The Playground Collective presents Rubber Turkey

MEDIA RELEASE
09/03/2008

A razor sharp comedy about comedy

22 – 26 April, BATS, Wellington
29 April – 3 May, Classic Basement, Auckland

The PlayGround Collective presents

Rubber Turkey
By Eli Kent

A laugh-out-loud comedy, with hints of tragedy; Rubber Turkey is a study in the nature of comedy and what we find funny – is it fed to us by Hollywood?

Inhabiting a “joke realm,” are five characters, fulfilling comedic stereotypes – the funny “guy”, the “chicken”, the “clown”, the “blonde” and the apathetic overseer, “The Reviewer”. All is well, until they start defying their stereotypes. Blondie starts reading Wikipedia, Guy starts deliberately messing up jokes, the clown winces at the sight of cream pies, and Chicken starts trying to top himself.

When the size of your laugh track determines your life span, this is definitely no joke.

Rubber Turkey is the second production from Wellington’s The Playground Collective, (The Hunting of the Snark sold out in 2007’s Comedy Festival). It is written and directed by talented nineteen year old Wellingtonian, Eli Kent- already the hot young thing of the acting scene (Falling Petals, BATS; The Cape, and Armslength, Circa). His television and film credits include Sensing Murder, and Black Sheep.

It stars three Chapman Tripp nominees: Gavin Rutherford as “The Reviewer” (2007 Chapman Tripp for Best supporting actor in Circa’s Uncle Vanya; Fringe Festival 2007 award for Outstanding Performer, for sitespecific.co.nz’s Hotel). Other credits include Homeland, The Winslow Boy (Circa), and The Insiders Guide to Love.

Alex Greig plays “Guy” (Chapman Tripp Best Supporting Actor 2005, for his role in I.D.) Alex performs with The Bacchannals- a Wellington company specialising in breathing new life into classic works, including the 2007 co-production of King Lear, with Fortune Theatre.

Abby Marment (Chapman Tripp nominee for her performance in Picture Perfect, Circa, 2006). She will be familiar to Auckland audiences from Penumbra, part of the Auckland Festival of the Arts in 2007. In Wellington, Abby has appeared in Falling Petals (BATS, 2007) and Armslength (Circa, 2008).

Rubber Turkey is a fresh production for the 2008 NZ International Comedy Festival, which continues the new trend of live scripted theatre in the Festival as well as the traditional stand-up comedy fare.

22 – 26 April, 6:30pm BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace, Wellington
29 April – 3 May, 7:30pm Classic Basement, Lower Greys Avenue, Auckland
$16 Full / $13 Concessions and groups 8+
Bookings Wellington: 04 802 4175 or book@bats.co.nz
Bookings Auckland: Ticketek 0800 TICKETEK or www.ticketek.co.nz

ENDS

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