MAMIL Coming To Wellington | Harbourside Function Venue

New Zealand theatre actor Mark Hadlow was rumoured to be the first person in the world to hit the stage in a professional live theatre performance since the outbreak of COVID-19.

On Friday and Saturday, June 19 and 20, 450 people packed the Nelson Theatre Royal to laugh, cry and cheer Mark Hadlow on in his one man show, MAMIL. It was supposedly New Zealand’s first performance with a live audience.

And MAMIL is coming to Wellington for a second run since it opened in 2014. MAMIL written by Gregory Cooper opens at Harbourside Function Centre on the Tuesday 28th July to Friday 31st July. There is a bit of satisfaction to come back nearly seven years later after its first run in 2014, and proof that the show is even more relative, laugh out loud funny, poignant, and touching. Over 60,000 people have seen this show since it first opened but only a small few have seen it in Wellington, so this is a fantastic opportunity for Wellingtonians to experience this unique one man show.

Hadlow says that while lockdown was an extraordinary time for all Kiwis, he is thrilled to be back on stage and now getting huge support from a ticket buying audience wanting a live, heart pumping, emotive and embracing piece of New Zealand writing and performance at its best.

“As a freelance actor and performer I lost all my work for the rest of 2020 in an afternoon. I’m so grateful to the Government and Creative New Zealand for their support over this time, many of us wouldn’t’ have survived without it, but really I just wanted to get back in front of an audience,” he says.

MAMIL is the story of Brian Cook, a property developer, who has accumulated a small fortune building leaky homes. When things fall apart, in the GFC 2007, he joins the MAMILS he hates to relieve the stress and makes a few startling discoveries in various cracks and crevices. Hadlow says it’s a redemption story which depicts human nature in a very relatable way, specifically “the foibles of the males of our species” for everyone, it’s a revelation about the kiwi bloke suddenly opening up and letting it all hang out.

The language is a little sharp, in fact it’s guaranteed to offend, but you can direct those complaints to MAMIL’s writer, Greg Cooper!

He says the humanity of MAMIL makes it real, and means it appeals to those who hate cyclists and Lycra as much as it appeals to those who revel in it.

Jim Mitchell, who saw the show in Nelson, says Mark is “a national treasure”.

“An absolutely bloody marvelous show it was. Seats appeared to hold up well, subject as they were to people rocking with laughter all night long. We all got a little bit choked as well. A lovely piece of writing and a heart and soul performance.”

MAMIL will be at Harbourside Function Centre

Tuesday 28th – Friday 31st July. Doors open 6 PM. Show begins promptly at 7 PM.

Tickets available at Dash Tickets.

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