BUSKERS IN THE BOATHOUSE 2016

The Boathouse, Nelson

28/01/2016 - 29/01/2016

Nelson Buskers Festival 2016

Production Details



If you are feeling adventurous, join us for our R18 Cabaret show at The Boathouse. Sit at the front if you dare – we take no responsibility for what might happen to you!

Eisuke Saito as Ace K from Japan – also performed at Word Buskers Festival, Christchurch

Tamara Campbell as Kiki Bittovabitsch from Australia

Nathan Bonner as MulletMan from New Zealand – also performed at WBF

Kate Mior as Madame Guillotine from Canada – also performed at WBF

Rob Bloor as Rob FireNix (Street performances), Captain Underpants (Boathouse) 

The Boathouse
$30 pre sale, $38 door sale (plus TicketDirect Service Fees)
Thu 28 Jan, 8pm & Fri 29 Jan 8.30pm
Tickets on sale at Nelson i-SITE, Theatre Royal Nelson,
phone 03 548 3840 (option 2 for tickets),
online at TicketDirect, 0800 224 224 and TicketDirect outlets.
Door sales from one hour before the show.

Follow and ‘Like’ the Nelson Buskers Festival Facebook page for updates.

The Nelson Buskers Festival brings our beautiful streets alive over 4 days with action-packed, mind-blowing shows, featuring award-winning street performers from around the world.   

Our festival is family focused and mostly free to attend. Please show the performers how much you appreciate their amazing talents and skills by tipping the busker hats.

This year’s line-up includes performers from Japan, Australia, Canada, the UK and New Zealand.

ACE K (Japan)
Ace-K is an accomplished and world-renowned entertainer, juggler, acrobat and balloon artist. Best known for his ninja performances, the Japanese-born entertainer learnt his craft from Japan’s Souri International Circus School, where he completed an exchange to Kiev Municipal Academy of Circus Arts, one of the best circus academies in the world. This Japanese sensation is a must-see!

KIKI BITTOVABITSCH (Australia)
Kiki is a contortionist, an acrobat and a real life princess. After losing her country of Kazador (she literally cannot find it!), she has travelled the world as the self appointed Kazadorian Kultural attaché. Kiki delights in sharing colourful renditions of her country’s history, myths and legends and engages in outrageous interactive fun to share these tales with her audience. “Look up and laugh” is the Kiki motto.

MADAME GUILLOTINE, aka MARIE ANTOINETTE (Canada)
Madame Guillotine travels the globe charming the hearts and wallets from audiences with her sharp wit, graceful movement and absurd comedy. Just don’t expect her to speak French: she was born in Austria. (Plus, she’s a mime).

MULLETMAN (New Zealand)
MulletMan has been performing juggling and unicycle comedy shows, fire shows, and MCing, in and around NZ, Australia, Asia, the United Kingdom and the Arab Emirates since 1998, at hundreds of festivals, functions, corporate gigs, cruise ship lines and variety cabaret stages. Begs the question – what came first, the Mullet or the Man?

ROB FIRENIX / CAPTAIN UNDERPANTS (UK / NZ)
International renowned Rob FireNix, originally from the UK, will light up your lives with his Comedy Circus FireShow. Having toured 25 countries over 15 years, Rob is now a resident Kiwi. He will be introducing ‘Captain Underpants – The Mexican wrestling SuperHero celebrity chef Environmentalist’. Be prepared to be amazed, amused and bemused! Feel the Flame.

Buskers on Trafalgar

Koha
Thur 28 & Fri 29 Jan, 11am – 2.30pm; Sat 30 Jan, 10.30am – 2pm
Top of Trafalgar Street
The top of Trafalgar Street will come alive with buskers from all over the world. Join us for some hilarious, weird, wacky, eye-opening acts in the heart of the city. What more could you ask for, family friendly street performances, cafes to get a bite from and beautiful hanging baskets and trees to linger under? 

Buskers on the Church Steps

Koha
Sat 30 & Sun 31 Jan, 6pm
Top of Trafalgar Street  [wet weather venue – Nelson College school hall]
Two stunning evening shows for everyone! Enjoy a night of entertainment with family and friends. Bring cushions or low chairs, plus a picnic. There will be food stalls selling delicious snacks. Remember some cash to reward these zany hard-working buskers who live to entertain you.



Theatre , Cabaret ,


More M than R18 but plenty of laughs

Review by Melanie Stewart 30th Jan 2016

Billed as an R18 cabaret show for the adventurous, Buskers in the Boathouse is the indoor part of the Nelson Buskers Festival.

The show is opened by Kate Awesome (aka Kate Moir or her day time persona Madame Guillotine) trying gallantly to warm up a somewhat reluctant audience by giving us a karaoke rendition of Celine Dion’s ‘It’s all coming back to me’. This doesn’t quite have the effect intended and falls a bit flat on the fairly quiet and sober crowd.

Ace K (Eisuke Saito) then takes the stage only to have to leave again after technical issues with his music. He is rescued by Mulletman (Nathan Bonner) whose relaxed banter and simple but entertaining trick gives the sound man time to come to grips with the problem. Ace K returns to the stage and, with a smile to make anyone melt, energetic dance moves and a flair for manipulating balloons, starts to loosen up the crowd.

He is followed by Firenix (Rob Bloor) who comes closest to offering up the expected edgy content and is adept at getting the audience involved. Kiki Bittovabitsch (Tamara Campbell) is up next and, with a superb gift of the gab, draws the audience in, adeptly picking out suitable participants for her performance.

The audience are more responsive in the second half of the show, making the job easier for the buskers as they return for their second performance. The darkness gives the jugglers, Ace K and Mulletman, a great opportunity to show off their skills with their illuminated clubs and diabolo.

Kiki wows us with her pole dancing, and Captain Underpants (Rob Bloor’s second persona) battles with his arch nemesis and a role of cling wrap.

All of them show off their skills in improvisation, witty come backs and put downs and deliver their programme with great energy. 

The evening is entertaining, there are plenty of laughs and superb buy-in from the participating audience members. Even so, I can’t help but think we have not seen the best of these performers.

If the audience was there for R18 content they would have been disappointed as most of the show barely reached an M rating. Although space is an issue I feel the audience would have been more relaxed and the atmosphere more conducive to a cabaret show if the crowd were seated at tables.  

The outdoor (koha) part of the Festival continues at the Top of Trafalgar Street, as:
Buskers on Trafalgar, Sat 30 Jan, 10.30am – 2pm
Buskers on the Church Steps, Sat 30 & Sun 31 Jan, 6pm [wet weather venue – Nelson College school hall]  

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