Someone wakes up. It is a working man. They are a bug! Sounds familiar, doesn’t it…

Ruff As Gutz presents:

CRUSH THE BUG

🦇 BATS Theatre (The Dome), 1 Kent Terrace, Wellington 

📅 18 - 22 NOVEMBER, 8:30PM

A new comedic work created by award-winning theatre makers and clown husbands Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin (MILK saga, ratKing, Buck Scourge: Living Nightmare) and Daniel Nodder (Only Bones – Daniel Nodder, Entry: Encounter, World of WearableArt 2025). These recent alumni from Ecole Philippe Gaulier have concocted a show about metamorphosis, confusion, technology, and humans' great capacity for distractedness. Two clowns attempt to stay on track as their attention spans wane and their curious minds wander. A piece of multimedia madness unfolds -- will they remember which story they are trying to tell? Or what is actually meant to happen in said story? Probably not. Join these award-winning fools in CRUSH THE BUG, a comedic exploration of forgetfulness, metamorphosis, confusion, forgetfulness and--

After traveling to France together to study at École Philippe Gaulier, DAN and SEAN shared a bed and solidified themselves as (platonic?) clown husbands in the city of love. Since returning, they have promptly begun to terrorize their friends and whānau with nonstop jokes, bits and various acts of clownery. They invite you to experience every single thought they have ever had in their head in this 1h concoction of chaotic comedy.

PREVIOUS AWARDS WON BY THESE CLOWNS: 
WINNER: Spirit of the Fringe - Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin - (Auckland Fringe 2020) 
WINNER: Grand Design Award - ratKing (NZ Fringe 2023) 
WINNER: Outstanding Solo Performance - Only Bones - Daniel Nodder (NZ Fringe 2023) 
WINNER: Outside the Box Award - Only Bones - Daniel Nodder (San Diego Fringe 2024) 
WINNER: Runner Up Best in Fringe - Only Bones - Daniel Nodder (Dunedin Fringe 2025)

Performer & Co-Creator – Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin
Performer & Co-Creator – Daniel Nodder 
Production Designer & Technician – Anne Larcom 
Marketing & Publicity – Julia Bon-McDonald 
Sound Design & Composition – Ben Kelly 
Photography – Charlie Jewell