The Liberal Agenda - Basement Theatre Auckland

Kia ora Basement whānau,Kua tae mai te wiki tuatahi o te kōanga ki Basement, tirohia he aha kei runga!

In the Studio, catch catch Chye-Ling Huang’s Let It Die, a show that mixes surreal visuals, techno beats, and puppets to create a validation for anyone alive right now. Don’t miss it.

On the Slab, catch ROADKILL: The Uber Cool Musical by Tom Knowles, an intimate one-man show that combines humor, heart, and unforgettable tunes on a wildly immersive journey through love, life, and rock ‘n’ roll from the back seat of a van.

In the Theatre, join the Tagata Atamai creative community for the free launch of ‘Moana: Voices of Our Ocean‘, a collection of poems by and for descendants of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, featuring poetry performances, speeches, and refreshments. Also, catch Bull Rush for your weekly dose of improv comedy.

Mā te wā,
Basement Theatre x

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.

Book Now

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

Book Now

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.

Bull Rush
5 September, 10pm. Theatre.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.

Book now

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.

Book Now

First Buzzard at the Body
11-13 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.

Book Now

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.

Book Now

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

Running Into The Sun
16 – 20 September, 8pm. Theatre.A high octane performance with two actors, a three piece jazz band and four contemporary dancers.It’s graduation night. Ash and Mary discover they are pregnant. A flash flood hits their hometown. The war crimes overseas accelerate and become more horrifying.

Running into the Sun arrives home in Aotearoa after a breakthrough debut at the 2024 Melbourne Fringe, winning Best Theatre and Best Emerging Company.

Book Now

Craig and Renee Do It! (Comedy)
18 – 20 September, 6.30pm. Theatre. Choose What You Pay.They say never date a comedian, but Craig and Renee were never great at taking advice. ‘Craig and Renee Do It! (Comedy)’ is a stand-up comedy show about a comedy couple who joke together, laugh together, and roast together. Craig and Renee share stories about their four-year relationship, from getting together during the pandemic, to gigging as a comedy couple. They will share stories, analyze the audience’s relationships, and offer advice to solve their problems. Are they qualified to give advice? Maybe. Will it be incredibly crack up? Absolutely.

Book Now

Don’t Quit Your Day Job
18 September, 8.30pm. Studio. Choose What You Pay.Which comedian can cut a job in the “real-world”?There’s plenty of people who will say ‘comedy isn’t a “real job”’ but this is the only show which tests comedians to see if their capable of doing anything else.

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.