Crocodillian Oblivion

Kindred Spirits’ Crocodillian Oblivion debuts at BATS Theatre May 23rd-30th! Written by Izzy Christie and co-directed by Izzy Christie and Ella Ford, Crocodillian Oblivion follows a chorus of crocodiles navigating the currents of captivity while family drama storms. 
 

This play has everything! A revenge plot, family betrayal and … talking crocodiles? “Crocodillian Oblivion” follows Peggy Sue and her friend Marta as they return to her family’s crocodile farm to expose its animal cruelty to the world. On the way they are foiled by her malevolent brother Damon and The Conductor who are intent on torturing the Crocodillian Citizens to maximise their profits. Will the crocodiles survive the play? It’s up to Peggy Sue and Marta to save them! After last year’s “enigmatic” and “wondrously compelling” (Smyth, Theatreview) feminist eco-thriller Strays, Izzy Christie and Ella Ford have returned to BATS Theatre for a dazzling new project sure to make jaws drop. 

We are a diverse group of emerging artists living in Pōneke including recent graduates and current students of both Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington and Massey University. Our team is full of award-winning talent who have performed and worked within the Wellington Fringe Festival, the Six Degrees Festival and Kia Mau Festival respectively. This production will provide a platform for us to express our artistry in a theatrical, activist environment. 
 

Cast:

Callie Chinery-Tompkins as Peggy Sue

Becky Lusty as Marta

Jamie Honey as Damon

Tiaki Sharp as The Conductor

Anton Patsi, Seren Holden and Sophia Olshevskaya as The Crocodillian Citizens

Crew:

Izzy Christie - Playwright/Co-Director

Ella Ford - Co-Director

Suri Kidd - Stage Manager

Stella Vaivai - Marketing Manager

Will McMorran - Production Manager

Sean Fa'aiuaso - Lighting Designer/Operator

Sami Bennie - Sound Designer/Operator 

Oli Sim - Costume Designer

Fig Quinn - Props Designer

Callie Chinery-Tompkins - Hair & Make-up Designer

Your support will help us bring the world of Crocodillian Oblivion to life, ensuring that we source the right materials in an ethical and sustainable way. We have been generously supported by the BATS Programme Curation Fund which will allow us to pay our actors and creatives an equitable wage. However before we receive this funding we need your help in order to get the production up and running. The funding you generously donate will be used to pay for the materials necessary to create this production. This includes:

• Set - we will create our set in a way that the materials can be reused or upcycled to have a life beyond our show season.
• Props & Costume - these materials will be thrifted from second hand shops which value environmental responsibility. 
• Hair & Make-up - we will prioritise acquiring products from reputable brands that support animal welfare in their manufacturing process.
• Supporting our company’s wellbeing - including feeding our team on long rehearsal and production days.

Part of our company’s kaupapa is to actively engage in kaitiakitanga (guardianship) of the environment and every action made intends to positively contribute to this outcome.

Kindred Spirits is an emerging company which aims to introduce abstract, activist theatre into Aotearoa’s artistic environment. The central pillar on which the company is founded, is kinship: the lifeblood of communities and the wellspring from which creativity bubbles. Theatre is one of the best mediums to foster kin-like bonds between humans and non-humans. Kindred Spirits creates new works to share and strengthen these bonds and to look beyond a person-first approach. 

Crocodillian Oblivion is the theatrical debut of Kindred Spirits. As a play it encapsulates the values of the company in its remedial approach to activism. It is set on a Northern Territory Crocodile Farm that produces crocodile skins in order to create luxury fashion items. This setting provides an allegorical portrayal of modern consumption, free market capitalism and the neoliberal values that cultivate exploitative systems. Crocodillion Oblivion asks us all to consider where we sit on the chain of production and what obligations we owe to each other, and to the wider world. 

We want to raise awareness about issues that we deem important to the planet’s survival. We hope that by combining activism and theatre we will be able to make a positive change in our planet’s lifespan. While we love fashion, we are aware that the fashion industry is one of the leading pollutants and causes unethical working conditions, unfair pay, and animal cruelty. 

Unfortunately our world has become increasingly neo-liberal where those with the most money have a powerful sway on decisions that affect our communities around the world. Where we spend our money is one of our greatest forms of protest and remains one of the arenas in which ordinary New Zealanders can challenge those in power.  Whether this means investing in products from ethical brands, buying second hand, or only spending on necessities, as consumers we can control where we spend our money to make a change.