My Brilliant Divorce Production Diary - My Brilliant Divorce Begins

With the first few days of rehearsal over, Ginette McDonald and Geraldine Brophy are getting into the swing of things. We now have a vague blocking of almost the entire show and Ginette is quickly memorising her lines, allowing her to truly dive into the rehearsals. A big task for a one woman show.

On Monday morning Ginette started the rehearsal process on a positive foot with a blessing from Father John and chased through 17 pages in the script the following day!

Things have been moving steadily and comfortably. The of rehearsing in the venue has allowed the crew and Ginette to get a feel of the play within it's surroundings.

Downstage picks best Fringe shows

BOOM! After the biggest Fringe Festival in its 19-year history three highly successful shows return for a very limited season from 6 - 10 May to Downstage: Best Of The Fringe 2008 Winner March of the Meeklings: An Apocalyptic Romp by Three Spoon Theatre and the two sell-out shows Sensible Susan and the Queen's Merkin by Theatre Militia and 2b or nt 2b? by 1st Gear Productions, written by Sarah Delahunty.

Hurry up and get your tickets now, all shows sold out at the Fringe! Tickets for the shows can be purchased for $20 each at Downstage’s box office, online at www.downstage.co.nz or by phone at 04 801 6946. A pass for all three shows costs only $50, and the performances can be watched on different dates.

March of The Meeklings: An Apocalyptic Romp, Winner of the BEST OF THE FRINGE AWARD 2008, offers a fresh and irreverent take on that most ambitious of topics: the end of the universe and life as we know it. With outlandish bravado, six actors will step up to play a global assortment of unsuspecting meeklings, who are unwittingly handed the fate of humanity. The unique nature of this devised show comes from character–based comedy, live musical commentary and the sheer audacity of taking on the apocalypse. The show will be playing from 6.30-7.30 pm in the main auditorium.

With Sensible Susan and the Queen's Merkin Theatre Militia are back with an entertaining sell-out Fringe morality play that revolves around a wardrobe, a mission and a Queen's pubic wig. Following A Bright Room Called Day comes a hilarious, satirical tale of the perils of materialism and mediocrity. Sensible Susan (who chose nylons over Narnia) is put through the proverbial wringer as she discovers the secrets of the Queen's Merkin. Puppetry, mask, song and rhyming couplets - a world of fantasy spills, literally, out of the closet. The show will be playing from 8.00 – 9.00 pm in the main auditorium.

2b or nt 2b? is an affirming and witty sell-out Fringe play about teenagers as they contemplate jumping off the Bridge to Nowhere in Lower Hutt. The show takes characters from the classics – Hamlet, Helena, Irina, Marsha, Antigone and Hedda – and makes them teenagers in the twenty-first century. Sarah Delahunty’s script combines contemporary language with poetic and lyrical language from the original plays: Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Midsummer Night’s Dream, Chekhov’s Three Sisters and The Seagull, Sophocles’ Antigone and Ibsen’s Hedda Gabler. The show will be playing from 9.30 – 10.30 pm in the theatre bar.

Welcome to Downstage's Updated Forum!

Like to leave your opinion about Downstage Theatre? Or a particular show? Have a look at our discussion forum at http://downstage.freeforums.org/ We would like to encourage you to leave us your opinion. Register today to take part in the discussion! We are happy about all useful comments that help us to improve our theatre and present you shows and a place you enjoy.

Marilyn: Forever Blonde extends due to popular demand

We've got some great news for you! Due to the popularity of the play the Wellington season of Marilyn: Forever Blonde has been extended at Downstage. Describing Sunny Thompson’s performance as “moving”, “dynamic” and “a complete performance” The Dominion Post’s reviewer Laurie Atkinson joined the international acclaim for both Sunny and the play.

The final performances will now be:

• Tuesday 15 April at 6.30pm
• Wednesday 16 April at 6.30pm
• Thursday 17 April at 7.30pm
• Friday 18 April at 7.30pm
• Saturday 19 April at 7.30pm

There can be no further extension due to other engagements back in the United States. So get your tickets now!