The Watercooler

This is the follow up episode to our live show The Secret Lives of Drag where Todd and Alice extend on the ideas that came up in our speaker's stories. They touch on Todd wearing make up in public, getting high while watching Ru Paul's Drag Race, and Police and Pride.

Glitter, dry ice, false eyelashes, and tape. But what goes on behind all the illusion? For the first Watercooler of the year, come hear stories from the drag artists beneath the wigs, make up and drama. In a Pride special, Drag connoisseurs Raoūl Dinesh (Rani Kumari), Dan Veint (Drew Blood) and Sean Stapleton (Shavorn Aborealis) will spill all the tea, sharing stories about how drag found them, how they find it, and everything in between. Issue #53 is hosted by the ever-sassy Todd Waters, proudly gay, very bald and one of the masterminds behind The Watercooler. You might also know him from the hit ATC show, BOYS.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Come and indulge with us, and feed your souls with nourishing tales of food, family, and the festive season. We asked Alice Pearce, Adam Rohe, and Marianne Infante to set the table for us, as they share some truly delicious tales at the fiercest FEAST of the year. This Watercooler is a chance to forget your to-do lists and silly season stresses, and join us for a taste-bud tickling evening of sharing and general merriment. Issue #43 is hosted by the ever-hilarious Donna Brookbanks, one of the pioneers of hit weekly improv show Snort, comedian, and actor. You might also know her from her work on Funny Girls, Jono and Ben and Shortland Street. Audio engineering by Todd Waters. Recorded live at The Basement Theatre November 23rd 2017.

It’s raining cats and dogs! And all the other animals! There is really no way to write this description without sounding like an advert for Animates, so we’ll keep it short and sweet. This month we get to see Alice Kirker, Jono Croucher, and Grace Cullen delve into the wondrous world of animals. We’ve got the dirt on all the animals in the kingdom including doggos, meow makers, fart squirrels, tall spotty horses, and the one and only legless psychedelic water gallopers. If none of that made sense, fear not! Come along and have all your pet and animal queries answered!* *You are almost guaranteed to not have any of your pet and animal queries answered, not even one, but you should definitely still come. Issue #42 is hosted by the ever-hilarious Donna Brookbanks, one of the pioneers of hit weekly improv show Snort, comedian, and actor. You might also know her from her work on Funny Girls, Jono and Ben and Shortland Street. Audio engineered by Todd Waters. Recorded live at The Basement Theatre on Thursday 26th October.

Have you ever been up to your eyeballs in Bullsh*t? It’s fifty shades of brown at this month’s Watercooler as we bring you a wonderful collection of sh*tty stories, and stories about sh*t. Valentine Tauamiti, Albertine Jonas and Todd Waters are ready to rise to the occasion (like a pesky floater that just won’t flush) and tell us all about their own Bullsh*t. (WARNING - ticket prices are not inclusive of toilet paper. Please bring your own). Issue #40 is hosted by the ever-hilarious Donna Brookbanks, one of the pioneers of hit weekly improv show Snort, comedian, and actor. You might also know her from her work on Funny Girls, Jono and Ben and Shortland Street. Audio Engineering by Todd Waters. Recorded live at The Basement Theatre on Thursday 31st August 2017

Watercooler - Issue #40: Growing Pains Stories of challenging growth, demanding expansion, and testing times. This month's Watercooler is all about growing pains. Amanda Billing, Kate Mcgill, and Nathan Joe tell tales of when they were trialed by fire and had to rise to the occasion. Issue #40 is hosted by the ever-hilarious Donna Brookbanks, one of weekly improv show Snort's pioneers, comedian, and actor. Audio engineering by Josh Wilson and Todd Waters. Recorded live at The Basement Theatre, 27 July 2017.

A change in seasons, a new perspective, an upheaval, a revolution, an unfamiliar chapter. Ahi Karunaharan, Zechariah Soakai and Jacque Drew are ready to hit you with radical stories of their own metamorphosis. This month’s Watercooler offers a fresh look at what it means to have your life move through a new season, or simply to reflect on a season that’s passed. This month's host is the ever-hilarious Donna Brookbanks, comedian, actor, writer and one of the pioneers of weekly improv show Snort. Watercooler – Issue #39 is thrilled to be part of the Basement’s Matariki season to celebrate the Maori New Year. Audio engineering by Josh Wilson and Todd Waters. Recorded live at The Basement Theatre, 29 June 2017.

This month’s meaty issue was all about the human body, from flossing habits to fertility, and each tale promised to be fully fleshed out. Featuring big stories about little body parts from Jordan Dodson, Laura Giddey and Grace Maguire. Hosted by Alice Gatland. Audio engineering by Sam Clavis and Todd Waters. Recorded live at The Basement Theatre, 20 April 2017.

