Swings, Roundabouts And Sandpit Tantrums: All Fun And Games On NZ’s Political Playground

Public Service Announcements & Circa Theatre present

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS: ELECTION 2023

Written by Thom Adams, Jamie McCaskill & Johanna Cosgrove

Directed by Gavin Rutherford

Created by James Nokise & Anya Tate-Manning

29 July - 26 August | Circa Theatre

Election night at the Beehive. Tensions are high, inflation is higher.

Long-running and beloved political satire Public Service Announcements (PSA) returns to Circa with a brand-new production. Irreverent, ridiculous and up-to-the-minute political comedy with lots of laughs - just in time for the election. Can Labour survive another round in the Thunderdome? Will Luxon make it to the election? Can the Greens and Te Pāti Māori spring hope eternal? Is Seymour on the edge of glory? And Winston’s back. Back again. Winny’s back. Tell a friend.

High octane comedy and musical numbers run wild across Aotearoa’s political playground. With games and hijinks always afoot in the Beehive and a cabinet full of popular kids, bullies and nerds, PSA makes excellent fun by mocking all sides of the political spectrum.

“A veritable humdinger... It’s all a bit gobsmackingly good” – Theatreview, 2018

In the tradition of PSAs past, Election 2023 is packed with ferocious talent, crafting peerless silliness from consistently current events. The writing team includes award-winning playwright, actor and musician Jamie McCaskill; comedian, writer and actor Johanna Cosgrove (High Delusion, Shortland Street); and science educator and longest-serving PSA writer Thom Adams. Bringing over twenty political figures to the stage is a multi-talented cast including PSA co-creator Anya Tate-Manning (Another Mammal, Hudson & Halls Live!), Jamie McCaskill (The Māori Sidesteps), Tom Knowles (Transmission, Shrek The Musical), Carrie Green (Under the Vines), Simon Leary (Long Day’s Journey into Night, PSA: Election 2020), and Sepelini Mua’au (Pinocchio: The Pantomime, PSA: Election 2020).

Colourful, larger-than-life design will transform Circa Theatre into an adult-size playground, with set and costume by large-scale events and theatre designer Daniel Williams (The Writer - Silo Theatre, WOW 2017 co-director) and lights by internationally-acclaimed theatre artist Helen Todd (Mau). This is spoofery on a spectacular scale, directed by Pōneke stage legend Gavin Rutherford.

“PSA just gets sillier and more savage (ratchet, sassy, nasty) as it goes on. But it’s all in good fun – and what fun it is.” – Regional News, 2020

Public Service Announcements began as a late-night comedy experiment in 2011, created by comedian James Nokise and Anya Tate-Manning. Over the last five election cycles, PSA has developed into Aotearoa’s longest running political satire, creating 18 original productions. Despite growing in scale, PSA productions continue to sell out year after year and maintain the same energetic feeling of late-night fast-and-loose comedy. Sharp satire, outrageous performances, and fistfuls of non-partisan cheekiness make these current event comedies timeless.

Tickets typically sell out faster than Winston Peters. Book early to avoid bitterness and disappointment.

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Public Service Announcements: Election 2023 performs at:

Circa Theatre | 29 July - 26 August 2023

6:30pm Tue - Thu | 8pm Fri - Sat | 4pm Sun

$30 Preview + Sunday Special tickets available 28 + 30 July

Tickets $55 Full | $45 Concession | $30 Under 30 | $38 Friend of Circa

Bookings from

circa.co.nz

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