Press Release – Emma Feather Shaw

Mona Sparks

The Dunedin premier of Naked Girls Reading promises to be an unmissable celebration of the naked body, women and good story-telling. It runs at The New Athenaeum Theatre for one night only – Friday June 29th, 8pm.

This innovative and outrageous cabaret show is exactly what it sounds like – completely naked women reading literature aloud.

Local Dunedin talent, Mona Sparks, Feather Unsure, and Maddie May will take to the stage (naked, of course) to perform readings from various erotic literature, in the name of entertainment and normalising the naked female form.

The three University of Otago graduates are no strangers to the stage, having been involved in theatre, dance, cabaret, journalism and radio presenting nation-wide. Maddie May’s solo show, How to be a Stripper had a sold out season at the recent Dunedin Fringe Festival, and won the title of Best in Theatre at the Fringe Awards. Dunedin-raised and Christchurch based Feather Unsure toured and performed her candid solo show, F*cking Clowns and Other Hobbies to sold out crowds and standing ovations around Aotearoa last year. She has been a two time finalist in the South Island Raw Comedy Competition in 2017 and 2018, and perhaps most notably took out the title of Most Terrifying at the Christchurch heat of the Grand Tease Burlesque competition in 2016.
Both Mona and Maddie are currently performing in Arcade Theatre’s Dunedin production of The First Time. Mona is undertaking postgraduate studies at present, and regularly takes to the stage in cabaret and theatre productions. Born without Fallopian tubes, Mona began performing as her cabaret persona after an orchidectomy and inguinal hernia repair surgery early this year. Unsatisfied by the lack of similar body types on stage she decided to jump up herself, and has erupted on the scene to a warm welcome. She has also been an active presenter on student radio station, Radio One, and a prominent feature writer for student magazine Critic – Te Arohi for a number of years.
The three Dunedin women will be joined on stage by Wellington-based Hugo Grrrl as MC. Grrrl is the alter-ego of comedy and cabaret producer George Fowler. Fowler is at the helm of the New Zealand branch of the Naked Girls project. The first Naked Girls Reading shows began in 2009 in Chicago and the concept has since spread to stages world-wide. Fowler also produces a wide variety of other events including NZ’s infamous Pun Battles. Grrrl is also the reigning national drag king champion (‘Yes, there is such a thing!’ laughs Fowler) and was awarded Best Producer in The Wellington Comedy Awards 2017.

‘If anything, Naked Girls Reading is a comedy show,’ says Fowler. ‘Each edition we bring together a group of viciously funny, whip-smart women and get them to read and talk about stories they’re passionate about. It’s a recipe for wonderful disaster.’

He explains people often come to the events “thinking it’s going to be a very glamorous and traditionally sexy affair, and they’re not wrong. But we’re also going to yell about feminism and our feelings for ninety minutes. The show really isn’t about nudity or titillation at all. It’s about normalising and desexualising the naked female form and celebrating bodies and their stories.’

Naked Girls Reading runs for one night only on Friday June 29th at 8pm at New Athenaeum Theatre in the Octagon. The shows run in other centres throughout NZ. Pre-sale tickets are just $20 and available through eventfinda.co.nz. For more information please see our Facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/220599762049382/) or contact Hugo Grrrl at contact@hugogrrrl.com or 022 103 2809.

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Content Sourced from scoop.co.nz
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