Everything is Surrounded by Water

Overview

"At your place or mine" was the rule when Everything is Surrounded by Water first hit the Fringe Festival in Wellington back in 2014. What that means is talented Kiwi actor Uther Dean would visit homes around Wellington, or invite guests around to his own Aro Valley flat to perform his show in an intimate setting, and for many performances he only accepted koha.

Everything is Surrounded by Water is a 45-minute performance which tells the story of how Uther sold his soul when he was just 7-years-old. He toys with the theme of the ebb and decay of the life we live, which is portrayed through his overtly overactive imagination.

Uther performs the show using intense gaze, gestures and monologue, rather than overzealous movement and distracting stimuli. It's a clever way to encourage us as the audience to zone in on the story, and feel a strong emotional connection as he explores topics of mental illness and many real-life scenarios that Uther and director Hannah Banks have incorporated into the work.

Without giving too much away, we can tell you there is a good reason the show was such a hit and has been running for over three years. Go and see it at the Basement, it's on until October 14.