The Barden Party
| Formation | 2021 |
|---|---|
| Type | Theatre group |
| Purpose | Musical Shakespeare, site-specific performances |
| Location | Nelson, New Zealand |
Artistic director | Laura Irish |
| Website | thebardenparty |
The Barden Party, based in Nelson, New Zealand, is a theatre company best known for offering musical Shakespeare in outdoor settings. The company has been in operation since 2021, and has toured in New Zealand, Australia and America.
Formation
[edit]The company was formed during the second COVID-19 lockdown in mid-2021.[1] As theatre shows were being cancelled on public health grounds, actor Laura Irish had the idea to create outdoor performances which would be less likely to be cancelled.[1] Irish is originally from Chicago, Illinois but had at that point been based in Nelson for fourteen years.[1][2] She trained at the Stella Adler Studio of Acting in New York and the Sidney Poitier Film School in Los Angeles, and has a master's of arts management from Auckland University of Technology.[3] The concept for the company was "a musical troupe of actors presenting fun and lively Shakespearean comedy in people’s yards".[1]
Shakespeare performances
[edit]The Barden Party's first performance was A Midsummer Night's Dream, which featured pop songs and folk ballads. The original run of five shows in Nelson became more than fifty shows across New Zealand.[4] The show appeared in the Dunedin Fringe Festival in 2022, where it won the Excellence Award.[1][5] The company also toured A Midsummer Night's Dream through a further ten performances in eight states in the USA.[4][6][7]
In 2023, the company performed Cocktales, a play combining Shakespeare and Edgar Allen Poe.[4] Romeo and Juliet played in New Zealand and at the Adelaide Fringe Festival in Australia in 2024. It won the Best Theatre Week One Adelaide Fringe 2024 award.[8][9] The company has also performed a 'rockabilly cowboy' inspired Much Ado About Nothing, which toured New Zealand.[6][10] Their 2025 Macbeth included bluegrass music, and was awarded a Best of Theatre & Physical Theatre Week 2 Award at the Adelaide Fringe 2025.[11][12][13][14]
In August 2025 The Barden Party performed Macbeth at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, earning a five star review from Theatre Weekly.[15]
Other projects
[edit]In 2023 the company staged Butterfly Smokescreen in collaboration with Sydney-based Jetpack Theatre.[4][16] The show was an original immersive production co-written by Irish and Jetpack founder Jim Fishwick. The play is based on the story of the death of film producer Thomas Ince after a party on Randolph Hearst's yacht in 1924.[16] The performances took place on Auckland super yacht Sea Breeze III, owned by EGG company founder Charlotte Devereaux.[4]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 5 Phillips, Vanessa (1 June 2022). "Backyard Shakespeare troupe's next act is taking on the USA". Stuff. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ↑ Smith, Alyssa (16 December 2024). "Free Shakespeare performances in Stratford". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ↑ "Assistant Director". MSC Website. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 Brooks, Sam (17 June 2023). "The wild story behind the murder mystery on the Viaduct". The Spinoff. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ↑ "Dunedin Fringe Festival: Dunedin Fringe Awards 2022". www.scoop.co.nz. 30 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- 1 2 Gates, Charlie (10 October 2022). "The Barden Party brings back-garden Shakespeare to Christchurch". Stuff. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ↑ Wild, Stephi. "The Kiwis Turn US Gardens into Shakespeare Theatres". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ↑ Exciting News: Week 1 #ADLfringe Award Winners are here!. 22 February 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2025 – via www.facebook.com.
- ↑ "Laura Irish". www.impromelbourne.com.au. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ↑ Smith, Alyssa (16 December 2024). "Rockabilly Shakespeare a hit in Taranaki". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
- ↑ Gamble, Warren (26 November 2024). "Something wicked in the hills". Stuff. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ↑ Gamble, Warren (12 November 2024). "Macbeth in the hills". The Press. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
- ↑ "Adelaide Fringe 2025: Macbeth". Adelaide Fringe. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ "Best of Theatre & Physical Theatre". Adelaide Fringe. March 2025. Retrieved 23 March 2025.
- ↑ Bennett, Ruth (4 August 2025). "Edinburgh Fringe Review: Macbeth by The Barden Party at ZOO Southside (Studio)". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- 1 2 Jack, Amberleigh (3 June 2023). "Butterfly Smokescreen: An immersive theatre whodunnit experience aboard a 100ft superyacht that unexpectedly draws you in". Stuff. Retrieved 21 March 2025.
External links
[edit]- Interview on Radio New Zealand with Laura Irish about Butterfly Smokescreen, 21 May 2023