An Interview with Sam Pretious, director of The Bacchae at Dunedin Fringe
The first question Critic asked Sam, as we sat down for an interview in the sun, was how
The Bacchae is pronounced. The answer, apparently, is ‘back-eye.’ The play is an ancient Athenian tragedy written by Euripedes, reimagined for a modern audience by a local team led by Sam.
Whilst in some senses this play has been in the works for 2500 years, Sam has been involved since last year. For THEA221, he wrote about transforming
The Bacchae into a modern piece. He then decided to write the play, and “eventually decided fuck it, ya know, might as well put it in for Fringe.” So he went ahead and submitted it to Dunedin Fringe Festival, a ten-day festival of experimental contemporary art, which runs between the 18
VICKI ANDERSON offers a few highlights of events in Ōtautahi Christchurch this weekend and beyond. Last Saturday, Lieutenant Guisung Lee, a top bloke and genuine hero who once saved someone’s life, took me on a guided tour of the HMNZS Canterbury. She (ships are she apparently) was in port at Lyttelton 10 years ago when the earthquake struck, and her crew provided immediate support in Lyttelton at the time. Up and down a dizzying array of stairs we went, traversing the Moorhouse Ave wing to Fitzgerald Ave, I met wonderful people, saw incredible views and learnt interesting things (they spend $9000 a month on sweets and have an ace basketball net). I somehow got a bruise on my knee in the shape of Australia on a fake fire made of cardboard used for drills. A passing man in uniform found it amusing (it was) and, lifting his eyebrows, asked if I was OK.
On the streets of the 1900s replica township you’ll find local food, craft drinks, theatre and markets. The boutique music festival includes two stages for performances by Bic Runga, Leisure, The Beths, There s A Tuesday, Wax Chattels, Ha the Unclear and more.
Grant Matthew/Stuff
Bic Runga performs as part of the Nostalgia Festival this weekend. (File photo) Hot tip: James Dann, aka Ed Muzik, takes over the tiny Arcadia Cinema at Ferrymead and uses the quaint space to show Christchurch and New Zealand made music videos. As he did last year, the 20 videos will feature artists who are playing at Nostalgia or who have played in the past.
Like
a phoenix from the ashes of 2020, Dunedin Fringe Festival
returns in March 2021 with a diverse and eclectic line-up of
more than 80 events across the city and online.
An
unmissable highlight in the festival calendar, this year s
hybrid festival - combining live and online events - will
deliver something for everyone, across visual arts, theatre,
comedy, cabaret, music and more.
The Fringe programme
has come to be known for it s A-class comedy line up and
this year is no different. The inimitable Emerson s Festival
Theatre will feature a stellar programme including NZ s
snapchat superstar Tom Sainsbury, Chris Parker performing
the world s first comedy felting show, a debut with shocking
3-28 February
Early Bird discounted tickets available for most
shows
6-25 April Dunedin Arts Festival
2021
Selection of images:
From
6-25 April, the
2021 Dunedin Arts Festival
will bring an incredible range of music, theatre, dance,
visual arts and community events to our city. The Festival
has always prided itself as “a celebration of the
excellent and the extraordinary” and with this year being
its eleventh iteration, the challenge is to crank it up to,
yes, eleven!
Highlights of the 2021 programme include
the premiere concert of the music of Dunedin’s own Pixie
Williams, with
The New Blue; Dunedin’s
own iconic band,