Rampage – the true story of a drug fuelled adventure at Nelson Hospital
Yaza Comedy Club, Montgomery Square, Nelson
10/03/2025 - 10/03/2025
Production Details
Naomi Strain - lived it, wrote it, directed and performed it!
When Naomi’s medication caused a complete psychotic breakdown, a wild night of adventure through Nelson hospital commenced!
A crazy tale of absurd delusions, extreme paranoia and ridiculous escape plans. An unforgettable hospital escapade complete with an evil captor (AKA an orderly) that ultimately ends in tragedy…or did it?
Naomi’s struggle with epilepsy is managed with a complex mix of medications. One exciting night in the hospital, this combination made her go batshit crazy.
Surprisingly, she remembers the whole thing far too clearly.
This is the complete adventure, from innocently trying to smoke on the ward, to sprinting down corridors, and shouting wild accusations. It’s unbelievable, hilarious and all completely true (with the disclaimer that she was bonkers at the time).
@Yaza Comedy Club (Yaza Cafe), Montgomery Square, Nelson
Monday 10th March 2025
9pm-10pm
$18 (+0.50 booking fee)
https://nelsonfringe.co.nz/event/rampage-the-true-story-of-a-drug-fuelled-adventure-at-nelson-hospital/
Naomi Strain
Comedy , Stand-up comedy , Theatre , Solo ,
45 mins
An hilarious comedy show, rich with storytelling and dark, self-deprecating humour
Review by Judene Edgar 15th Mar 2025
Naomi Strain lives by the motto that laughter is the best medicine … even when the laughter is directed at her.
Naomi has epilepsy and a seizure disorder. She has two or more seizures a week and relies heavily on medication and her support cat. A ‘normal’ week for Naomi can include waking up in hospital with no memory of how she got there or coming to with a black eye and various abrasions. And despite all of the injuries, she still finds the positives, like how brain swelling is a cheap form of Botox and a seizure means a free ride home in an ambulance.
Naomi takes no prisoners. There’s no easing the audience into what her everyday life looks like. Despite this, her cheeky, uplifting manner is instantly engaging, taking the audience on the journey with her from the start.
While we’d generally consider her litany of injuries, comas and hospitalisations ‘no laughing matter’, Naomi has turned her epileptic escapades into an hilarious comedy show, rich with storytelling and dark, self-deprecating humour.
Her storytelling prowess turns what could have been a shopping list of often terrifying life experiences into something that is light and hilarious without losing the gravity of the events. She also uses well-chosen visuals to emphasise and highlight her various afflictions resulting in equal amounts of gasps and laughs.
And just when we think things couldn’t get any crazier, one exciting night in Nelson Hospital the cocktail of drugs she was on made her go “batshit crazy”. She then takes us on an amazing tale of absurd delusions, extreme paranoia and ridiculous escape plans. An unforgettable hospital rampage with an evil captor (AKA an orderly) that ultimately ends in tragedy … or did it?
Her excellent comedic timing and engaging storytelling keeps the audience in the palm of her hands throughout the entire show. And despite all these crazy hijinks, she can still be upstaged by a chicken that has laid a particularly large egg! Yes, it’s an in-joke for those that have seen the show. The remedy – go and see the show if you get the opportunity.
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