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Those who think Shakespeare was an erudite literary wordsmith don’t know… Bill. Just as the real-life Immortal Bard was renowned in his time for witty satire, physical slapstick, dark irony and downright dirty jokes, so too, it seems, is contemporary Kiwi playwright Penny Ashton.
A musical about a stroppy princess, Ashton’s The Tempestuous is set to deliver plenty of laughs in Onewhero, as Sylvia Devlin from the Onewhero Society for the Performing Arts (OSPA) confirms.
“I expect The Tempestuous to be every bit as good as all of Penny’s previous shows. She is amazingly skilful at taking snippets from across famous authors’ works and turning them into a great evening’s entertainment.”
An award-winning comedian, Ashton rose to prominence through previous shows revealing (Jane) Austen had problems, in Promise and Promiscuity and Austen Found, and taking the mickey out of Dickens in Olive Copperbottom.
Her latest effort sees its lead character ‘navigate the tempestuous waters of belching stepfathers, lusty suitors, popping codpieces and menopausal witches to face her destiny.’
Ashton is no stranger to Onewhero having performed other hit shows at the local theatre. Her one-night-only performance on October 1 is part of a nationwide run at smaller theatres supported by Arts on Tour.
“We are extremely fortunate to have an organisation like Arts on Tour. The calibre of the artists is exceptional and it gives rural communities such as ours a chance to see them locally,” Devlin adds.
“Penny is very familiar with our community theatre and, given her reputation for delivering top-notch entertainment, this show is sure to be a hit here too.”
Ashton will tread the boards at OSPA Theatre, Hall Road, Onewhero, October 1, from 7.30pm. Visit ospa.co.nz for tickets and more information.
