The Liberal Agenda - Basement Theatre Auckland

Kia ora Basement whānau,Ka tākarokaro tātou ki ngā rawe whakaaturanga matoara i tēnei wiki!

In the Theatre, catch, E Ngaro Ana Koe?, a transformative multimedia dance work where seven powerful artists weave pūrākau, poetry, film, and movement to confront their taniwha and invite you to reflect, witness, and feel.

In the Studio, catch May Mga Uod Ang Utak Mo, Sean Rivera’s unflinching solo debut, a surreal, internet-soaked wake where grief, ritual, and the algorithm collide in a looping autopsy of self and father. Read more about May Mga Uod Ang Utak Mo here, in which Sean reflects on stepping into the spotlight as lead artist in his solo work. Also, catch regular comedy events Live Reel: BigShark SmallBoat and Bull Rush.

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In the Bar, come celebrate the end of Basement’s Winter/Matariki Season with our free TIL LATE afterparty from 9pm ‘til late!

Mā te wā,
Basement Theatre x

E Ngaro Ana Koe?
26-30 August, 8pm. Theatre.E ngaro ana koe? (Are you lost?) is a full-length multimedia dance work that questions: How do we break bread with our taniwha?
This work embodies the shedding of skins, the practice of growing new niho, and the act of morphing—again and again and again. It is an archival space. It is a place to wade, yield, sigh… exist. But more than that, it is a karanga to face the raruraru that often sits deep within the puku of those who feel disconnected from their whakapapa.
Will we allow our taniwha to consume and engulf us—or will we cradle her with care?Weaving pūrākau and personal journeys, E ngaro ana koe? highlights eight powerful movement artists as they find communion in confronting their individual and shared taniwha. Guiding us along their sacred awa of shared concerns, joys and dreams—inviting us to reflect, witness, and feel.

Each night is a unique experience of movement, poetry, archival film, sculpture, and connection to the virtual ether.

We invite you to consider:
What brought you here?
The whenua you reside on?
And where you might be headed next.

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May Mga Uod Ang Utak Mo (There Are Worms In Your Brain)
27-30 August, 6.30pm. Studio.Welcome to the wake that never ends[stream interrupted]
[restarting session: Funeral_001]
ERROR: Memory file corrupted.
The father dies
The funeral starts
Sean speaks
The father dies
The funeral starts
Sean speaks
The funeral runs its course
Time folds in on itself
The coffin twitches
A pepe the frog weeps
A troll bleeds
Voices distort
Music rots
The algorithm is watching

May Mga Uod Ang Utak Mo is an autopsy of the self. Looping through ritual and ceremony- Sean Rivera wrestles with the death of his father in an arena of internet echoes. 4chan, reddit, the manosphere- a universe hopping, red-pill popping extravaganza that throws time in the bin and warps the fabric of reality itself.

Pay respect to Sean Rivera’s solo debut, a twisting labyrinth of grief in the digital age made with support from Creative New Zealand.

[opening file grief.exe]
[WARNING: THIS FILE CANNOT CLOSE

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Live Reel: BigShark SmallBoat
27 August, 8.30pm. Studio.Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…This August, Live Reel brings Shark Week energy to Basement. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of JAWS, they’ll honour it the only way they know how – by performing it from memory.

Will they need a bigger boat? Maybe, if they remember that bit!

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Bull Rush
29 August, 10pm. Studio.No Friday night will ever be the same again.With a roster of Tāmaki Makaurau’s best and brightest performers, expect spit-take- worthy gags, epic stories, heartbreaking tales, and live improvised music at Bull Rush.

So gather your mates for a night of never before seen, totally made up, improvised comedy every Rāmere Friday.

Mess with the bull, feel the rush.

Since 2020, Bull Rush have been making it up as they go. With several seasons (Jingle Bull(Rush), Ghoul Rush, 1822) under their belt, these self-professed improv nerds know how to put on a bloody good show.

Winners of Best Improv Group at the 2024 NZ Comedy Guild Awards, among other accolades (not to brag.

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‘TIL LATE
30 August, 9pm. Bar.Celebrate with us the end of the Winter/Matariki Season at Basement, shed your winter skin and party the frost away with us to herald in the new spring. Full performer & DJ lineup to be announced soon!There will be sign language interpreters for our D/deaf community at this event from Platform Interpreting NZ.

This free event is proudly supported by Auckland Council and the City Centre Targeted Rate.

Illustration: Ella Rerekura (@ellarere_)

Graphic Design: Camila Araos-Elevancini (@camila_singledad)

FREE EVENT

Let It Die
2-6 September, 6.30pm. Studio.The world is collapsing in on itself. What’s the point again?From a mercurial, chaotic world appears the perfect storytellers: a small, lumpy cast of puppets.

They’re cute, petty and sassy – and have no idea how or why they got here.

