HEARTFELT HIGH
BATS Theatre, The Random Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
25/10/2018 - 25/10/2018
Production Details
Head back to school with Heartfelt High, where the spunk rats, drama kids and drongos are hanging out behind the bike shed. But there is nothing sus going on Sir, honest! Directed by Luke Rimmelzwan (Brisbane) and starring an ensemble cast of NZIF 2018 performers, Heartfelt High is inspired by the high school dramas we grew up on, with a healthy mix of sincerity, silliness and sweetness.
Director Luke Rimmelzwaan is a founding member of ImproMafia and has been improvising for nigh on twenty years. He has performed and taught improvisation around Australia and the world including in Taipei, Manilla, Wellington, Sydney and Melbourne. Luke is also a founder and co-creator of the the improv conversation series Scenes from a Chat.
The Random Stage at BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Wellington
Thursday, October 25, 2018
6:30pm
TIX $14-$20 – BOOK NOW!
Theatre , Improv ,
1 hr
A rocketing momentum
Review by George Fenn 26th Oct 2018
A high school soap opera which explores the high stakes lives of six pubescent students, Heartfelt High makes simple choices to create a narrative rooted in character relationships. The show uses two-person scenes with an emphasis on first exploring the characters’common history. This background allows the performers to subvert old friendships to create conflicts worthy of the soap opera format.
Double denim, waist-tied cardigans and dungarees establish the period setting of 1997. This setting is used by the cast to shade interactions with delightful details amidst the big emotional arcs of the students.
The characters are cruel in the way children are, but the cast are full of smiles as they stand side stage. They share the spotlight, identifying the purpose of their scenes and working together towards it. This gives Heartfelt High a rocketing momentum and by the time two delinquent rival sisters burn down their parents’ house we are totally on board with the scale of the offer.
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