Splore Festival’s performing arts programme will include space cats, glowing faeries and a mysterious woman dancing in a
tree. A flying wheelchair complete with acrobat, a girl dancing on wine bottles and a boylesque beauty, with muscles
that sparkle.
Splore is celebrating turning 20 years old with a Performing Arts programme that will enrich the entire fabric of the
festival, expand minds and dazzle the audience with exotic and colourful performers displaying their finery.
Splore has a dedicated performance zone in the Living Lounge, that over the weekend will showcase over 50 local and
international performers including dancers, tricksters, aerialists, loopers, comedy, burlesque and general antics.
The headlining sensation, Chris Oh! (Christopher Olwage) emerged from being a shy Kiwi teenager into an acclaimed
burlesque performer and is winning accolades world-wide. His sultry moves and peekaboo perky bottom leave both women and
men breathless, and some more than a little confused. Recognized in any disguise for the most meaty thighs, the more you
call the more he reveals.
Emma Herbert Vickers, Splore’s Performance Director says many of the acts performing at this Splore, travel the world
honing their skills and will bring their genius and inspiration to take Splore’s performance to next-level talent across
the festival.
Emma says “We are celebrating everything! Our mantra is “Nothing is impossible!”. Each year performance at Splore grows
and we are very proud to have developed the performing arts from small beginnings to a world class multi-disciplinary
show on its 20th year”.
Saturday night is a curated party and cabaret in Yealand’s Living Lounge where this year, everyone is invited to (and
those that choose to can) become part of Club Hedonistas, celebrating the fabulous and eccentric fashion at Splore and
the theory of Hedonism; “pleasure - the satisfaction of desires- is the highest good and proper aim of human life.”
The cabaret dress-up is designed to entice Splore hedonists into the ‘Living Lounge’ venue where this year they become
the crowd at an infamous nightclub, strictly and very loosely controlled by the self-confessed clubland deity and uber
door-queen Ronnie-Rae Gunn.
Entertained by an outrageous line-up of fabulous and freaky performers, everyone is a clubland dahling for one exuberant
and decadent night of celebration.
Performers include:
Auckland City Scoundrels
Chris Oh!
Duo Looky
Dust Palace
Dynamotion
Faeries by Flame Entertainment
Flow Academy of Movement
Free Hugs
Insecurity Guards
Jair and Jess Ramirez
Kung Fu Kids
Lara Liew
The Funky Space Cats and The Candy Floss Girls
The Arboreal Aerialist
Thomas Sainsbury
Touch Compass
Travelling Feather
Flying Colours Big Bubbles
-ENDS