DOOM AND BLOOM
BATS Theatre, Studio, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
29/03/2019 - 03/04/2019
Production Details
A Comedy & Tragedy Improv Play
Laughing and crying as we explore “the end”, together… a new improvised apocalypse each show.
“Hilarious, but i didn’t expect it to be so touching. Gave me a lot to think about. I’ll come to every show.” – Audience Member
A made-up play exploring the comedy and tragedy around your answer to one question: How would you be as you wait for “the end”?
Brendan “Monty” West & Ben Zolno are veteran improvisors who explore one of many end-times scenarios, then dive into scenes that may give us hope for a brighter tomorrow… where at least a few penniless Kardashians survive.
You may cry as much as you laugh at this joy cruise into the abyss… This comedy & tragedy improv play is more impolite character exploration than it is fast theatre sports.
BATS Theatre The Studio
29 March – 3 May 2019
7pm
Full Price $16
Concession Price $12
Group 6+ $10
BOOK TICKETS
Accessibility
*Access to The Studio is via stairs, so please contact the BATS Box Office at least 24 hours in advance if you have accessibility requirements so that appropriate arrangements can be made. Read more about accessibility at BATS.A Comedy & Tragedy Improv Play
Theatre , Improv ,
1 hr
Mostly they get away with it
Review by Margaret Austin 30th Mar 2019
There are just three chairs onstage at Bats Heydey Dome on the opening night of Doom and Bloom, an improvisational show by a Chicago improviser and a Kiwi thespian: Brendan “Monty” West and Ben Zolno. The title, we are assured, has its origins in existential funk (or was it punk?). In either case, I am none the wiser.
We are to see an on-the-spot play based on the answer to the question: “How would you be as you wait for the end?” Does “the end” refer to the show I wonder? No – someone in the audience comes up with reincarnation, and we’re off.
The following 45 minutes are a loosely related riff on end-of-life experiences. “Loosely related” is a bit of an understatement as the theme floats somewhat adrift in the improvisational sea. That the experiences don’t actually end in death is just as well because our players have to remain alive to keep us entertained.
We progress from a bowling club to Hollywood to posing for a porno film to bullying. All I’m missing is more audience input. We’d like to help and perhaps can come up with ways to end even more bizarre than the ones we’re presented with.
That said, our improvisers do what improvisers do and mostly they get away with it.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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