Theatre

Gravity & Grace

Everybody fails, sometimes spectacularly. Few write a fearless book about it.

$30.00 - $49.90 (service fees apply)
140 minutes, including 20 minute interval
21 - 24 March 2024

Brimming with daring intellect, humour, and slick visual and sound design; this savvy new play by the award-winning duo behind Body Double, Jane Doe and Yes Yes Yes is based on a work of thrilling autobiographical fiction by American writer Chris Kraus.

Before penning the cult feminist classic I Love Dick, Kraus shot an ill-fated film in Tāmaki Makaurau in the mid-90s, which she then chronicled in her book Aliens & Anorexia. Weaving in the writings of French philosopher Simone Weil alongside a free-wheeling retrospective of other ‘failed’ artists, her story traverses Berlin, Andy Warhol’s New York, Marseilles and Aotearoa, in a bid to understand what it means to not succeed.

Eleanor Bishop & Karin McCracken were awarded the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award 2022, the first time in the award’s 40-year history that it has been given to a creative duo. Gravity & Grace won the Dean Parker Adaptation Award at the Adam NZ Play Awards in 2022.

Click here to view the digital show programme. 


Post-show Artist Talk: Sunday 24 March 5:30PM
Directly after Sunday's performance, there will be a discussion with Eleanor Bishop (writer/director) and Karin McCracken (writer/performer).


This show is a part of Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival 2024. Click here to explore what else is on during the festival. 

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Presented by:
Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival

Creative Team:
WRITTEN BY Eleanor Bishop & Karin McCracken
ADAPTED FROM THE BOOK ALIENS & ANOREXIA BY Chris Kraus
DIRECTOR Eleanor Bishop
PERFORMANCE DESIGN Meg Rollandi
AV DESIGN Owen McCarthy
MUSIC & SOUND Emi 恵美 Pogoni
LIGHTING DESIGN Rob Larsen

Performers:
Nī Dekkers-Reihana
Simon Leary
Karin McCracken
Sam Snedden
Rongopai Tickell

Audience warnings:
Recommended for ages 13+. Contains mature themes, including sadomasochistic sex and eating disorders.
Please note: the performance on 23 March at 7.30 PM will be filmed. 

Supported by:
The development of Gravity & Grace was supported by Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival and Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts. By arrangement with Playmarket. Supported by Creative New Zealand.

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