The Fringe Festival was held at the Historic Village, Tauranga on a stunning Labour weekend Saturday.

The players arrived hyped and ready after pre-loading with games, muffins and coffee at Melissa’s. Inside the gate, the first order of business was to check out the theatre. Luckily no shows were on, and the players were able to take the time to set out the chairs in trepidation that anyone was going to show up.

Then it was separated into two gangs of marauding players to ambush the crowd with flyers or impromptu announcements.

Kathy started by standing on a veranda and asking for the crowd’s attention. She then announced that a live vasectomy demonstration would be held at 12.45 in the theatre and were there any volunteers. Fee volunteered her husband (imaginary) who, she said, had wandered off to get a coffee. Neil said he would volunteer and the guy he was standing next to would also. Obviously, the young man was assuming that the whole thing was a hoax!

The next ‘bomb’ was Melissa announcing that Jacinta Ardern was to give a demonstration on how to give birth to a Prime-Ministerial baby live on stage. This was followed by Neil who was offering Fringe cuts, this quickly developed into bikini waxing and other risque beautfy treatments.

The purpose of the announcement stunts was to intrigue the crowd and drum up an audience for the actual show.

It worked.

The players were thrilled that there was a line waiting at the door of the theatre by 12.30 and when they opened the expectant gathering piled in.

The audience was not disappointed.

The World’s Worst game had all the players stepping up with wit and off the wall wisdom.

In the Props game the players were very inventive with what they were given, including using salad spoons as Prince Charles’s ears to the delight of the crowd.

In the Late for Work game Kim had to try and figure out what the players were miming behind the boss’s back as to why she was late. The excuse that she was in a flash mob baffled her a bit, but the audience clapped and cheered when she finally got all three excuses.

The games rolled on, the laughter kept coming and the comedic impoving flowed. Some audience members had to leave but told the players at the door they didn’t want to go they were enjoying it that much. However, new ones arrived and although there were a few that came and went it was extremely encouraging to know that 95% of the audience saw the entire show. This was a feat in itself as outside the festival continued with live music, street buskers, art and an array of other things to do.

Full audience participation rounded off the show with the Emotional Symphony game. It started slow but built to a climatic conclusion that was a brilliant ending to the hugely successful performances by all players.

Not all the players could be at the debrief, but they found a table that was occupied by a sole person and politely commandeered it. Little did she know that she was now to be the Honest Liars first ‘groupie’.

Those who were there enjoyed the beautiful sun, great music, and the on-tap beer they had discovered at a very successful Fringe Festival. No doubt they’ll be there next year!

Thanks to the players who absolutely shone on-stage:

Melissa Kelly O Kathy Kristina Jon

Kim Kevin Kelly D Brett Fee

And the players who came to support

Melanie
Alex
Neil