CLOSE
BATS Theatre, The Random Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
09/10/2020 - 09/10/2020
NZ Improv Festival 2020: Close To Home
Production Details
Join Best on Tap for loves, laughs, tears and tantrums as we explore how proximity affects our relationships and lives.
“Best On Tap’s improvisation skills are evident, demonstrating excellent support and delivering quirky laughs.” Art Murmurs, Mixtape Volume 2
Locked in, locked down, up close and personal while busting, in love and/or furious. Join Best on Tap for loves, laughs, tears and tantrums as we explore how proximity affects our relationships and lives.
“an ingenious premise… consummate skill.” Theatreview, Death Comes To Us All
“Remarkably honest, very moving and well-constructed.” Wellingtonista, Death Comes To Us All
“A highly satisfactory form of improv.” Theatreview, Regrets
BATS Theatre, The Random Stage
9 October 2020
6:30pm
Full Price $20
Group 6+ $18
Concession Price $15
BOOK TICKETS
Accessibility
The Random Stage is fully wheelchair accessible; please contact the BATS Box Office by 4.30pm on the show day if you have accessibility requirements so that the appropriate arrangements can be made. Read more about accessibility at BATS.
NZ Improv Fest: Close To Home takes place at BATS Theatre
Performance programme 6-10 October 2020
Workshops 3, 4, 10 October 2020
Learn more at www.improvfest.nz and don’t miss a moment!
Theatre , Improv ,
1 hr
The perfect catharsis for the strangeness of these times
Review by Emma Maguire 21st Oct 2020
[Apologies for the late publication of this review – an editorial error.]
Full disclosure: I am associated with the NZIF. I’ve been working as their publicist this year. However, I lost a reviewer at late notice, and had to step in. For transparency’s sake, I’ve not seen these performers perform before in this group and I don’t know the full team.
Together and apart. The relationships we build with those near us and across the seas. Close is an excellent piece of improv drama, by the endlessly skilled Best on Tap team. Having just come off a season at Circus Bar last week, they bring their show to BATS for one night only.
Accompanied by Sebastian Morgan-Lynch on the cello, weightlifters in an opening tableaux mug for the camera. Four men try desperately to avoid talking about their feelings over a Zoom call. A dog psychiatrist gets four new clients, and a couple roleplays saucy Marvel superheroes.
All these events lead up to a scene in a bed, where multiple couples stand up and chat, post-coital. He’s happy, she’s not, it was a, “solid six out of ten, might be upgraded with more people”, then a foursome turns it into an eight. It’s a solid springing-off point for the rest of the show, which features an unbelievably horny scene on a train, the return of the Zoom manchat, as well as some dancing to Lady Gaga.
Then, we’re back where we started, with the weightlifters posing for a photo, though this time they can hardly smile for it, because they’re all too Botox’d up.
Close is the perfect catharsis for the strangeness of these times. It’s intimate and silly, and most importantly, grounded in humanity. It’s very lovely to watch talented people enjoying what they do, and I love the weird places the show delves into. A wholesome (to a point), and heartwarming (definitely), watch.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Comments