Dunedin Fringe Festival: Bones

Julian’s powerful stories of what we inherit from our ancestors need to be heard to set future generations free.

BONES. One man, a suitcase and a story to tell.  We all carry stories from our ancestors deep in our bones.

“Powerful theatre, raw. honest. unapologetically real.”

“Julian is a gifted and fearless storyteller.” 

The powerful stories of what we inherit from our ancestors need to be heard in Aotearoa and beyond in order to set future generations free from the past.  

An actor standing alone on stage carrying the presence of generations – living, dead, silenced, and roaring... An unflinching mirror held up to colonial violence, familial rupture, and the complex, painful inheritance of identity. 

A co-creation between writer, storyteller Julian Noel (Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Torehina) and Martine Baanvinger, actor, director, and one of New Zealand’s leading exponents of one-person theatre.

Our creative challenge: how do we stay real and tell the dark, messy, human stuff – and still leave people feeling whole? Held? Lighter?

We drew upon Indigenous spiritual frameworks, invoking the protection of gods, ancestors, and nature’s unseen forces. What emerged was a form we started calling 'sacred theatre', a liminal space where we felt held by the wisdom dormant in our bones, allowing us to create safety for the storyteller, the characters, and the audience.

It’s confronting.
It’s funny.
It’s powerful storytelling.