MILKY BITS
Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
14/06/2016 - 18/06/2016
28/06/2016 - 02/07/2016
Production Details
A BREAKNECK COMEDY ABOUT MODERN MALAISE THAT’LL HORRIFY, THRILL AND DELIGHT.
Chris Parker (Funny Girls, Jono and Ben), Hayley Sproull (Miss Fletcher Sings the Blues, Jesus Christ Part 2) and Leon Wadham (Go Girls) join forces for an explosive exploration of the modern condition at the Basement Theatre from the 14th – 18th of June.
Combining sketch, theatre, party and nightmare, Milky Bits is a wild ride through a catalogue of excruciatingly human experiences. Our ferociously attractive heroes face unwelcome handshakes, hideous retail jobs, regrettable intercourse, mottephobia, two-day sleep binges, ominous beach metaphors, guided meditation and the Scientology Celebrity Centre as they try to make it in this doggy-dog world. It’s hideous, hysterical and it’s probably happened to you.
Breakneck, provocative, physical comedy, Milky Bits turns everyday anxieties into a hilarious, unpredictable and thrilling pageant of millennial terror.
With shows like Outsiders’ Guide (Best Newcomer Chapman Tripps 2013), Tighty Whiteys, Miss Fletcher Sings the Blues (Best Newcomer NZ International Comedy Festival 2012), No More Dancing in The Good Room (Best Newcomer NZ International Comedy Festival 2015), and You Make Me Feel Like a Natural Woman, The Bakery’s curiosity centers on social and cultural relationship, using song, dance, sketch and madness to investigate the things we dare not speak of. ‘I’m tempted to call it genius’ – Nik Smythe, Theatreview
The Bakery is a New Zealand based theatre company focused on creating sharp, physical, relevant comedy that pushes the boundary between fun and frantic. Parker, Sproull and Wadham are firedup, young artists with a passion for laughter.
Milky Bits plays at the Basement Theatre from the 14th – 18th of June. Join us for an hour of physical, metaphysical and breakneck theatre that lays everything on the line.
Milky Bits plays
Venue: Basement Theatre
Dates: 14th – 18th June 8pm
Tickets: $14 – $20
Bookings: www.basementtheatre.co.nz or phone iTicket 09 361 1000
Venue: BATS Theatre
Dates: 28th June – 2nd July 6.30pm
Tickets: $14 – $20
Bookings: www.bats.co.nz or phone 04 802 4175
Theatre , Sketch , Comedy ,
A highly entertaining and therapeutic gift
Review by John Smythe 30th Jun 2016
The publicity promises a “thrilling pageant of millennial terror” and The Bakery’s ever-rising buns – Leon Wadham, Chris Parker and Hayley Sproull – deliver as much. As an expose of existential angst, this could be described as Waiting for Godot for well-educated, socially-aware, middle-class millennials.
Their problem is they know there is no ‘Godot’ they can hope will turn up to tell them what to do next; that it’s up to them, individually and/or together, to make their lives mean something. They have grown up liberated from the tunnels of religious dogma, family-in-the-suburbs and career-for-life predictability, and been told they have the freedom to do whatever they want to do; be whoever they want to be. But they still have choose their own ‘what’ and ‘who’. Hence the angst.
They are also well-versed in the ‘safe educational environment’ model that allows them to contribute creatively without fear of negative put-downs. This is the culture that permeates their ultra-supportive interactions – except when it doesn’t – rendering their show deliciously pregnant with subtext and therefore very funny.
Mashing up the ‘lost in the woods’ metaphor of childhood folk stories with Shakespeare’s blasted heath and weird sisters, and adding earnest adolescent vow-making sends them into the hurly-burly of their separate lives, seeking achievement, significance, a sense of self-worth … Something to fill the void.
The devices employed include sharing their personal vision boards, ever-so empathetically one-upping each other as to whose existential crisis is worse, offering life-affirming advice, acting out scenarios as wake-up calls or to make dreams come true … And dancing to keep Chris happy. And singing to make the most of Hayley’s splendid musicianship.
Leon’s skill and obvious joy at executing Chris’s choreography and harmonising with the others as prescribed by Hayley gives the lie to his asserting he’s unfulfilled by doing other people’s stuff – on screen and stage – instead of creating his own. Which points to another pleasure of engaging with this show: working out what is personal to each performer and what is a satirical observation of their generation at large.
Certainly the ability and willingness of each performer to take the piss out of themselves and allow the others to send them up too, sometimes mercilessly, adds hugely to the entertainment value. It’s this bravery and generosity that draws us in at a level much deeper than just watching three very talented people at play.
