HATAITAI TIMES
Sunday 14 March 2020, 12pm - 10pm
Fringe at the Gryphon, 22 Ghuznee St
The roar of the presses! The clatter of typewriters! The promising whiff of a hot scoop!
Soap Factory takes you back to the golden age of print media, where feelings fight for column inches and local stories have global consequences. Join us in the offices of The Hataitai Times, a small suburban newspaper with big dreams and even bigger personalities, for a 10-hour improvised soap opera marathon that unfolds over a single day.
Each hour between noon and 10pm brings another exciting episode in the lives of our local media heroes, from the people who brought you Bay's Anatomy: Animal Hospital, So You Think You Khandallah?, and Deep Space Naenae. Every line, plot twist, and meaningful glance is made up on the spot. Come for a single episode or stay for the whole day: once you watch three episodes, the rest are on us!
It's high time for high times at The Hataitai Times.
“plenty of soap bubbles foaming in this steaming creative cauldron” — Theatreview
“By the cliffhanger ending of episode two, I’m hooked... the 4 episodes I see each increase in depth and tension, and having to go to the foyer in between episodes feels like the buffering symbol on a Breaking Bad binge.” — Theatreview- BAY'S ANATOMY: ANIMAL HOSPITALWellington Fringe Festival 2020 at Fringe at the Gryphon
There's a lot on the line when every patient's the goodest girl, boy, or lizard. Enter NZ's leading animal hospital (owned and operated by Drs. Evans and Shelly Bay) for an all-day residency of the heart, where medical professionals save lives every hour... but can they save their own? A new improvised soap opera from the creators of Deep Space Naenae, Lyall Baywatch, and Mirror Miramar.
Part of the Wellington Fringe Festival
Directed by Jennifer O’Sullivan and featuring Soap Factory members Christine Brooks, Clare Kerrison, Dianne Pulham, Jonny Paul, Liam Kelly, Lyndon Hood, Matt Powell, Sam Irwin, Steven Youngblood, Tara McEntee, and Wiremu Tuhiwai
- SO YOU THINK YOU KHANDALLAH2019 NZ Comedy Festival at BATS Theatre
"You’ve got talent. Now let's see what we can do with it."
It's 1982 and we're gonna live forever, but first we have to go through the blood, sweat and tears of Khandallah Academy of Performing Arts. A totally improvised soap opera about fitting in, standing out, finding ourselves and following our dreams. From the creators of Deep Space Naenae, Lyall Baywatch, and Mirror Miramar comes a brand new serial - follow the ongoing story nightly or dip your toes in for just one episode!
Warning: May contain leg warmers and sudden dance breaks.
“Countless moments of improvisational gold” - Theatreview
“Impressively epic improv” - TheatreviewPart of the NZ International Comedy Festival
Starring:
Christine Brooks as Peppermint Sparkle
Matt Hutton as Quane Lively
Sam Irwin as Albatross Adams
Liam Kelly as Jack Traddles
Jennifer O'Sullivan as Sheryl Farmers
Matt Powell as Ruduolf Channing
Dianne Pulham as Amelia Love
Tara McEntee as Jasmine Cholmondley III
Wiremu Tuhiwai as Chad Mikaere Michaels
with live direction from Clare Kerrison as Tatum Channing and Luke Rimmelzwaan as Dr Bruce Rizzleswizzle
and support from Lyndon Hood as Audi Charade
- MIRROR MIRAMAR2018 NZ Fringe Festival at Scruffy Bunny Improv Theatre
Once upon a time, on a peninsula not so far away, lived a town of strangely familiar characters living strangely normal lives… Folklore and fairytales are transported to modern-day Miramar in this ten hour improvathon.
You followed them into the stars in Deep Space Naenae, across the waves in Lyall Baywatch, and back to school in 13: The Soap; now Soap Factory wants to take you on a fantastical journey into the everyday. Starting at 12pm, with new episodes hourly and a cast of hilarious and talented improvisors powering through till 10pm, this is improv at its most intense - a single unfolding story over 10 hours. Come for just one episode, or stay and find out who will get their happy ending!
