“In 2022, we learned that when performing and touring, you have to take care of yourself and really carve out that time to rest and recharge with some reality dating shows and pizza.”
WHO: Carrie Rudzinski
WHAT: “Fierce, feminist, and f*cking funny. Women are frequently told they are too emotional – too hysterical – to be taken seriously, to be leaders of countries and companies, to be believed when pointing to their own hurt. Hysterical challenges these myths with poetry that confronts body politics, systemic sexism, and weeping uncontrollably in the supermarket. Winner of Best New Aotearoa Play and Outstanding Performance Poetry at Auckland Fringe. Internationally acclaimed poets Carrie Rudzinski and Olivia Hall deliver powerhouse performances that will leave you feeling empowered and alive.”
WHERE: Summerhall – Cairns Lecture Theatre (Venue 26)
WHEN: 20:25 (60 min)
MORE: Click Here!
Is this your first time to Edinburgh?
This is our first time at Edinburgh Fringe! We’re so excited to represent Aotearoa New Zealand on an international stage and to be part of the amazing Summerhall programming. This is such an incredible opportunity to not only share a taste of the poetry talent currently in New Zealand, but to also soak up the creativity of artists from around the world. We’re thrilled to be part of the biggest arts festival in the world, especially after multiple years where our borders were closed due to the pandemic. Lots of great development has happened with NZ artists and we’re ready to share what we’ve been up to with Edinburgh!
What are the big things you’ve learned since 2022 and have you absorbed any of the lessons yet?
In 2022, we learned that when performing and touring, you have to take care of yourself and really carve out that time to rest and recharge with some reality dating shows and pizza. We are definitely absorbing those skills and bringing them to Ed Fringe with us! It’s also kind of a scary time in the world – it can feel really overwhelming to just balance life, work, and the news, but we’ve found that leaning into creativity and being present with our emotions and bodies really helps us re-center what’s important to us.
Tell us about your show.
We are Carrie Rudzinski and Olivia Hall and we are the writers, producers, and performers of Hysterical! We are both poets and we started collaborating seven years ago not long after Carrie moved from the United States to Aotearoa New Zealand where Olivia is from. This is our second poetry theatre show that we’ve written and we toured it across Aotearoa in 2022. After 28 shows, we won Best New Aotearoa Play at the Wellington Theatre Awards and Best Performance Poetry at Auckland Fringe Festival. Hysterical is fierce, feminist, and funny – combining 16 poems with voice messages, props, and banter with the audience to create a powerful and uplifting experience. We are planning to tour nationally across New Zealand in 2024 and eventually to Australia as well.. We’ve long had a dream of coming to Edinburgh Festival Fringe and after the pandemic changed some of those plans, we’re finally making our dreams come true by bringing Hysterical to Scotland.
What should your audience see at the festivals after they’ve seen your show?
We can’t get over how many amazing shows are coming to Edinburgh Fringe and are ready to fangirl for all the other performers at Summerhall this year. Playing Latinx is on at Summerhall just before our show and we love a performer who can combine and blend talents. Grief Lightning is on right after our show, coming all the way from Australia and unpacking conspiracy theories on Grease? Sign us up. Help Yourself with Jess and Victoria sounds like the seminar we’ve been waiting for (we can’t stop crying and need help). Jade Anouka is bringing poetry theatre in the shape of HEART only for three nights to the Festival and we want to be front row. And we have to send people to see our fellow New Zealanders Foster Group Dance’s show Double Goer at Assembly – they are incredible – do not miss them!
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