I’m pretty excited that Album Party is the first show to benefit from BATS Theatre and The Basement Theatre (Auckland) working together to support the best new emerging shows to tour to both cities. A concert, a comedy gig and a play all rolled into one, The Better Best Possible Album Party That Anybody Has Ever Been Two follows TYLA and Deni$ through the highs and the lows of attempting pop music world domination.

It stars born and bred Wellingtons Kate McGill as TYLA and Frith Horan as Deni$ with support from Tim Nuttall. They’ve got a dance crew of Wellington’s freshest hip hop talent from local secondary schools. “We have 12 dancers Gabbi, Grace, Ali, Madeline, Charlie, Timon, Celia, Emily, Meg, Molly, Kate, Lara and Imogen – they form their own sub-crew ‘Spice Rack’ and each have chosen a spicy stage name, our current favourite being Garam Masala. We are overjoyed to have a strong range of actors, dancers and musicians joining us. They’re pretty freaking great.”

McGill and Horan met at Toi Whakaari NZ Drama School, where they formed a desire to make engaging work with a strong purpose. “Pop music is infectious; it gives us liberties we might not otherwise have with the characters and the content. We touch on a LOT of different themes and ideas, but at a pop concert, the main idea is to have fun, to party – so we’re enjoying melding the two and involving the audience in the entertaining mayhem. We were also inspired by a lot of 90s pop groups that are doing comeback tours at the moment (ie. Vengaboys, S Club 7 – now 3) and how they strike a balance between being nostalgic and tragically funny. ALBUM PARTY is the ultimate pre-Christmas show to get you in the spirit. This is the show for people who want to dance, laugh, sing, and be walk out with that exhilarated feeling you get after a pop concert – strangely inspired and ready for more. We’ve added some Christmas flavour to the show to really bring that festive cheer, including a hit new single ‘Unwrap My Present’.”

You can have a listen to one of their songs Gas in my ass o line (and get the same earworm I’ve had for the past week) or check out their Better Best Possible Mannequin Challenge.

HOT TIP:  at 1pm this Saturday, iconic NZ Pop duo Tyla and Deni$ will be making their first public appearance together since 2009 in Cuba Mall at the little stage space by Left Bank Arcade.  !!