Social Animal - Finding Relevance In A Social Media World?

Wellington 1 September 2025 - Biting satire and theatre wizardry fuse in a comically inventive roller-coaster about the fear of irrelevance and the healing power of an animal to create innovative theatre in the play Social Animal.

Social Animal is part of the TAHI Festival of Solo Performance, which showcases Aotearoa’s most innovative performers. TAHI’s kaupapa is to provide a platform to bring together, celebrate and sustain Aotearoa's solo theatre performers, collaborators and their work.

Award-winning actor, writer, and solo performer, Stephen Papps, plays twelve characters with beguiling virtuosity in this gloriously funny solo tour de force about a man who loses face in a desperate attempt to regain his relevance. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks…or can you?

Created by Stephen Papps and Damon Andrews, Cate Prestige, from Theatreview describes Social Animal as “glorious” and “impressive for a performer to embody a big range of characters ... well-written and full of humorous insights and revelations!”

Stephen Papps brings over 35 years’ experience across stage, screen, and solo performances to Social Animal. He won Best Actor at the NZ Film Awards for his role in End of the Golden Weather, and has performed internationally with his critically acclaimed solo show Blowing It, including seasons at the Edinburgh Festival and Sydney Opera House. Stephen’s worked with leading NZ theatres, and is known for roles in Shortland Street, Xena, Spartacus, and Fresh Eggs. Social Animal is his fourth self-written solo work.

Co-writer and director Damon Andrews has over 30 years of experience in television, theatre, and film. He ran the story table for New Zealand’s most iconic soap, Shortland Street for 14 years, contributing to over 2,500 episodes and co-wrote Shortland Street web series Redemption. Along with Social Animal, he has also co-written Timberrr…!, Wheeler’s Luck, Split, If Pain Persists, and Elvis was a Coconut.

Notably, Wheeler’s Luck, co-written with Nigel Collins and Toby Leach, has toured internationally, and is frequently performed by schools, boasting over 100 school productions

Social Animal is performed by Stephen Papps.

Dates: Thursday 18 September - Saturday 20 September 2025
Time: 8:00pm
Where: Te Auaha (Tapere Iti), 65 Dixon St

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