Combining skills from his previous exploits in the worlds of Wilson Dixon, The 4 Noels, Stand-up and sketch comedy Jesse Griffin ventures into brave new territory with Centaur as he joins Art Week and converts the Basement Theatre into a fine art gallery space resulting in a fully immersive contemporary art/contemporary comedy hybrid.

Originally titled Sex With Horses and performed in the 2016 Comedy Festival, the first version of the show proved very difficult to google, especially for those using their computers at work. Renamed, rebooted, and redeveloped (i.e. Jesse has taken out the shit bits and added some better bits) Centaur is set to play at the Basement in mid October during Auckland Art Week. Strap in, folks.

Jesse is best known to NZ audiences for his FRED Award Winning Country and Western character Wilson Dixon which has played to sold out houses nationwide and overseas. This character has been so successful for Jesse that he is currently in development with the NZ Film Commission to create a feature length Wilson Dixon mockumentary. His talented and award winning wife Jackie Van Beek (2014 NZ Film Awards Best Supporting Actress) will direct the mockumentary. This isn’t the only project he has in development for the screen - he’s also developing a comedy series with South Pacific Pictures, and is a regular on 800 Words.

Expect the very finest in art speak/art wank as the comedian as artist exhibits art pieces he’s created, and performs a number of live artistic experiential experiences for the audience to experience. Accompanying this is an accompanying commentary along with critical criticism of the art works and the world at large.

The audience will be encouraged to enter the artistic discourse - although their views and input will be largely ignored.

Centaur is an exploration of the creative self and Art and will be seeking to determine that age-old conundrum: Does art comes from our human part or our animal part? And if the answer is the latter, why aren’t more sheep exhibiting nationally in galleries?  It will answer the following question: is Art racist? (Probably). And tackle the issue of Art Wank. It's a fact that wankers like art. What can we do about this? Expect to throw things at the artist and get stuff thrown back at you. Eye protection is advisory.

Show is R18 Contains adult themes & occasional coarse language.

Centaur

October 11 - 15: Basement Theatre, Auckland

Tickets via iTicket