The Fence

Set in rural Aotearoa where opportunities seem as empty as the well, The Fence weaves a timeless story of family and future. This uniquely Kiwi tale features both te reo Māori and English, with a blend of fierce physicality and delicate story-telling, The Fence provides audiences with an immersive reflective experience.

​The Fence held a sold-out season at Bats Theatre in September 2016.

Living in a 70k zone on the outskirts of a small rural New Zealand town, Suzi and her brother Tomo are sitting on the fence. Suzi watches the world speed by, with no regard for her. Tomo stands firmly nowhere.

On a day not quite like any other, but practically the same in every way, Tomo disappears. In this world where opportunities are few, the toughest thing is to make a decision. Shadowed by Rona, the woman in the moon, Tomo and Suzi look back and consequently up before moving forward.

"Sound designer Jason Wright underlines these scenes with a grinding, overwhelming post-rock score, drowning out everything except the land and Rona’s drifting, jerking across it." - Adam Goodall, 2016

Conceived during a script-writing class in 2013 and Shortlisted for Playmarket’s B4 25 competition in 2014, The Fence is the debut play by local, emerging playwright Fran Olds. A reading in June 2015 sparked the next stage of development for the production.

The Brothers & Sisters Collective received funding from the Hutt City Council Creative Communities Scheme for the first stage of development.

Performers: Neenah Dekkers-Reihana, Joe Dekkers-Reihana, Elle Wootton, Maria Dabrowska, Sabrina Martin, Michael Trigg

Creative directors: Fran Olds and Luke Hanna

Sound designer: Jason Wright

Lighting designer: Glenn Ashworth

Set Design: Luke Hanna

Set Design Support: Rose Kirkup

Photography: Owen McCarthy​

Producer: Kiri Olds

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