Trippy visuals. Techno beats. Weird laughs. Mixing Buddhist philosophy, surreal visuals and a teeny splice of hope, Let it Die is validation for anyone alive right now.

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ROADKILL: The Uber Cool Musical
3-6 & 24-27 September, 6pm. The Slab.ROADKILL: The Uber-Cool Musical takes you on a wildly immersive journey through love, life and rock ’n’ roll — all from the back seat of a van. This intimate one-man musical combines humour, heart and unforgettable tunes for an experience like no other.
Strap in for the rollercoaster ride of your life as we take a regular mundane occurrence of driving in an Uber and blow wide open the private life, memories and miss happenings of our hero, and driver, Terry.Carpool karaoke, meets intense love story, meets wild murder mystery.
Much more than a musical, its an experience, its a journey and an attraction!

Winner of BEST IN FRINGE and EMERGING ARTIST OF THE YEAR at the Dunedin Fringe and Winner of MOST INNOVATIVE at the NZ Fringe awards this year!

With only 9 seats available each ride, grab your mates and have a private experience in the fast lane!
The hottest ticket in town- be sure to experience the ride of your life!

The van will be stationary and parked outside The Basement Theatre for this season.

ROADKILL shows for two seperate weeks on The Slab at Basement –
Week One: 3-7 September
Week Two: 24-28 September

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Moana: Voices of Our Ocean.
6 September, 8pm. Theatre.Afio mai! Haere mai! Please join the Tagata Atamai creative community in celebrating the launch of Moana: Voices of Our Ocean, a collection of poems from Indigenous storytellers.Moana: Voices of Our Ocean is a collection of poems that was written for and by the descendants of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa. This book is an ode to the ocean that connects us and our shared migrations. It is a living artefact of our collective memory; an undercurrent that pulls us towards ancestral ways of knowing, dreaming, and navigating.

What to expect:
– Poetry performances
– Speeches
– Pre/post-show drinks + nibbles

FREE to attend.
Register here.

Scorned.
9-13 September, 6.30pm. Studio.unleashed, impassioned, hellbent.When his heart is shattered, a young romantic unravels, not quietly, but in fury and velvet. Haunted by the legendary women who taught him how to suffer beautifully, he wages a seductive, spiralling war against grief itself, transforming heartbreak into a spectacle of power, vengeance, and desire.

Hell hath no fury.

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Scorned.
9-13 September, 8pm. Theatre.A show of exploratory music and poetry about death, capitalism and ornithology. First Buzzard at the Body is a setlist of poetic texts subjected to transformative compositional processes, gutting them of meaning or stumbling through the banal into the sublime. The raw material of the poems is musicalised through cassette loops and digital looper, song, screen, instrumental use of microphones, and Elliot Vaughan’s dynamic, embodied delivery.Stylistically, the show draws on 70’s sound poetry like Canada’s Four Horsemen, 60’s minimalist composition such as Steve Reich’s phase pieces, the immediacy of punk and stand-up comedy, and the sprawling romance of the natural soundscape.

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Mark Bulos Live: Fake Nostalgia
10 September, 8pm. Theatre.Auckland jazz graduate, guitarist/singer-songwriter, and producer Mark Bulos performs a special farewell show at Basement Theatre — his final performance in Auckland before relocating to Brisbane, Australia.Blending dreamy textures, jazz harmonies, and pop-funk grooves with a nostalgic flair, Mark brings his self-produced debut album FAKE NOSTALGIA to life — a “musical déjà vu” evoking yearning for moments never lived, shaped by faded neon dreams and imagined memories.

Joined by a stellar band of accomplished musicians and fellow jazz graduates, this one-night-only performance will feature lush arrangements with infectious energy.

Drawing inspiration from artists like Tatsuro Yamashita, Toshiki Kadomatsu, Yellow Magic Orchestra, Cocteau Twins, Prince, and Casiopea, the evening will feature original songs and select Japanese city pop inspired covers — delivered with tight grooves, rich harmonies, and dynamic improvisation.

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Asian Comedy Takeover
12 September, 8.30pm. Studio.The Asian Comedy Takeover is back! A line-up comedy night with some of your favourite Pan-Asian comedians in Tāmaki taking the stage at Basement Theatre.- Hosted by Jess Karamjeet, with more acts to be announced!

PACSA (Laughs) aka the Pan-Asian Comedy School Aotearoa, trains Pan-Asian creatives in the art of stand-up comedy. For more information, visit @pacsa_laughs on IG or jess-karamjeet.com

Book Now

Support Basement Theatre, supporting artists, supporting a vibrant Tāmaki Makaurau.Basement Theatre is where the ideas, artists and arts leaders of tomorrow are being formed. We are hell-bent on supporting artists to develop their craft and build sustainable careers. We need your help to make this happen and there are a number of easy ways you can support us.

You can choose to make a one-off donation or set up a recurring donation to support our mission for a sustainable sector.