Christ Almighty!
Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
02/12/2009 - 19/12/2009
Production Details
THIS IS NO SILENT NIGHT…
A promiscuous angel, a schizophrenic Wiseman, an evil King Herod, a desperate donkey and some virgin who claims she’s been knocked up by God. These are the Nativity Story characters…sans tea towels on their heads and school halls. This is no silent night – it’s Christ Almighty!, playing The Basement from December 2nd.
From the collective who brought Auckland audiences the smash hit 2008 Christmas show The Eight: Reindeer Monologues comes this brand new, end-of-year event – packed full of in-your-face seasonal merriment with a deliciously ironic voice that is uniquely New Zealand; eight outrageous monologues from the characters of "greatest story ever told" as you’ve never seen them before!
Penned by local comic talents Natalie Medlock and Dan Musgrove (Blinkers and Spurs, A Song for the Ugly Kids), over 40 performers bring the eight monologues to life, and with no prior notice who will be involved each night, each show will leave audiences wondering which performer will hit the stage next.
Will it be Keisha Castle-Hughes reprising her role as the Virgin Mary? Will theatre legend Michael Hurst be treading the boards? Perhaps it will be Lisa Chappell, or The Cult‘s gorgeous newcomer, Chelsea Preston-Crayford? Perhaps Outrageous Fortune’s Craig Hall (Nicky Greegan) or Shortland Street‘s newest hunk Robbie Magasiva? It may even be a drama school graduate, hand-picked and set to take the stage by storm in years to come!
You won’t know until you show!
Christ Almighty! is intended for mature audiences only.
Christ Almighty! plays
Wednesday 2nd to Saturday 19th Dec, 8pm (No show Sunday)
LATE SHOWS added – Thursday and Friday, 10pm!
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland.
Tickets: $32 adults; $25 concessions.
Tickets: www.iticket.co.nz, Door sales
For more information, visit www.basementspace.co.nz
FULL CAST:
Anna Jullienne (Shortland Street),
Antonia Prebble (Outrageous Fortune, She Stoops to Conquer),
Alison Quigan (Shortland Street),
Craig Hall (Outrageous Fortune, A Show of Hands),
Curtis Vowell (Bare),
Harry McNaughton (Shortland Street),
Isla Adamson,
Fleur Saville (Shortland Street)
Jared Rawiri (The Jacquie Brown Diaries),
Jennifer Ward-Lealand,
Oliver Driver (Ruben Guthrie, Sunrise presenter)
Keisha Castle-Hughes (Piece of My Heart, Whale Rider),
Jodie Rimmer (Until Proven Innocent, Rabbit),
Angela Bloomfield (Shortland Street),
Mia Blake (Loot, Number 2),
Michael Hurst,
Michelle Blundell (Holding the Man),
Morgana O'Reilly (A Thousand Apologies, Bare),
Sarah Thomson (Shortland Street),
Sara Wiseman (Outrageous Fortune, The Cult),
Shane Bosher (director of The Silo Theatre),
Lisa Chappell (McLeod's Daughters, The Cult),
Wesley Dowdell (Outrageous Fortune, Whero's New Net),
Matt Whelan (Holding the Man, Go Girls),
Jeff Szusterman (Take Me Out),
Serena Cotton (Loser, The Insider's Guide To Love),
Robbie Magasiva (Shortland Street, Sione's Wedding),
Rachel Foreman (The Ensemble Project),
Simon London (The Cult),
Sophie Henderson (The Scene),
Andrew Laing (Holding the Man),
Barnie Duncan (Outrageous Fortune),
Chelsea Preston-Crayford (The Cult, Ruben Guthrie),
Fasitua Amosa (Legend of the Seeker, The Millan Baird Show),
Hannah Banks (The Jacquie Brown Diaries),
Te Kohe Tuhaka (Shortland Street, Strange Resting Places),
Amanda Billing (Shortland Street, The Threepenny Opera),
Danielle Cormack (The Cult),
Natalie Medlock (The Ensemble Project),
Fern Sutherland (The Ensemble Project),
Gareth Williams (Apollo 13)
Irreverent and amusing poke at Christian theology
Review by Paul Simei-Barton 07th Dec 2009
The great Christian polemicist G.K. Chesterton believed the test of a good religion is whether or not it can laugh at itself. This principle will be sorely tested by Christ Almighty! – the Basement theatre’s Christmas shindig featuring a cross-dressing Angel Gabriel, a shamelessly horny shepherd, and some truly scandalous speculation on the relationship between Joseph and his donkey.
If such blasphemies were aimed at the Prophet of Islam, the consequences would be dire. But Christians can be glad they belong to a joyful faith which teaches its followers to love those who mock them. [More]
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Not for anyone offended by blasphemy
Review by Joanna Davies 03rd Dec 2009
You don’t know what you’re in for with Christ Almighty! – literally. It’s the story of the Nativity as you’ve never seen it and the eight characters will be played by 40 actors over its run.
Who will you get? Who knows? And that’s part of its beauty.
The Basement has been simply and convincingly transformed into Bethlehem of old with the use of hay bales (take note if you’re allergic) and a nova that looks as though it fell from the Death Star’s annual disco.
Natalie Medlock and Dan Musgrove’s masterpiece script captures the essence of human and heavenly nature, and manages to cast aspersions on the most preposterous story ever told. With the help of the collective behind last year’s The Eight: Reindeer Monologues extravaganza, it’s hilarious.
One by one the characters take the stage to confide their view of the miracle of Christ’s birth as Mary labours backstage. And with the exception of the Innkeeper, whose eyes light up at the thought of cashing in on the event, not one is what religious instruction leads you to believe.
The frisky, bitter events-manager Archangel is in dire need of a drink; the over-sexed, under-dressed Shepherd has certainly been touched by something; the schizophrenic three-in-one Wise Man steals scenes from himself; a power-crazed, insecure, misunderstood Herod wants to be loved; and Joseph’s much-maligned, support-group-hopping Donkey rues not having power in numbers. Then there are the parents-to-be…
It’s hard to tell where scripting and direction end and the actors’ personal interpretations begin; when there’s only one character on stage they have more freedom. For some this worked brilliantly, while others flapped like flounder on a ship deck before reeling themselves back. Yet all interacted with the audience to draw us in and keep us entranced. That couldn’t be easy with the cast of future performances sitting right up the front.
Opening night’s star was Madeleine Sami’s 3 Wise Men. At times there seemed to be 5 when she channelled Michael Jackson and Captain Jack Sparrow in an utterly captivating, faster-than-the-speed-of-light portrayal.
This isn’t a show to take the family to, and it’s not for anyone who is offended by blasphemy. If however, you don’t take things to seriously and think the PC Brigade’s time is over, make sure you go along. I can’t predict what (or who) you’ll get when you do – which is why I’ll be back myself.
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For more production details, click on the title above. Go to Home page to see other Reviews, recent Comments and Forum postings (under Chat Back), and News.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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