Below the Worms is one of those shows that makes you feel like you’ve stepped straight into a children’s book! Devised by Nadia Officer, Eve Naicker, Cypha Clark, Kimora Honeycombe, Molly Macalister, Violet Patterson, Taipuhi King and Justina-Rose Tua, it is playful, imaginative, slightly creepy (in the best way) and full of joy.

The play is set in a shared house area and garden where singing worms, dogs, puppets and strange magic quietly exist side by side.

Under the direction of Alison Bruce, the world of the play feels confident and carefully held, even while leaning fully into its weirdness. There’s a strong sense of trust in the performers and in the audience, as the show doesn’t over-explain itself, instead inviting you to lean in and enjoy the ride.

At the heart of the work are the two actor–co-creators, Sugar Rea-Bruce and Te Ata Tu Patelesio, who anchor the piece with humour, heart and imagination. Huge mihi to both of them for their physical theatre and embodied storytelling – watching two actors move, dance and play together in the space is genuinely captivating. Their physicality gives the work its rhythm and heartbeat! Mihi rawa atu ki te tokorua nei!

The audience laughter says it all. The writing is sharp, strange and very funny, and the performers fully commit to the absurdity. Nadia Officer, Eve Naicker, Cypha Clark and Kimora Honeycombe make up a highly engaging chorus, slipping between dogs, worms and other odd presences with brilliant timing and physical precision. Their use of puppetry and movement adds so much comedic flair, keeping the world constantly alive around the main action and amplifying the show’s playful tone.

The live music accompaniment, by composer and musical director Sarah Lawrence, is a real standout. Watching one person effortlessly move between instruments throughout the show is seriously impressive! The music becomes another character, shaping the atmosphere, supporting the storytelling, and deepening the sense of magic.

The set design by Grace O’Brien is also really cool! It genuinely feels like stepping into a child’s imagination or a storybook world, leaving space for play, curiosity, and the audience’s own sense of wonder.

Overall, Below the Worms is charming, funny and just strange enough to keep you hooked. It’s the kind of theatre that invites you to relax, laugh and lean into its weirdness – and it rewards you for doing so. Really awesome to see this young collective doing their thing – it is a lot of effort to put a show up and perform in it too. Ya’ll are awesome!

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