Black Confetti

29 May 2017

Black Confetti

By Eli Kent

10 - 21 June 2017

By arrangement with Playmarket

Directed by Leo Gene Peters

Production designed by Rose Kirkup

Additional material by Leon Wadham,

Leo Gene Peters and the cast

Toi Whakaari are proud to announce their term 2 productions, Black Confetti and The Antigone Sound, featuring graduating third year actors collaborating with staff, students and graduates of the school.

Black Confetti by Eli Kent was originally commissioned for Auckland Theatre Company and premiered at the Herald Theatre in 2012. In this version, the piece has been expanded with additional material added by Leo Gene Peters, Leon Wadham and the cast.

Black Confetti focuses on the question of youth and consequences. Situated within Wellington’s often alienating party scene, where hipsters desperately yearn for significance, trying to make meaning out of their disaffected world, the play celebrates the ridiculous lengths we go to in order to belong, to be cool, to be loved or even admired.

Eli Kent is a playwright and actor. His first full length play Rubber Turkey was written when he was just 19 and earned him the Peter Harcourt Award for Outstanding New Playwright of the year in 2008. His third play The Intricate Art of Actually Caring won Best Theatre in the NZ Fringe Festival 2009 and the Montana Award for most Original Production at the 2009 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards.

Toi Whakaari graduate, Leo Gene Peters is the award-winning director of the company A Slightly Isolated Dog. Most recently he directed Don Juan which toured extensively in New Zealand. His other works include Jekyll & Hyde (Circa 2016), Death and the Dreamlife of Elephants (Downstage 2011 & BATS 2009; Chapman Tripp Winner: Best Director), Settling (BATS 2007; Chapman Tripp Nomination: Most Promising New Director), Txt If You Get Lost (Whitireia 2016) and Perfectly Wasted (Downstage 2012) – the last two in partnership with Long Cloud Youth Theatre.

Rose Kirkup, also a graduate of Toi Whakaari, is the artistic director of Everybody Cool Lives Here, a theatre company producing work that empowers the creative voices of marginalized people in Aotearoa. She is passionate about shaping our stories into challenging yet accessible shows for all. Rose is the recipient of the 2016 NZPS Fringe Festival Award.

Rose says “It’s so nice to be around the energy of the young people, their lust for life, and putting that into a playful way of making performance. Leon, Leo, Eli and I were all students in Wellington at a similar time and while we’ve been making this show – looking through the filter of the students in the rehearsals – I’ve felt quite nostalgic for those fun student days.”

Photo caption: Ruby Love, Joe Witkowski, Jack Parker and Logan Cole in rehearsal for Black Confetti (Photo by Philip Merry)

Black Confetti

by Eli Kent

By arrangement with Playmarket

Directed by Leo Gene Peters

Production Designed by Rose Kirkup

Additional material by Leon Wadham,

Leo Gene Peters and the cast

Staging, production & costumes by students from Year 2 Management and Year 2 Costume.

Performed by Year 3 Acting.

Sat 10th June – Wed 21st June

Times: 6:30pm (11th,14th, 16th, 19th, 21st) 8:30pm (10th,13th,15th,17th, 20th) 2:30pm (Sat 17th)

Tickets: $15 full, $10 concessions (season ticket to both Antigone and Black Confetti: $25 full, $15 concession)

Toi Whakaari and NZSD can get $5 standby tickets.

Student night (any student) Tues 13th $5

Venue: Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School – Seeyd Space

Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Road, Newtown, Wellington

TO BOOK: toiwhakaari.ac.nz

Advisory: Adult themes, reference to drug use, nudity

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