A celebration and interrogation of womanhood in NZ

MINGE Media Release –

MINGE is coming. What is MINGE?

MINGE is a slang word for the nether regions of a lady. MINGE is a play at BATS Theatre in Wellington from 1- 11 December 2010. MINGE, a celebration and an interrogation of womanhood in New Zealand, is a lively musical extravaganza for people of all genders. A perfect way to kick start the festive season.

MINGE is a year-long project that has sprung from the desire of many of Wellington’s young female theatre practitioners to make theatre by women, for women and about women. It involves women from four award winning theatre collectives, Binge Culture Collective, The PlayGround Collective, Three Spoon Theatre, and Theatre Militia as well as many independent theatre practitioners ranging in age from 28 years to 15 months.

Eleanor Bishop

MINGE, a celebration and interrogation of womanhood in New Zealand, is a show about what it means to be a young woman. Drawing on stories of themselves and women across Wellington, the MINGE ladies will attempt to perform their version of the story of finding womanhood. Late night Caberet meets pantomime and the traditional hero’s quest and features puppetry, helpful hints, a Mortal Kombat homage, dance and song.

Fed up with society and tradition's version of what it means to be a woman in the 21st century, the MINGE ladies revolt against the MC to try to tell their own story. Will a group of women be able to decide on anything? Is womanhood able to be pinned down? Is their version something all young women will agree with? Can the complex story of a woman’s life be told in 60 minutes? Traversing such areas as birth, childhood, puberty, food, sex, alcohol, careers, sexuality and friendship, MINGE is a hilarious and moving account of what happens when we try to put women into boxes.

Erin Banks

Material has come from a collection of stories and collections from women across Wellington. Enthusiasm in the community resulted in far too much to put into the show so accompanying the show will be a Minge-a-zine (home-made magazine) containing the collected stories, complemented with delightful illustrations by Erin Banks and Hannah Smith. MINGE launched its facebook fan page just over three weeks ago and has already attracted over five hundred fans, generating debate and discussion and is considered one of the country's most lively facebook pages. MINGE have become an inspiration for the Wellington Young Feminist's Collective. This generation is beginning to re-embrace feminist ideas and the MINGE Collective is proud to be a part of this movement.

The youngest member of Minge, Millie

MINGE is directed by Fiona McNamara, produced by Hannah Banks, and is performed by Eleanor Bishop, Erin Banks, Ally Garrett, Rose Guise, Rachel Marlow, Heleyni Pratley, Jean Sergent and Hannah Smith, with music played by Steph Cairns and Helen O'Rourke.

MINGE, a celebration and interrogation of womanhood in New Zealand

1-11 December, 7pm

BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Wellington

Tickets 18 (waged) 13 (unwaged) book@bats.co.nz / 04 802 4174

ENDS

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