Cringe-worthy catastrophes, face-flushing fails and sweaty palmed moments of misinterpretation. This month's issue wildly celebrates the awkwardness of the human existence.  Recorded live at The Basement Theatre, 23 March 2017. Featuring tales of the uncomfortable from Kathryn Burnett, Gina Dellabarca and Chye-Ling Huang. Hosted by Alice Snedden. Audio engineering by Todd Waters.

From the love bug to fighting back, in the first issue of 2017 listen to three incredible stories of things that light the fire under us all. Stories of self love, of family, of pride. Recorded live at The Basement Theatre, 9 February 2017. Featuring stories from Lillian Hanly, Taane Mete, and Cole Meyers. Hosted by Alice Snedden. Audio engineering by Sam Clavis.

Recorded live at BATS Theatre, 8 September 2016. Featuring stories from Jonny Paul, Tai Samaeli, and Anna Guenther. Hosted and produced by Jennifer O'Sullivan. Audio engineering by Oliver Devlin.

It's usually straightforward to know when you're experiencing something for the first time, but how do you know if it's the last? Is it easier when you don't know you'll never do the thing again? Or to start something rather than finish it? Recorded live at BATS Theatre on 11 August 2016. Featuring stories from Michael Howard, Freya Sadgrove, and Jess Brien. Hosted and produced by Jennifer O'Sullivan.

Stories of times we've wanted to stop and start again, of our favourite TV and film reboots, or maybe even of our fond memories of 90s Canadian-American CGI-animated action-adventure television series Reboot. Recorded live at BATS Theatre on 14 July 2016. Featuring stories from Kristine Bartley, Wiremu Tuhiwai, Matt Powell, and Lori Leigh. Hosted by Jonny Potts, and brought together by new Wellington producer Jennifer O'Sullivan.

April's issue was loosely inspired by the hit Improv TV show ‘Whose Line Is It Anyway?’ Except it's storytelling and there may not be as many Hawaiian shirts paired with khaki trousers. However we did what we could to dress the part. Did Alice Brine just theme this show because she thought up the name and wanted to make it work? Pretty much. Recorded live at BATS Theatre on 14 April 2016. Featuring stories from Jennifer O'Sullivan, Brad Zimmerman, Nik Bruce Smith and Jessica Mearns. Hosted and produced by Alice Brine. Audio engineering by Oliver Devlin.

This month's theme is TMI, i.e. "Too Much Information". Writer and actor Ash Jones, comedian Jamie Bowen and journalist Sasha Borissenko will share their stories of knowing too much, too little, revealing too much, wishing they knew more, or taking it in the traditional "TMI" direction with super, super personal stories. Hosted by comedian Alice Snedden (Funny Girls, Jono and Ben). Any and all interpretations of the theme possible! Recorded live at Basement Theatre on 8 September 2016.

Recorded live at BATS Theatre, 17 March 2016. Featuring stories from Eamonn Marra, Kate Robertson, Eli Joseph and Jennifer O'Sullivan. Hosted and produced by Alice Brine. Audio engineering by Oliver Devlin.

After giving up a promising artistic roller skating career at age eight to pursue dance, music, outdoor pursuits and an awkward teenage phase as a unicyclist, Saran spent most of her childhood flinging herself into the air and making as much noise as possible. Now a professional swing dancer, she spends most of her adulthood flinging herself into the air and making as much noise as possible, only now she gets paid for it so the moral of that story is she didn't learn anything except to largely ignore good advice from older wiser people. She also did a whole bunch of music at serious music things for a while and people kept laughing, so now she does a whole bunch of music at silly comedy things instead. Co-creator (or evil genius, depending on who you ask) behind the musical improvisation show Song Sale, 1/5 of the enigmatic Klaus Vermillion Quartet, and international viral sensation as “that sign language lady who flipped off all of parliament”, when she told people she was doing this show called Super Awkward the overwhelming response was “Well that sounds like you.”

Hadley Donaldson is a poster designer/illustrator/animator recently re-based in Wellington after a couple of years in Auckland. It was okay but then Marshall from Rubicon bought his flat and threw everyone out into the street. It was cool. Hadley heads the show Sketch/Comedy, where he live draws comedian's sets. There has been one show so far and it went very well thank you. Posters n stuff up at http://hadleydonaldson.tumblr.com/ Unfollow him on twitter at @Sexnap

Originating from Canada, Rob has found a nice home with NZ stand-up comedy and has become a mainstay on the scene - the highlight of his experience receiving an honorary mention in the 2013 National Raw Comedy Quest finals. A mixture of observational and story-telling, Rob's punchlines seem to come out of nowhere, and tend to come often, always leaving the crowd delighted. Rob Co-runs one of VK's weekly shows, The Medicine, and if he's not onstage, is definitely making his presence known from the tech booth. Even when he's not on, he's on.

