Shy Bat Centre Stage At Zealandia

Meet our unique and endangered short tailed bat in “Flutter”, a heartwarming puppet show for the whole family performed at Zealandia during the NZ Fringe Festival 2025. Audiences will be treated to a heartwarming tale about a friendship between a bat who is afraid of the dark and a glow worm who thinks she is a star. The show is full of laughter, silliness and magical moments but with a serious message at its core. This is a story both about overcoming your fears and about the very real threats that our native species face from introduced predators.

This show began from workshops held at Zealandia with primary school students in 2023. The creation of the show was supported by the Philipp Family Foundation and was performed for the first time at the TAHI Festival in 2023. Since then the original work has undergone a number of developments and Anna from String Bean Puppets is excited to be bringing the latest version back to Zealandia where it all began.

It is only since May 2024 that short tailed bats have been heard again in the Wellington region. It is a great time to learn more about this special species and what can be done to protect them and help them flourish.

The show also features the relationship between the short tailed bat and Te Pua o te Rēinga (Dactylanthus) an unusual flower endemic to New Zealand and pollinated by this bat. Populations of this rare species have been translocated to Ōtari and Zealandia.

The marionettes are created by Anna Bailey who has been a puppeteer for 14 years and specialises in shows with conservation themes for familyaudiences. The puppets are made from wood and fabric and incorporate light elements. Anna has lived in a puppet theatre in Pinerolo Italy, studied marionette design and manipulation with English puppeteer Stephen Mottram, and is currently following an online course in wooden puppetry design by Bernd Orodnik, a puppeteer based in Iceland.

“Flutter” is performed by Anna Bailey, directed by Jen McArthur, original music composed and recorded by Stephanie Cairns and set design by Struan Ashby.

It will be performed in the Pāteke room at Zealandia, Te Māra a Tāne at 11.30 on Sunday 23rd February and Saturday 8th March.

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