• 
• 

Auckland folk: prepare yourselves for an unprecedented party event in the making. Bringing together teams from all over to entertain audiences throughout Auckland from September 28th

…. oh you thought we were talking about the Rugby World Cup? No, we were talking about Basement Fest 2011.

Auckland folk: prepare yourselves for an unprecedented party event in the making. Bringing together teams from all over to entertain audiences throughout Auckland from September 28th

…. oh you thought we were talking about the Rugby World Cup? No, we were talking about Basement Fest 2011.

Featuring a starting line up including Albert Belz, Tom Sainsbury, Dj Mooqee (UK), Sophie Henderson, Tourettes, Todd Emerson, Mary-Jane O’Reilly, Jamie Bowen, Cori Gonzalez-Macuer, Cleo Barnett, Rhys Mathewson, Fasitua Amosa, Lily Richards, David Aston and many more!

Curated by festival co-directors Beth Allen and Charlie McDermott, and produced alongside Sam Snedden, Basement Fest. 2011 brings together a strong line up of theatre, comedy, dance, art, spoken word and music for three weeks in both the main stage of The Basement theatre and upstairs in The Basement studio. ““This is us giving people an alternative to all the rugby malarky” McDermott reveals. “It’s going to be everywhere in Auckland around this time – even theatre productions about rugby. What we want to do is give locals something totally different. That’s what these three weeks are all about.”

The festival brings together a number of popular works – including the Auckland premiere of Yours Truly, penned by respected Kiwi playwright Albert Belz. Playing over the duration of the festival, Yours Truly is a chilling and engaging dramatic horror based on well-known conspiracy theories involving Jack The Ripper and Queen Victoria. Award-winning Belz’s thriller is not for the faint hearted, providing a visceral journey through the streets of 19th Century London and into the mind of history’s most famous killer.

The utterly prolific Tom Sainsbury returns to The Basement with a new work, Crims, while Man Bits, a sold out Auckland Fringe favourite, plays once again and amalgamates the world of men’s knitting groups with that of the male anatomy, Love After Dark brings together three directors, three different plays but the same first two pages of dialogue.

Mary-Jane O’Reilly brings a fresh take on the art of burlesque; In Flagrante showcases six exquisite dancers caught in the act with a fetish for leather, irreverence for female stereotypes and a wild equestrian spirit. More naughty fun comes in the forms of Jamie Bowen, who brings his NZ International Comedy Festival show Munfred Bernstein’s Cabinet of Wonder back to The Basement along with the return of The Friday Night Guilt Club, with DJ’s and guests indulging in their guilty pleasures –music al or otherwise.

The fantastic comedy continues with 2010 Billy T Award winner (and the youngest at that) Rhys Mathewson performing alongside “the Ruufless pacific prince of comedy” Fasitua Amosa and former Jono’s New Show correspondent Cori Gonzalez-Macuer. The studio also hosts My Mother Says I’m Talented, spoken word curated by Auckland rapper Tourettes, and True Stories Out Loud, bringing together people in a small room to have a drink and listen to their own true stories – those people being distinguished members of industry.

The Basement is also proud to announce The Regrooved Block Party, transforming the building (and even possibly the car park) into one huge hip hop, breaks and funk party.

Proudly supported by The REAL NZ Festival and ASB Community Trust.