MY BEST DEAD FRIEND
This is a story about my best friends.
Ok, no, this is actually mostly a story about me.
“a gem of a play with a beautiful message of how to deal with loss and the end of a childhood. A glorious hour. ★★★★”
“Extraordinary joys and sorrows, extraordinary rebellions and submissions.”
“To call something gentle might sound dismissive, but it isn’t. A show shouldn’t need to make its audience weep to be powerful. That’s the case here...[this show] is warm, funny and sad all at the same time and Tate-Manning is a very genial performer.”
“Hilarious and refreshing”
“Authentic and brilliant”
“frank-hearted, charmingly performed, thoroughly entertaining”
December, 1998. Dunedin.
High summer in a town where there isn’t a lot to do.
This is a comedy about death, revolution, unfulfilled love, and a possum.
My Best Dead Friend is a true story about heart-breaking grief and enduring friendship featuring a soundtrack from The Verlaines to the Backstreet Boys, and the words of Tuwhare, Baxter, and Bishop. It’s a joyful comedy from a heavy heart.
An “authentic and brilliant” storytelling comedy show, My Best Dead Friend is created by Anya Tate-Manning (Hudson & Halls Live!) and Isobel MacKinnon (Best Director, 2015 NZ Fringe Festival). It was first performed in 2016 at Perth Fringe World at the prestigious Blue Room Theatre, where it was nominated for the West Australian Arts Editor’s award.
Created by ANYA TATE-MANNING & ISOBEL MACKINNON
Writer / Performer: ANYA TATE-MANNING
Director / Possum: ISOBEL MACKINNON
Performance Designer: MEG ROLLANDI
Dramaturg: JO RANDERSON
Lighting Design: OWEN MCCARTHY (current); previous versions by TONY BLACK, NICK ZWART, RUBY REIHANA-WILSON
Touring Technician: OWEN MCCARTHY
Production Manager: RUBY REIHANA-WILSON
Producer & Presenter: LYDIA ZANETTI for Zanetti Productions
WINNER
The Summerhall Award [Melbourne Fringe 2018]
Best of Fringe [NZ Fringe Festival 2018]
Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award [NZ Fringe Festival 2018]
NOMINEE
The West Australian Arts Editor's Award [Perth FringeWorld 2016]
Meg Rollandi for The Fringe Grand Design Award [NZ Fringe Festival 2018]
Anya Tate-Manning for Outstanding Performer [NZ Fringe Festival 2018]
“tackles big subjects with a light touch. Its deceptively simple, clever and well worth seeing.”
SEASONS
RIVERSIDE PARAMATTA, SYDNEY
10 - 12 October 2019
Riverside Paramatta, Sydney
SUMMERHALL, EDINBURGH FESTIVAL FRINGE
31 July - 25 August 2019
Old Lab - Summerhall, Scotland
SOUTHLAND ARTS FESTIVAL, NZ
1 - 2 May 2019
Repertory House, Invercargill
UPSURGE ARTS FESTIVAL, NZ
6 April 2019
Turner Centre, Kerikeri
NELSON ARTS FESTIVAL, NZ
18 - 19 Oct 2018
Suter Theatre, Nelson
WELLINGTON, NZ
27 Sep - 6 Oct 2018
Return season at BATS Theatre
DUNEDIN ARTS FESTIVAL, NZ
23 - 24 September 2018
Regent Theatre, Dunedin
ARTS HOUSE, MELBOURNE
14 - 21 September 2018
as part of Melbourne Fringe
ESCAPE! Festival
2 - 3 June 2018
Baycourt Theatre, Tauranga
WELLINGTON
5 - 9 March 2018
BATS Theatre as part of NZ Fringe
MATCHBOX 2017
12 - 22 July 2017
Q Theatre
BLUE ROOM THEATRE
9 - 13 February 2016
As part of Perth Fringe World
Some of the ways the chalk and projection is used in the work:
All production stills by Peter Jennings