Vibracorp Presents: The Motherf***er with the Hat

Vibracorp Presents: The Motherf***er with the Hat

Vibracorp Productions is delighted to present The Motherf***er with the Hat at The Basement from 3 June.

A high-octane performance examining complex themes of morality and happiness, The Motherf***er with the Hat follows recovering addict and drug dealer Jackie as he leads us on a poetically profane quest for self-transformation and misplaced haberdashery in the raw and gritty setting of New York City.

Jackie has recently been released from prison and returns home from work one day to discover a hat in the apartment he shares with his girlfriend – recreational drug user Veronica. Realising it’s not his, Jackie accuses her of cheating, and seeks counsel from his AA sponsor Ralph. What happens next will challenge conventional ideas of integrity, addiction, love and friendship.

First performed at Broadway’s Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre in New York in 2011 with Chris Rock and Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf***er with the Hat was nominated for six Tony awards, and has gained international recognition for its cutting edge subject matter and no-holds-barred treatment of drug dependence and honesty.

Described by the Wall Street Journal as “a tough-minded, unromantically romantic comedy that keeps you laughing then sends you home thinking,”* this avant-garde black comedy has an intellectual backbone. Its first New Zealand performance, directed by up-and-comer Edwin Wright, is unmissable.

Edwin Wright says: “This play demands a lot from its actors, and resonates most deeply when our cultural differences are used to reveal what is innate in all of us, regardless of heritage; our fragility, our need and our potential for redemption. Attempting to capture the ethnic diversity of inner-city New York has been the biggest challenge of the casting process.”

Acclaimed actors Fasitua Amosa and Calum Gittins lead a cast of talent including rising star Saraid Cameron, who is captivating as the fiery Latina Veronica.

The cast members are learning about addiction through following guidelines from the well-known 12 Step Fellowship recovery programme and talking to others that have followed the programme.

The Basement will be entirely transformed into a New York street scene for the performance, including an installation by a street artist. Two Hands Tattoo’s Stefan Sinclair will be designing the character’s tattoos and Hannah Lee Turner, stylist to Ruby Frost, will oversee a captivating wardrobe including pieces from Lonely Hearts.

Actor Fasitua Amosa has charmed New Zealand audiences with performances in Auckland Daze, Niu Sila, Agent Anna, Go Girls, Shortland St and the Insider’s Guide to Happiness. He is joined on stage by Calum Gittins, who has featured in Shortland St, The King’s Speech, Lord of the Rings, and the recent successful Basement Theatre performance Eigengrau.

John Tui returns to theatre after 12 years in film and television including Battleship with Rihanna and Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood), and Sione’s Wedding. His performance as Jackie’s camp cousin Julio is a role unlike anything he has performed before.

Saraid Cameron is a recent drama school graduate who was discovered in The Basement’s Young and Hungry Festival in 2013.

Rounding out the cast is Andi Crown, an established theatre actress whose recent performances include Auckland Theatre Company’s production of August Osage County and Abigail’s Party.

Contrasting the complex and authentic script, The Motherf***er with the Hat is rife with profanity, using the word f*** 275 times throughout the performance. The play’s author claimed that the title is his disclaimer to warn sensitive sorts of its profane content.**

The Motherf***er with the Hat
Tuesday 3 June – Saturday 14 June, 2014
The Basement, Auckland
Tickets are $25 on sale via iticket.co.nz
Earlybird $20 before 25 May

Recommended for audiences 16 years and older. Contains offensive language, drug use and sexual references.

Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis (USA)
Director: Edwin Wright
Producer: Elise Sterback, Vibracorp Productions
Actors: Calum Gittins, Fasitua Amosa, Saraid Cameron, John Tui and Andi Crown
Production designer: Laura Smith
Costume design / styling: Hannah Lee Turner

ENDS

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