Starring:
Sam Irwin as Jack Stockton
Kate Whitaker as Goldie Lockhart
Jonny Paul as Dr Myron M an der Waal
Christine Brooks as Rumpy
Wiremu Tuhiwai as Tim Burwood
Steven Youngblood as Keith Grant
Matt Powell as Ramón Prince
Clare Kerrison as Nana Crawford
Dianne Pulham as Alanna Lott
Jennifer O'Sullivan as Lilian RougeLiam Kelly as The Enchanted Tree
- DEEP SPACE NAENAE2017 NZ Fringe Festival at BATS Theatre
2117. A distant quadrant of the galaxy.
New Zealand’s greatest adventurers live out their space lives and space dramas aboard Deep Space Naenae. Join our intrepid space crew as they improvise for ten space hours straight, ten space episodes in a row, ten thousand light years away. In space.
From the creators of Lyall Baywatch, Awkward Threesome, and Late Night Knife Fight comes yet another epic soap opera improvathon. Starting at 1pm, with new episodes hourly and a cast of hilarious and talented improvisors powering through till 11pm, this is improv at its most intense – a single unfolding story over 10 hours.
"You won't regret it. This is impressively epic improv."
"The sense of watching a well-established troupe at work enhances the pleasure this performance gives. The audience is happily won over – and stays that way. "
Starring:
Liam Kelly as Miles Davis
Clare Kerrison as Wātea
Darryn Woods as Computer / Grabthan
Steven Youngblood as Keith Grant (deceased)
Linda Calgaro as Sol Pew-Pew
Sam Irwin as See-Saw Jones
Lyndon Hood as Lexus CX5 and Fiat Astra
Christine Brooks as Ambassador Hippolyta
Jed Davies as Ambassador Tibb-Lubb Plem
Dianne Pulham as Counsellor Fisher Paykell
Matt Powell as Lt Cmdr Parathrax
Brendon Bennetts as Chief Engineer Cormac O'Tube
Jennifer O'Sullivan as Mallory "Hot Six" Rix
Laura Irish as Jr Officer Xaria Yex
Wiremu Tuhiwai as Captain Samson OP Blue - LYALL BAYWATCH2016 NZ Fringe Festival at Fringe at the Gryphon
Hot Sand. Dirty Secrets. A Beachy Soap Opera Unfolding Hour by Hour.
From the people who brought you the lives and times of Sweet Aro Valley High in 13: The Soap (nominated Best Improv, Fringe 2015) comes a new, sexy, sun-tanned story. Join Kickin’ Rad at Fringe at the Gryphon for Lyall Baywatch – a ten episode epic soap opera featuring the hunkiest honeys this side of Wellington Harbour. Lifeguards, surfers, dog walkers: they’ll keep you safe on their shores or they’ll die trying.
Kicking off at 1pm with shows every hour on the hour, Lyall Baywatch will see some of Wellington’s top improvisors push their comedy chops to the limit as they create and inhabit characters inspired by the combination of Baywatch babes and Lyall Bay locals for 10 hours straight. Every storyline, saga and episodic climax will be completely improvised - anything could happen (and probably will).
Lyall Baywatch is directed by Jennifer O’Sullivan and stars hilarious improvisors with far-too-fond memories of David Hasslehoff’s red beach shorts. Come for one episode or stay all day and work on your theatre tan.
Starring:
Lyndon Hood as Chrysler Mondeo
Dianne Pulham as Dawn Nightingale
Sam Irwin as Dr Seventeen Fitzgerald
Wiremu Tuhiwai as Tiopira Jones
Steven Youngblood as Keith Grant
Clare Kerrison as Mrs Jane Robinson
Jed Davies as Calder Spade
Jennifer O'Sullivan as Lake Brooks
Jonny Paul as Christian Fury
Matt Powell as Blake Forrest
Kate Whitaker as Southerly Swell Photos by Ali Little
- 13: THE SOAP2015 NZ Fringe Festival at Fringe at the Gryphon
A school year’s worth of drama in just one day. Head back to high school and join year 13 students and their teachers as they navigate life, love and laughs in 1995.
Starring:
Mary Little as Gerda Schleissinger and The Detective
Christine Brooks as Anne and Servants Etc.
Lori Leigh as Coach Terri Bull
Rose Cann as SalvaDOPE and Magalie
Jennifer O'Sullivan as Kacey Grant
Steven Youngblood as Keith Grant
Lyndon Hood as Bentley Skyline
Jed Davies as Mitchell and Gavin
Sam Irwin as Sammy Sharpe and Cameron Hawke
Wiremu Tuhiwai as Ben
Matt Powell as Philippe l’Escalier and José Sangria
