Ebola Comedy Promises Contagious Laughter

Big Lies Theatre Company Presents…

PUPIL ZERO

Written by Paul Rothwell

Directed by Thom Adams and Simon Leary

Ebola Comedy Promises Contagious Laughter

Pupil Zero asks the question; what would happen if a rural New Zealand town was the epicentre of the next big super-virus? More particularly, what would happen if the hub of the chaos was a primary school? Penned by award-winning playwright Paul Rothwell, Pupil Zero will be debuting at this year's New Zealand Fringe Festival at the Gryphon Theatre.

In Pupil Zero the teachers not only need to keep their pupils in line, but are also presented with the difficult task of weeding out the infected from their classes. The catch is that the entire school including teachers, students, and custodial staff are all played by just two actors, Alex Wilson and Caitlin McNaughton.

Wilson and McNaughton previously worked with Rothwell on Sunday Roast, a play directed by Thomas Sainsbury. Sunday Roast also used the convention of two actors playing an entire cast. The trio fell in love with the convention, and resolved to recreate the magic. McNaughton comments, “It’s a fun challenge, it forces the actor to be playful when you have nothing but your fellow actor to support this entire world”.

The aim for Pupil Zero was to take this physical challenge and apply it to a situation that was larger in scope and more volatile in nature. “We were interested to see what would happen if you put a high-tension situation,” Wilson says. “Like the hysteria caused around the current Ebola case, in an already stressful environment - like the modern primary school system.”

The show unpacks the nature of hysteria over disease, turning civilised societies into frenzied mobs in an instant. Rothwell embraced the challenge of writing the varied characters of Pupil Zero. He says, “It’s such fun writing about this run down four room rural primary school. It’s like a battleground. As teachers fight amongst themselves and the children descend into an inevitable Lord of the Flies scenario, who will rise above the Ebola-like hysteria and restore sanity to heartland New Zealand?”

Pupil Zero will be the debut production of Big Lies Theatre Company, which puts an emphasis on work that is both theatrical and challenging. Formed by Abby Howells and Alex Wilson, ‘Big Lies’ likes to focus on the unique relationship between the audience and the performer - where both parties use their imagination in order to create and be engrossed in the world of the play. ‘Big Lies’ believes that theatre should be about using this power for exciting theatre - where the simplest action should have the largest effect.

Thanks to funding from Creative New Zealand and the Dunedin Fringe Festival Trust the show will tour down to the Dunedin Fringe Festival, playing at the Playhouse Theatre from 12th – 14th March.

Review of previous work:

“Actors playing multiple roles are... exploited to full comedic effect here, as McNaughton and Wilson jump seamlessly between their characters” - THEATREVIEW

WELLINGTON
Dates: 4th-7th March, 9.30pm

Venue: Gryphon Theatre, 22 Ghuznee St, Te Aro, Wellington
Tickets: $16 Full Price /$13 Concession
Bookings: http://www.eventfinder.co.nz/2015/pupil-zero/wellington

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