Life’s A Drag

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Elliette Productions presents:

Life’s A Drag

Paramount Theatre, Courtenay Place
10:30 pm, 28 February – 3 March 2007
$8 Fringe Addicts, $10 unwaged, $12 waged
Phone bookings on (04) 3844080

Created by and starring Brendan Goudswaard, Life’s A Drag explores the relationship between Brendan and his alter ego Ellie Kat—a character he first created almost four years ago. Based on his actual life and experiences, Life’s A Drag is presented comically with serious undertones and in a mixture of video and live performance.

Life's A Drag was started as a project by Brendan for his performance installation class at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, where he studied costume design for three years. The first performance in September at St Johns in the City in Nelson received a standing ovation from the audience of tutors, peers, friends and the general public. It was two tutors that suggested it be submitted to the 2007 Wellington Fringe Festival.

A further staging in Nelson was planned to help raise funds to bring Life’s A Drag to Fringe. Demand for tickets were so strong that a matinee performance was added and people even had to sit in the aisles to meet demand.

The film element has both Brendan and Ellie talking about each other and their experiences, broken with moments of songs and dance which are either performed by Brendan on film, Ellie on stage, or both as a duet.

"I just wanted to show a side of myself and a side of drag which is very rarely seen and keep it entertaining with the truth still there," says Brendan.

Brendan was born and bred in Wellington, attending Wellington High School (98-02) where he studied Drama, Clothing, Art, Photography and Performing Arts. The 2001 talent quest was where the first incarnation of Ellie Kat appeared. Since then, Ellie has gone on to perform in nightclubs and festivals in Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson and Palmerston North and headlined iMerst’s latest New Year’s Eve Neon Party.

"Life's A Drag is a mix of film and live performance which examines the relationship between Brendan Goudswaard and his alter ego Ellie Kat. Based on his actual life and experiences, it’s presented comically with serious undertones."

ENDS

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