Life on the fringe can be exciting, as Nelson audiences are about to find out. Each year the Nelson Fringe Festival gathers a collection of interesting and wacky talent to bring a bolt of creative energy to the city. This year’s ten-day, 50-show festival will be no different. Judene Edgar speaks with two of this year’s performers.
The Queen of the Fringe
Nikki Karki has done so many shows at the Nelson Fringe Festival that she struggles to name them all, but she’s loved every single one of them.
Having two young school children, Nikki says that being able to put on shows – up to four every year – at the Fringe Festival provides her with a creative outlet that she’d otherwise miss out on. “I love the opportunity to work with and be supported by other local actors,” she says. “There is such an amazing community of artists and so much talent in our region.”
Her first show in 2015 was the eponymous Birdlife, written and directed by Bridget Sanders of Birdlife Productions. She’s since gone on to do a range of shows from improv to children’s shows, drama, one-act plays and puppetry.
In 2017 she wrote her first play Hidden about a mother with young twins on a plane. She has since gone on to write the oneact play Ivy in 2018 about her grandmother, Not JUST a mother in 2023 and is presenting her latest play, Forget me not in this year’s festival. She says that Forget me not had been percolating for a number of years, so she’s excited to finally be bringing it to the stage at the Refinery ArtSpace.
She says that writing about what she knows, based on herself or people she knows, helps her to connect with the audience. “I like writing about real life and
real people and building on those characters,” she says. “I think it makes them more authentic and more relatable.” She particularly likes to write about mothers and says that she’s received a lot of emails from other mothers about her shows. “Fringe festivals provide a unique opportunity to write something, put it on, and get feedback from the audience.”
She’s also been involved in a lot of improv and children’s shows – both for children and by children. “It’s an opportunity to do everything I love,” she enthuses.
Formerly of Body in Space and The People’s Republic of Improv, Nikki also organises the annual regional Theatresports Competition for high schools, so enjoys performing in and creating new improv shows.
This year, she’s also in The Three Charms, a puppetry theatre show alongside Akiko Miyamoto and Glenn Cousins. The Three Charms is a traditional children’s Japanese folk tale that has been adapted in a comedic style by Akiko. Nikki says that she’s excited to be working with Glenn and Akiko again and to be doing puppetry. “I studied puppetry for a year at university so I’m really excited to be collaborating on this show,” she says. “It’s the one thing that I miss about doing solo shows, because I love working with other people.”
Preaching to the converted
The last time Andy Manning was in Nelson was in 2017 and they were rocking packed houses at the Theatre Royal as the musical director of That Bloody Woman. In high demand as a musical director, composer, singer, actor and arranger in New Zealand and the UK, this time they will be presenting their one-person show False Idol, that’s part cabaret and part musical, in the Nelson Fringe Festival.
The award-winning multi-instrumentalist was reading music before they could even read words, and then added singing and dancing to their repertoire when they studied musical theatre at the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts (NASDA) in Christchurch. They were then accepted to study a Master of Musical Direction from the renowned Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
While this is their first time at the Nelson Fringe Festival, Andy is no stranger to the fun, frivolity and risk that fringe festivals celebrate having performed numerous times at Edinburgh Fringe. “Art is all about getting to try things and take risks,” says Andy. “Fringe festivals support bolder choices and enable you to push the boat out.” One of the things they love about fringe festivals is that the expectation is different on artists. “You don’t have to make all the safe choices. You’re encouraged to take risks – the bigger the better.”
Having performed in giant auditoriums through to small intimate theatres, Andy is looking forward to bringing a show to New Zealand fringe festivals for the first time, performing their Nelson show in the Refinery ArtSpace. “It brings art directly to the people. It’s a very intense and intimate style of performance,” says Andy. “Nelson is such a warm, welcoming, and friendly place. I’m really looking forward to coming back.”
With the original score written, played, and performed by Andy, the show is a one person tourde-force. “False Idol is for anyone who ever felt they didn’t love themselves as much as they could.” In False Idol Andy preaches a rousing musical sermon at the altar of gender euphoria and shameless self-love touching on themes of identity, queerness, family and fabulous outfits. “It’s just like going to church, only funnier and sexier,” says Andy, “and a way to talk about gender that’s fun and silly and in a relaxed environment.” They say the take home message is for people to learn to love the sin and the sinner, savour the forbidden fruit, and be your own god. “It’s uplifting, affirming, a bit raucous at times, but suitable for everyone.”
Nelson Fringe Festival runs from 14 to 23 March with around 50 shows ranging from first-timers to seasoned touring gigsters across six venues.
For more information go to nelsonfringe.co.nz
Read the latest Nelson Magazine here.
