The Last Crime Fringe 2025

After knocking back a whiskey at the bar, knocking out the chief of police and locking up an avian adversary, a grizzled and melancholic detective finally wipes crime clean from the city. Now he must face his trickiest case yet, what does he do now that he has no crime to solve? Follow Detective Frank Holloway as he navigates a world without peril as you witness what a hero does once his story finishes. Moving on perhaps comes easier to some than others. 

Kia Ora Koutou to all!

We are Bigger Fish Theatre, the newest and smoothest theatre company out! We aim to make theatre that makes people laugh like they haven't in years, whilst also pose some poignant topics to audiences alike or not! Our collective consists of some of Poneke's coolest cats in the city, with a freshly graduated batch of theatre majors hailing from Te Herenga Waka. We've got a passion for storytelling and telling stories we will do with our debut production The Last Crime.

This is a passion project of style, comedy and maybe even a smidgen of meaning. With the creative minds of Jamie Honey and Ethan Cranefield, it was born out of a scene concept in 2023 which, while performed, was brimming with unrealised potential. The original script that inspired The Last Crime was a small parody scene fished from some corner of the internet simply titled ‘Film Noir’. It was performed as part of a Theatre Directing course at Victoria University that due to a combination of factors, didn’t live up to the imagery and humour envisioned...as of now.

The Last Crime promises to be an engaging and entertaining performance of familiar Film Noir tropes such as the femme fatale, staggering amounts of booze and ominous chalk outlines. While the original Film Noir script was entirely a comedy, this production introduces an existential weight behind the comical punches of the story. Themes of change, resisting it and the destructive outcome of doing so are prominent features of our play and are just as important as the gags. 

Solving a case is no simple task, and the same goes for showcasing our beautiful craft of theatre - so we'll need all the help we can get!

Why Do We Need Your Help?

The money raised from this Boosted Campaign will go towards paying our amazing team for all the hard mahi they're putting in this project. Along with paying our team, every contribution made will also cover the costs of:

• Marketing expenses
• Rehearsals spaces
• Design materials that will help this production come to life.

None of this would be possible without our dazzling cast and crew, all of which are a group of emerging practitioners looking to tell their stories in the theatre world!

If you are able to please donate! And if not, we encourage you to spread the word! Share our boosted with your friends and family, every support counts! We hope to have you as a witness of The Last Crime at Te Auaha from 14th - 16th February as part of FRINGE FESTIVAL 2025!

Aroha Nui.

CREATIVE TEAM

Director / Co-writer: Jamie Honey

Production Manager / Sound Designer / Co-writer: Ethan Cranefield

Stage Manager: Olivia Bissett

Set Designer: Henry Brosnahan

Lighting Design: Joshua Lees

Props: Lucy Sansome

Hair & Makeup Design: Pan Clark

Costume Design: Neve Harrison

Music Composer: Daniel Honey

Graphics Design: Quinn Cranefield

Publicity Manager: Stella Vaivai

Intimacy Coordinator: Teddy O'Neil

CAST:

Frank Holloway: Nathaniel Smith

Benny: AJ Wheatley

Jack: Sophie Kells

Caroline: Lizzie Bysouth

Cliff: Nathan Arnott

Audrey Sinclair: Zoe Harris