‘highly commended’ at the annual Raw Comedy Quest. Ray is nearly always up for a conversation about your favourite book, small dogs, or your horrific customer service experiences. Highly Commended - RAW Grand Final Christchurch Poetry Slam Champion Described as “an unexpected delight” and “one to watch”, Liv McKenzie is an exciting up and coming comedian in the Christchurch comedy scene. She used to live in New York, but don’t worry, she’ll bring that up every 10 seconds so you don’t forget. Best Newcomer - 2016 Christchurch Comedy Awards 2nd PLACE - 2016 South Island Raw Comedy Competition 'Not as funny as she thinks she is' - Her mum Georgie hails from the land of retired policeman, English immigrants and meth, yes, you guessed it, Ashburton. 2017 winner of the South Island Raw Comedy Competition, part of the line up for Best Show 2017 GoMedia Comedy Carnival and an award winning Actor, Georgie is ready to entertain by whatever force necessary. 'Just spectacular' - Dame Kate Harcourt 'The funniest cartilaginous fish I know' - Justin White, 2016 Best Christchurch Comedian Restrictions and Warnings: Language and adult content

Award winning comedian Tarun Mohanbhai has travelled the globe performing stand up and presenting his award winning plays. D’Arranged Marriage had a 14 night sell out run at the Sydney Opera House studio in 2003 and since then Tarun has appeared and starred in numerous TV shows. Recently he has been a writer on the New Zealand version of The Project and a regular writer on the award winning panel show 7 Days. He is a sought after comedian on the New Zealand comedy and corporate circuit. Be sure to catch his new instalment at this year’s Fringe with Uber Funny. Catch the stories from his passengers and the journey Tarun took to become a bona fide Uber driver.

From Edward Snowden’s Rubik’s Cube to Military Hats from Grizzly Bears, Uncle Funk lays bare, grizzly truths. He has had his poetic license for 50 years, combining words with music while rattling the Weasels of Wellington, along the way. "If this came off the cuff you’re a genius and if it didn’t I like it anyway." - Kim Hill Radio NZ "This lively display of versatility is delivered with style and machine gun rapidity. Steve does some brilliant send ups." - The Scotsman Edinburgh. Steve Thomas, originally from Wales, set Dunedin alight at the Fortune Theatre with The Tupperware Party in 1981, Pink Bits in 1982, and Over the Wall and Out in 1983, then Prime Time TV Live with Bronwyn Judge in 1987 at The Court Theatre. Now as Uncle Funk, the delivery is slower and he won’t bowl anybody over or out but he can still spin. For 3 years in the noughties, he broadcast live current affairs in verse on Radio NZ as the Bard of Christchurch. In 2015 he was invited to live-stream to Wales for Dylan Thomas’s 100th birthday celebrations. Sport, politics, the environment, business, religion, art, animals, food and wine all feature. He breaks his own ice, shouts one audience member a drink and bops a bit. Don’t miss Uncle Funk’s karaoke. Three afternoons only at 4pm. All ages welcome. Koha entry.

Feather Unsure’s Tinder bio reads, "I am a cynical, yet creative and community-minded creature. At present I am killing time waiting for the revolution by waiting tables, and performing in cabaret shows. I have best been described as a princess a Disney concept artist would come up with while trying to get themselves fired. I hate small talk. I also hate umbrellas.” Like everyone, Feather has been through some serious sh*t in her life, but she reckons she’s handled all of that reasonably well. Rather, it’s the small stuff that she sweats. Her life is full of passionate hatred towards pants without pockets, the cold side of the pillow, shoelaces, those kids on zebra crossing duty, and the act of scraping one’s cutlery against a plate or bowl. Feather will be joined by a motley crew of local talent for a night of song, dance, music, poetry, and more, as they share their regrets, frustrations, and extensive collections of pet peeves. Presented by: Feral Grace Productions. Koha entry.

Country music legend Wilson Dixon returns to Dunedin with a brand new show. Be the first people in the world to hear Wilson's new stuff. Over the years NZ audiences have been treated to the laid-back stylings of country music's laconic prince and this show is no different. Packed full of songs and stories about his family, his ex-wife, his new girlfriend Rebachel, his horse Andrew, and also the world at large (he has a bit to say about the tiny-handed orange-tinted bag of puke currently occupying the White House), this show will sell out so get in quick. 'Deadpan delivery of some of the funniest songs you'll ever hear' Time Out, UK. 'Simply sensational and utterly unmissable' tvnz.co.nz. 'The kind of fella who could make you laugh till the cows come home… Dixon's deadpan patter is gut-bustingly funny, but it's his beautifully crafted songs that really impress. One of the finest bits of character comedy you'll find on the Fringe.' The Scotsman. 'Hilariously fresh and very clever and definitely a highlight' DB Magazine, Adelaide Fringe. 'The best act on display, Australian country troubadour Wilson Dixon, was hilarious in his homespun philosophizing' The Scotsman, Edinburgh. 'Hysterically deadpan… Wilson Dixon's show is one not to miss… The deafening giggles of the audience… His alternation between singing and interaction with the audience is effortless and the hour glistens with drollness and wit.' Edinburgh Festivals Magazine. 'With the sort of nuanced performance and subtle humour that have already made cult stars of Flight Of The Conchords. Don’t be surprised if he follows in their wake.' Chortle.co.uk. 'An object lesson in intelligent, understated comedy...' Sunday Age Australia. 'Brilliantly oddball…if there’s any justice, Wilson Dixon will surely inspire a devout following before long. A cult is born.' chortle.co.uk. 'His laconic storytelling is an inspired combination of sidesplittingly funny observations peppered with zinger one-liners and showcased what a remarkable talent he is.' TV3.co.nz. 'It's a reminder of how a comedian at the absolute top of his game can be in complete control of a show: and how good it can be to be in an audience carried along on that wave.' Sunday Star Times. 'The wit and wordplay in both speech and song delight the mind and the funny bone, leaving little doubt that Wilson Dixon is one cowboy not to be missed.' Art Murmurs.

The Otago Art Society has gone to the dogs! Our members and invited artists are proud to present an exciting exhibition that explores the relationship between an artist and their furry best friends. There will be a wide range of dogs featured in every possible medium. Otterhounds in oils, digital Dalmations, Finnish Spitzs in fibre, Weimaraners in watercolour, mixed-media Mastiffs, Corgis in ceramics, and Pomeranians in photographs. Dog-themed jewellery, cups, and domestic ware will also be on display. Canine themed childrens stories will be read by our in house story teller. We've told artists' to get creative, so there is sure to be something for everyone. A percentage of the OAS commission on sales will be donated to the Blind Foundation - Guide Dogs. In recognition to the wonderful work this charity does for the community. Visual Art Community.