Mr. Burns

Overview

It's billed as "a post-electric play," where survivors in a post-apocalyptic world try to take their minds off the situation at hand by piecing together an episode of The Simpsons.

Mr. Burns is a live theatrical event from American playwright Anne Washburn that breaks down the divide between low and high art — it's part musical, part mythic-mashup, part no one really has a clue. New York Post called it "bizzare, funny, bleak, wonderful," while further productions have both delighted and challenged audiences in London and Sydney. Now, The Simpsons-themed production is coming to Auckland, playing at Q Theatre from September 13 - 29.

Washburn pays homage to the infamous Cape Feare episode where Sideshow Bob attempts to kill Bart after getting out of jail — itself a spoof of 1962 film Cape Fear and the 1991 remake. The production serves as an exploration of how pop culture of one era evolves into the mythology of another.

All your favourite Springfield characters will appear thanks to a core cast of Gareth Williams (Assassins), Olivia Tennet (The Book of Everything), Byron Coll (The Blind Date Project), Carrie Green (Cellfish), Phoebe Hurst (That Bloody Woman), Quentin Warren (Welcome to the Murder House), and Ana Scotney (The Breaker Upperers).

Oliver Driver is at the helm as director, while music man Leon Radojkovic will take on a live soundtrack featuring Britney Spears (as sung by Itchy and Scratchy), Ricky Martin and Eminem.