Community- Auckland Season

Award winning solo comedy, 'Community,' is going on tour to Tāmaki Makaurau for the first time this September. And it needs your help to get up North to spread queer positivity and celebrate the power of communities working together!

ABOUT THE SHOW

'Community' is a solo comedy drama written by Emma Barrett and directed by Sameena Zehra. Based in small town Tirau, it follows three of Tirau’s neighbourhood committee members as they plan for their annual Jamboree. Jo, fierce community leader (and botherer), has a new lease of life since breaking off her marriage, but she still has a lot to juggle with two daughters, three(?) boyfriends and the jamboree. Stubborn dad, Steve, would like to help but is caught in a perpetual state of confusion as he tries to understand not only his newly out son, but jamboree politics. And tortured artist and mediocre poet, Johann, would much rather write poems about his fear of death. (And his devotion to late boyfriend and serial sleepwalker Nigel Newy).

Will these three clowns come together and save the jamboree? Will Steve ever understand what “Voguing” is? And will Johann actually write a good poem? Join the meeting and find out!

WHAT YOU WILL FUND

Thanks to the support from NZ Fringe, 'Community' only needs a small push to help get up North. Your support would cover:

COMMUNITY'S BACKGROUND

'Community' has been in development since 2020, where it started as a humble 20 minute stage show. Since then it has taken many forms: an hour fringe show; an interactive mystery; and each character has taken to the stand-up comedy scene to “test” their abilities. Now Community is a fully fledged comedy. This year it won the 'Tour Ready Award' at the NZ Fringe Festival and in September, it will grace the famous Auckland Old Folk’s Ass. (yes that is really their name) for the first time. For writer and performer, Emma, this is an exciting development of the work. She is excited to share her original work with a bigger crowd, and discuss the role of community in uplifting LGBTQIA= people. As a queer person, Emma is proud to share a work that discusses queerness in a safe and humourous environment.

ABOUT US

Writer/ performer:

Emma Barrett is an award winning performer and comedian who specialises in socio-political solo work. She has worked with nationally recognised theatre company Barbarian Productions on projects such as The Eggfruit, and has received ongoing support from them to develop her own solo work. Emma has been fine tuning 'Community' since 2020. She has taken the characters to the stand-up comedy scene, and trialed them through multiple renditions of the work. She is excited to share her punchy and fleshed out comedy with Tāmaki Makaurau audiences.

Director:

Sameena Zehra is an award winning comedian, storyteller, actor, writer, director and blues singer/songwriter. She has performed her solo shows all over the world, including Edinburgh Fringe, Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Brighton Fringe, Adelaide Fringe and New Zealand Fringe, where she was nominated for 'Best In Fringe' 2016, and won 'Outstanding Performer' in 2017. Before moving to New Zealand in 2019, Sameena lived and worked in the UK where she performed a season at the National Theatre, and toured internationally with the Royal Shakespeare Company. As an sn intersectional feminist and humanist with a unique take on the world she is proud to play a role in shaping 'Community.'

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Established in 2017, Warped Productions is a hub of all theatre warped, weird and wonderful. It seeks to push the boundaries of expectation and see the world through a light-hearted and queer lens.