Murder On The Dance Floor
BATS Theatre, The Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
25/03/2025 - 29/03/2025
Production Details
Written and directed by Corrie Milne
Choreographer and Music Director Maddison Barnes.
Silverpoint Productions
It’s the most important night of a 13-year-old’s life: the year 8 school disco.
When three kids accidentally murder their principal during their big night, they must figure out what to do with the body before they miss out on one of those really thin slices of pizza.
You know what I’m talking about right?
It’s like why are you cutting the pizzas so thin? We only get one slice each anyways.
Is the school really that desperate for money that they’re rationing the pizzas like we’re in the middle of a war?? I paid $20 to be here anyway and you’re still charging me $2 per glowstick and god forbid I wanna get a lolly bag.
Are the teachers taking the money for themselves?? Because it’s clearly not going to the pizzas! And it’s definitely not going to the decorations, there’s like three balloons and one of those party light things that they plug into the wall.
Something needs to be done about this, I cannot live in these conditions anymore.
After the success of our sold-out season during the New Zealand Fringe Festival, we’re back to do it again!
Murder On The Dance Floor is an unashamed love letter to all of the embarrassing parts of being 13, featuring all our favorite 2010s hits, we’ve got a feeling you’ll be singing along with us!
Murder On The Dance Floor will be performed at the Stage at BATS theatre from the 25th to the 29th of March at 7 pm for a total of 5 shows. Tickets are $25 concession $15 and can be booked on the BATS website.
https://bats.co.nz/whats-on/murder-on-the-dance-floor/
Corrie Milne and Maddison Barnes are recent graduates of Te Auahas Musical Theatre program who are working together on their first show outside of school.
Maddison Barnes (she/her) Maddison is an enthusiastic and devoted performer currently based in Wellington. She began dancing when she was 7 at The Dance Studio, based in Auckland, then moved on to acting and finally started musical theatre when she began high school. She has graduated with her diploma of performing arts as well as recently graduating with a bachelor of creativity from Whitireia. Maddison has show credits including Catch Me If You Can, Mamma Mia, Rock of Ages, and Urinetown: the Musical’ where she portrayed Hope Cladwell. Most recently she was the swing in the 2025 Pantomime, ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Maddi fell in love with all aspects of the performing arts and feels most at home on a stage. Her heart lies within theatre.
Corrie Milne (he/she) Corrie is an Aspiring writer and performer who has recently completed his third year of the musical theatre program at Te Auaha, achieving her bachelor’s in performing arts. Growing up Corrie was a student at Artsagogo performing arts, and performed in shows such as Fiddler on the Roof, Rocky Horror Show, and Pippin. He was in Capital Theatre Trust’s production of Wicked at the St James as a backing vocalist, Emma in UHMTs production of The Prom and most recently played Penelope Pennywise in Te Auahas production of Urinetown.
CAST:
Maddison Barnes: Sam
Keira Hikuroa: Jayden
Corrie Milne: Phoebe
Marija Stanisic: Paula Harris
Joshua Franken: Richard Head
Ashton Church: Cop/Ensemble
Meg Leadbeater: Ensemble
Mila Te Whare Manson: Ensemble
CREW:
Stage Manager/Production Manager: Aislinn Sederel
Sound Operator: Caleb O'Halloran
Lighting Operators: Ace Dalziel & Alex Williamson
Musical , Theatre ,
50 Minutes
A tight, fast moving, super-entertaining show
Review by Tim Stevenson 30th Mar 2025
Loud, bright, brash and fun, Murder on the Dance Floor kicks off with a ton of in-your-face musical energy and keeps up the pace to the end of its 50-minute duration. Your reviewer starts smiling soon as the music and singing begin – i.e. right after the safety instructions and “please turn your phones to silent” at the start – and is still grinning like a loon at the finish.
There’s a storyline (writer Corrie Milne): three kids accidentally murder their principal at the year 8 school disco and have to deal with that. There’s a complication involving an old friendship that went sour. So there’s lots of farce, and some sentimental misunderstandings to be worked through. As a plot, it does a good job of providing plenty of opportunities for the main business of the evening, which is heaps of singing, dancing and comedy.
It does this in a pleasantly equitable way, with everyone getting a turn up front. This is important because there’s a lot of talent on stage, particularly in the singing department. Maddie Barnes as Sam, Corrie Milne as Phoebe and Keira Hikuroa as Jayden are the standouts for me here. However, everyone deserves an honourable mention (Marija Stanisic: Paula Harris, Ashton Church: Cop/Ensemble, Meg Leadbeater: Ensemble and Mila Te Whare Manson: Ensemble).
My personal favourite on the night has to be Josh Franken, who plays principal Dick Head (you can’t accuse the script of being over-subtle). Principal Head dies early in the play, but fortunately continues to play an active part in the story. “Fortunately” because he is a gas in the role – he can dance, sing, act and do physical comedy, and has a great stage presence whether his character is alive or dead.
Maddie Barnes did the choreography, which is enjoyably period and delivered with truckloads of vigour and commitment by the cast. I don’t know who came up with the action involving the dead principal but whoever you are, you deserve a gold star and a chocolate fish – it’s very funny, lovely stuff.
More gold stars and chocolate fish to the sound and lighting folk, who know how to keep the party pumping. I don’t know who did the designing, but Sound Operator: Caleb O’Halloran is credited as Sound operator, and Ace Dalziel & Alex Williamson as lighting operators. I love the glow-in-the-dark accessories.
Director Corrie Milne has brought together a tight, fast moving, super-entertaining show.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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