Hadassah Grace is a writer and performer, with a penchant for questionable life choices. During the day she writes poetry and drinks too much coffee, and at night she takes her clothes off to pay the bills. Her writing explores sex, politics and sexual politics. She’s a high school dropout, but she’s never burned a single kernel of popcorn.

Uther Dean is an award-winning writer, story-teller and theatre practitioner. His work has appeared in Sport, The Listener, Fishhead, and on Radio New Zealand, The Wireless, and The Pantograph Punch. He is one of the founders and creative co-directors of My Accomplice theatre company. He currently is on the writing staff of Power Rangers. He tweets as @utherlives.

The Watercooler is a platform for people from all walks to tell their stories, both true and imagined, in front of a live audience. Inspired by many well-known storytelling events and podcasts held worldwide such as The Moth, or This Amercian Life. Host and produced by Alice Brine, created by Sarah Finnigan- Walsh. This month's theme in Wellington is Smoke and Mirrors, more commonly known as a metaphor for deception and illusion. Fraudulent activity, lies and tricks, smoke and mirrors lurking in the shadows under a bridge wearing a top hat. Witches with potions and merchants whose eyes twitch. However, what is smoke and mirrors in 2016? Rather than black magic, illusion and deception is everywhere. It's in politics, advertising, social propaganda, the terms and conditions that no one actually reads. Just the fact that we're getting really good at filling our eyebrows in using make up is all part of this world we're in where it becomes impossible to tell the difference between truth and lies. Photoshop is the modern smoke and the billboard on the back of the bus is the mirror the smoke blows over.

The Watercooler is a platform for people from all walks to tell their stories, both true and imagined, in front of a live audience. Inspired by many well-known storytelling events and podcasts held worldwide, such as The Moth or This American Life, host and Produced by Alice Brine, Created by Sarah Finnigan - Walsh.

HOPE FOR A GENERATION In this special show we bring you four exceptional speakers from different generations to share their personal stories of hardship and hope. The Watercooler is proud to be collaborating with youth mentorship organisation Nga Rangatahi Toa, to bring you these stories that matter.

This month’s Issue of The Watercooler at BATS, four storytellers will bring to life their experiences of what happened when they took off on a Jet plane. Or maybe what happened when they didn’t. These aren’t glory stories. Oh no, by far the opposite. You won’t be hearing from anyone bragging about how they drank wine in Venice, or booked flights to Europe and had a wonderful time. No, this is not what we are here for. This month you will be hearing the other side of the Jet Planes that everyone is setting off in. Terrifying locked rooms at airport customs, confusing cultural situations that will make you laugh and sweat in fear. Real people making a difference in places considered the polar opposite of holiday destinations. Or even just sharing the pain we all experience every time someone posts an‘ ironic leaning tower’ photo on their Facebook newsfeed. This is what Jet Planes is all about, the stories that go outside the box ;the tales of what happens when you step off the contiki tour bus and do your own thing.

Whether you've got pious family types, mysterious shut-away types or rowdy teenage types, neighbours are amongst us; inescapably, intrinsically part of our lives. Hell, we're all neighbours to someone too. In this “backyard” edition of The Watercooler, four speakers; Deb Kendon,Eamonn Marra, Robin Murphy and Eli Orzessek, share surprising, hilarious, thoughtful tales from over the fence.

Inspired by many well-known storytelling events and podcasts held worldwide (The Moth, This American Life), The Watercooler is a platform for people from all walks to tell stories both true and imagined. Storytellers are given a simple brief to share a story inspired by the month’s theme, whether based on real-life experiences or entirely fictional. ---- HOLIDAY Tales of escape Planning. Travel. Destination. Bliss. Easy, what could go wrong? We all chase the break, the respite, the recess, the vacation – the space and freedom to be temporarily away from our lives. But when your head and body arrive, put down their luggage, and check-in to a HOLIDAY – what happens next? In this “beachy” edition of The Watercooler, four speakers share entertaining, thoughtful and jubilant stories of escape.

Unless you’re dead, the one thing you can guarantee will happen each day is waking up. You have to get up and you have to go about your day. Some people are better at this than others. ‘I woke up like this’ is celebrating the achievements of those who managed to get up and go about their day just as they are. Stories of a time where they took ownership of themselves and claimed back the rights to their raw and true form; without apologizing for existing. These are the stories and adventures from those brave souls who decided to wake up one day and just do whatever the f*ck they wanted. Four story tellers, one night of adventure. Produced and Hosted by your favorite wellington weirdo, Alice Brine.

