Island Bay Migrant Comedy Brings The Drama Of The Suburbs To Central Wellington

The Victoria University of Wellington Italian Society’s production of Mambo Italiano is bringing the drama and chaos of Island Bay’s Italian community to The Propeller Stage at BATS Theatre this June 22-25 for an exclusive four show season. Adapted from the hit Canadian comedy to Wellington’s Island Bay – home to New Zealand’s largest Italian diaspora – Mambo follows the familial fallout after Angelo (Nino Raphael) commits two cardinal Italian sins: moving out of home before marriage, and (unbeknownst to his parents) moving in with his boyfriend Nino (Dominck Coppinger.) What ensues is an hour and a half of uncontrollable chaos as Nino & Angelo’s parents find out about their relationship, try to ‘fix’ their sons’ sexualities, and ultimately have to question whether tradition is more important than family.

Running to critical acclaim from New York to São Paolo, Mambo Italiano brings with it a short but successful history as a joyful-yet-touching work. Not only will this season be the Australasian premiere of the work, it will also be the first time it is played with a uniquely Wellington spin to it. “It was a labour of love, that’s for sure” Italian Society President Jayden Èvett said, recalling “the playwright Steve Galluccio originally wrote the show for a Montreal audience, and it's taken a good four months to research and adapt the script to replicate that honest local comedy, for a Wellington audience.” Intrigued by the growing rift between first/second generation migrants and the third, more integrated generation, Èvett was inspired to reimagine Mambo in its new, homegrown context. Packed full of references to Cuba Street, Out in the Park, and the controversial Island Bay Cycleway, there is no doubt it is a truly modern, Wellington story. Director Anastasia Matteini-Roberts, making her directorial debut, promises there’s something for all Wellingtonians in Mambo. “Everyone finds a bit of themselves in the story: from reflections of their own family members, or stories of rejection and reconciliation, to the vibrant and colourful satirising of old-world culture. That is the beauty of it,” she claimed. Working with some of Victoria University’s rawest up-and-coming talent and such a rich, vibrant tale, Matteini-Roberts is certain that Mambo Italiano is “an unmissable experience.”

Mambo Italiano

Written by Steve Galluccio, directed by Anastasia Matteini-Roberts

Produced by the Victoria University of Wellington Italian Society

Wednesday June 22 – Saturday June 25, 2016 - All shows 6.30pm

BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Terrace

$16; $13 concession; $12 groups 6+ | Book tickets at bats.co.nz or call 04 801 4175

ENDS

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