The sizzling queer cabaret Night of the Queer takes everything you thought you knew about the birds and the bees and turns it on its head in a spectacular celebration of sexual diversity for Auckland Pride.

From 7-15 February TAPAC in Western Springs will be transformed into a garden of earthly delights.  Trans goddess Mother Nature introduces a sexually confused Bee and his bestie Bird to fabulous flowers, each a different colour of the rainbow, who express their different sexualities in gender-bending dance, song, burlesque, aerials and drag.

Characters include a dancing, bisexual venus fly trap and a fetishist poison ivy drag artist. Night of the Queer’s cast features established and emerging artists from Auckland’s LGBTIQA+ community, including international entertainers James Luck and Rebekkah Schoonbeek, gender bender drag clown Monty Montgomery, vocal powerhouse Bryony Skillington, aerial artist extraordinaire Ellyce Bisson, stunning trans performer Aeyla Duncan, iconic dancing queen Electra Shock, former West End performer Colette Wilson and talented dancers Josh Morris, Amanda Macfarlane and Ollie Mathiesen.

 TAPAC has co-produced five seasons of Night of the Queer for Auckland Pride, three with dynamic dance theatre company Luck & Schooney who are renowned for creating sexy and heartfelt shows that explore serious issues playfully.

Co-Artistic Directors James Luck and Rebekkah Schoonbeek say the show welcomes audiences from every spectrum of the rainbow and encourages people to embrace each other’s differences; “We want to strip away labels and stigmas and show that there are many different ways to experience love and pleasure. You should be free to choose who and how to love safely and without judgement.”

Queer rangatahi will be mentored behind the scenes as part of a partnership with Rainbow Youth. The show is also collaborating with Ending HIV and the Auckland Sexual Health Board to encourage audiences to practice safe sex.  

This event was made possible through the Pride & Spark Empowerment Initiative and is sponsored by The Coffee Club and Rainbow New Zealand Charitable Trust.

DATES: 7 February, 7.00pm, 8 February, 7.00pm, 12 February, 7.00pm, 13 February, 7.00pm & 9.00pm, 14 February, 7.00pm & 9.00pm, 15 February, 7.00pm & 9.00pm.

@ The Auckland Performing Arts Centre (TAPAC), 100 Motions Road, Western Springs

Book at www.tapac.org.nz

GA: $27, Table seat: $35, VIP Table (four people, bottle of bubbles and platter): $200. Groups 10+ theatre seating $25pp.

 #nightofthequeer

Cast Biographies - https://www.luckandschooney.com/night-of-the-queer

Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/2487693218152494/

Night of the Queer 2019 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSqia_et9Zs

About Luck & Schooney

Dance theatre company Luck & Schooney is committed to providing a platform where established and emerging LGBTIQA+ performers can build their skills and develop new audiences. Co-artistic directors James Luck and Rebekkah Schoonbeek are in-demand choreographers, dancers, performers, and teachers. Luck has performed internationally for artists such as Sia, Annie Lennox, Tom Jones and Elton John and Schoonbeek is an experienced stage and screen performer and teacher who creates dance curricula.

About TAPAC

TAPAC is a vibrant community performing arts hub which is recognised as one of Auckland’s most popular performance, rehearsal and performing arts education venues. More than 180,000 people visit TAPAC annually to learn, rehearse, perform and watch shows. A registered charity, TAPAC celebrates diversity and provides a supportive environment where emerging and established artists can connect through the performing arts.