This is the first issue in it's entirety. Your Host, Alice Brine, bring her salty humour and fantastic wit to this established show and makes it Wellington's own. These four speakers spoke of 'Waiting', and you no longer have to wait to hear it. Listen now and check out Facebook for details on our next issues.

This issue was a good bye to to Sarah our founder and director as she moved to London. The speakers told their own stories of saying good-bye, whether it was for better or worse, they all made for great tales. Listen now and check out the next Watercooler in Auckland or Wellington this month.

We had an amazing night with 4 fantastic stories and they are all here for you to enjoy. Andrew Tidball Esther Stephens Milana Radojčić and Nick Atkinson with your host Joseph Harper

This issue takes us into the dark and soul-draining world that is a really bad job. Our host Joseph Ernest Harper will be introducing you to the night's speakers Freya Desmarais Ryan Richards Matthew Crawley and David Parker

Three stories on subjects that often get swept under the rug.

At Auckland’s Basement Theatre our new host, Joseph Ernest Harper, introduced you to four Auckland women who took to the stage to tell their stories of being on the fringe. Our Speakers included: Angella Dravid Gaayathri Nair Annie Rose Duckworth & Saraid Cameron

Fergus talks about seeing his brother again who has been away on Mars.

Richard speculated what a reunion with university peers would be like now that they are older (and wiser?).

Chris takes to the stage to muse about being an adult with your parents and how bridging the gap between child and adult is a unique one.

Dawn tells the tale of a family reunion that can't her pause about what it means to belong.

Jesse tells the story of falling for the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, then realising he wasn't the first to do so.

Alice tells the story of finding love, it slipping through her fingers and so she takes charges.

Calum tells the story of being auctioned off as a celebrity date and realising that maybe that isn't as sexy as it sounds.

Meredith tells the story of finding love that may have literally been lost due to translation.

This month's issue showcased stories from three very different households as told by members of these families; Chris Thompson, Elle Hunt and Natasha Hoyland. Hosted by Oliver Quincy Page and staged at The Basement Theatre in Auckland.

This episode is the improv stories of four of Auckland's greatest young comedians. You also get two stories from both Chris Parker and Guy Montgomery.- What a treat! listen to the formats of both these The Basement regulars blend into one and see what magic will occur. Here's a little about Snort http://www.basementtheatre.co.nz/whats-on/snort/ Speakers include- Chris Parker Donna Brookbanks Eli Matthewson and Guy Montgomery

Where it all began, our first issue. Our speakers for this first event include: Joe Nunweek practices law by day and jams in the co-editorship of The Pantograph Punch, an Auckland arts and culture website, in between. Apart from a bit of freelance (1972, Sky Sport) or no-lance writing (Real Groove, Volume - RIP), he basically faffs at things. Guitar, photography - you know the person you think does these cool things 'seriously' because they're 'that kind of person'? He doesn't, he can't. Let's all hold onto the illusion though. His happy place is Palm Springs Parakai in all of its faded seventies deliquescence, and if there was no-one to watch and judge he would literally spend his days trainspotting. Romain Mereau is a directing graduate from Unitec's School of Performing & Screen Arts. He tragically became addicted to movies from a young age, and has been utterly obsessed ever since. He works in digital marketing, and makes short films in his spare time. Kirsten Taylor is a writer, musician and novice sourdough baker. She has lived in Edinburgh, Salzburg and Melbourne and is now studying occupational therapy at AUT. Diane White studied Law and Arts in Wellington. She moved up to Auckland about 18 months ago for a job that means she now spends her days sorting out tenant-landlord disputes and thinking about fences. It wasn't what she saw herself doing, but she's pretty happy all the same. Outside of work, Di does bits and pieces for the criminal justice reform organisation JustSpeak, pats strangers' dogs at the supermarket, and fills in any spare moments with writing, blogging and shooting hoops. Finnius Teppet moved here from Wellington a couple of years ago, and he doesn't miss the old city or his family at all. He writes plays and stories on a range of themes including: the lasting influence of mothers on their children, what happens when your girlfriend resembles your mother, breastfeeding and psychoanalysis. Earlier in the year a play of his was produced by some Australians in their own country, and they won the Short + Sweet festival with it. Oliver Quincy Page is a screenwriter, performance poet, conceptual artist and fan of architecture. His work has appeared in many magazines. Home & Garden was one he thinks. Oliver is currently writing a political thriller set against the backdrop of a gubernatorial primary race in Washington State, and a feature film about male friendships. Oliver enjoys brevity, wit, good taste and attending religious services unironically as is the custom of his people.

No Animals Were Harmed In The Making of; a collection of stories of our domesticated and not so domesticated furry friends. Richard Bol Sarah Finnigan - Walsh Jono Aidney Alex Robb (as told by Finnius Teppett) Hosted By Oliver Quincy Page