Animal Hour

Devised by the company
Performed by Ralph Upton, Simon Haren, Rose Guise, Fiona McNamara, Jake Baxendale, Gareth Hobbs and Steph Cairns
Directed by Joel Baxendale
Produced by Claire O'Loughlin

First performed in 2009 in Wellington and restaged in 2010 as part of the Eliminaton Rounds double bill at BATS Theatre in Wellington and The Basement in Auckland

A mercurial, sadistic Dominic Bowden-type host puts three naïve “contestants” through a series of increasingly difficult and demeaning tasks in the name of live reality theatre, while competing for alpha-male dominance with a staunch live band (dressed in animal costumes, also doubling as the judging panel). 

As the competition wears on, the challenges get more bizarre, the logic looser, and the rules more arbitrary. The structure is a collage, weaving together confessional spoken text, dance, music, and task-driven actions into a surprising but patterned whole.
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​"This is the kind of underground theatre that is at once the fount, the boundary and the acid test for the health of the wider arts community is lurks beneath. It's a good buzz. If you want some reassurance that theatre is a alive in Wellington, catch it while you can."
Thomas LaHood (theatreview) ​

Binge is "steadfastly on their way to becoming one of the defining voices of the young Wellington theatre." 
Uther Dean, in Salient

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