“The Bakery’s curiosity centres on social and cultural relationship, using song, dance, sketch and madness to investigate the things we dare not speak of,” their media release reveals. This proves Milky Bits has evolved through purposeful enquiry.
Their promo image, where they are hitting a glass wall (let alone the glass ceiling) is further proof of the creative intelligence that generates this production. The title, however – Milky Bits – beats me: suggestions welcome.
All analysis aside, though, trust me: this is a highly entertaining show that goes to the heart of what it is to feel lost in the dark woods or barren heaths that lurk beyond the hurly-burley of daily life. As such it tells us all we’re not alone; it’s therapeutic and a gift.
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
Original and innovative
Review by Ewen Coleman 30th Jun 2016
One of Shakespeare’s most famous lines, from his play King Lear, is “Nothing comes of nothing”, which most people, even if they don’t know Shakespeare, have heard of. Yet it would appear that the three actors from Auckland performing in Milky Bits, currently playing early evenings at Bats Theatre are not aware of this famous quote.
That is because, for an hour, Chris Parker, Hayley Sproull and Leon Wadham ingeniously create one of the most exciting and dynamic pieces of theatre seen in Wellington for a long time out of absolutely nothing, which is testament to the skill and ability of the three actors. [More]
Copyright © in the review belongs to the reviewer
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Vision Boards A go-go
Review by Tim George 15th Jun 2016
Three friends (Chris Parker, Hayley Sproull and Leon Wadham) are lost on a windy heath. After finding each other, they declare their mutual devotion and vow to return on the anniversary of their ordeal to celebrate their enduring bond.
And that about does it for plot.
When I first heard the title ‘Milky Bits’, I was trying to unpack what it could mean. [More]
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Skewering middle class angst hilariously
Review by Nik Smythe 15th Jun 2016
The familiar concrete and brick Basement Theatre stage lies bare before us, offering no clues of what is to come yet implying that anything’s possible. The lights dim. Wet and windy storm sound effects arise, an exaggeration of the actual weather outside on this damp and dreary Tuesday evening. The sounds continue for some time without anything happening, and the near capacity crowd demonstrates we’re ready for a good laugh as we chuckle in anticipation. The first (but by no means last) big laugh of the night occurs when two people finally enter but it turns out they’re just a couple of latecomers.
Eventually the keenly awaited trio of spunky young comics bursts onto the stage, staggering around in the swirling maelstrom, calling out to each other with a ludicrously affected thespianic tonality that draws on Shakespeare no less. The absurd, somewhat twisted quality of this opening scene is strongly indicative of the madness that follows.
I’ve had the pleasure of Chris Parker and Hayley Sproull’s personal blend of mirthful insanity before so have an idea what to expect anyway. Their comrade in camp mischief for this outing, Leon Wadham, makes for a most worthy third wheel as together they whip up a farcical feast of dependably ridiculous tomfoolery.
The theme underpinning their stereotype-skewering shenanigans involves the malcontented angst of the entitled middle class. Ostensibly there for each other, it’s none too subtly clear that they each yearn to be the main focus of attention. Personal agendas are exposed: Hayley searches for a meaningfully self-destructive experience; Leon feels a deep need for some kind of violently induced epiphany; Chris just wants to incorporate more choreography into the show and life in general.
In an effort to shake themselves up with a sorely needed existential wake-up call, they role play with different cathartic scenarios such as the horrors of wartime, the grimy reality of undercover police work, the terror of Truth or Dare, or a sunny day at the beach. I realise that last one doesn’t sound terribly threatening or intense, but just you wait.
While not especially ground-breaking or cutting edge, Milky Bits (whatever that means?) delivers a welcome and generous helping of seasoned absurdity.
Incorporating conceptual and observational humour with tribal dancing, a capella harmonies and many other cherished performing arts conventions, the mandate would appear to be that they can play up any ideas they think of as long as it is done in a hilarious fashion. Which it is.
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Comments
Joe McClure July 2nd, 2016
Thank you, John, for another well-considered review. Only one point I would query is, in your review you describe the work as "Waiting for Godot for well-educated, socially-aware, middle-class millenials.... their problem is they know there is no 'Godot'." After viewing the play several times in performance, can I suggest the derivation is less from Beckett, and perhaps falls closer to other absurdist/existentialist plays? Harold Pinter's The Birthday Party and The Caretaker come to mind as examples. Though if any members of The Bakery want to correct me on this point, I welcome their input.
There is also a significant musical element in Milky Bits, which was largely unused in mid-century dramatic works but provides important tonal qualities to the performance, and illustrates some of the difficulties inherent in staging consistently high-quality ensemble work.
As always, thank you for providing your thoughts on this production.