Finally, after roughly 365 days the NZ Fringe Festival has come again to Wellington! And 130 fresh and dynamic shows to see the real question is - what should I book??

With so many shows on offer, it can a wee bit overwhelming for the typical Wellingtonian to decide what to go and see. But once you nail a few, you'll find yourself looking up what's on every night. This year the Fringe is in four sections: Bit De Internationale, Performance Parts, Wind In Your Bits, Eye and Ear Bits, Family Friendly Fringe and Naughty Bits.

Luckily, I've scoured the programme, talked to the powers that be (thanks Hannah Clarke, Festival Director), interviewed some performers (performer James Nokise last week, more to come) watched some shows already and have sussed where you should spend your time and dollar. This Saturday was the first day of Fringe in Wellington and I made the most of it, seeing THREE shows in one day. It didn't even feel hard because everything was so good!

The first show I saw 'Nan and Tuna' was a puppet family friend piece, full of delightful surprises and fabulous music. The second, a theatric gender-bending one person show 'Ze: Queer as Fuck' was a witty and poignant romp through the self-discovery of a Queer Canadian. The third, a joyfully awkward party with Jacob at the Fringe Bar 'Jacob's Party' as he talks through a lifetime of party's that were 'not successful'. In between, I enjoyed a yoga class, hitting the Wellington Markets and a couple of outfit changes. Watch the whole Vlog here and SUBSCRIBE PLEASE!! (also thanks to all the wonderful people who subscribed to my channel between Friday and Saturday - it MADE MY WEEKEND! #getmeto100)

I asked Lucy Forrestal, my 17 year old blog chum who has www.thefangirlstories.com and is a bit queer (in the best sense) to review one of the plays on Saturday. So - below you'll find a bit of Fringe for everyone (except Family as I am not that way inclined yet in my life - sorry Mum!). Please let me know in the comments below what you want to see and what you HAVE seen. Did you like it? Why or why not? Happy Fringe All!

A 17 Year Old's Review of Ze: Queer As Fuck (Don't worry - her Mum came too because it was at a bar)

(My 13 picks of the Fringe 2017 continue below)

Last night I got to see ‘Ze: Queer as Fuck!’ at the Ivy Bar in Wellington as part of the NZ Fringe Festival. I went with Lucy Revill from The Residents, her boyfriend Matt, and bought my mum along, cause’ why not (I also kind of had to because I’m underage). It was a rollercoaster of an hour filled with laughter and learning, showing the audience an insight in to Michelle/Ryan’s life.

From the minute the show begins you are fully immersed in Michelle/Ryan’s life, and absolutely no details are spared. The show covers topics such as sexual orientation, kinks, gender identity, and growing up as a queer person. It’s an educational show, it teaches people a lot about what it’s like to be queer, having to discover yourself and coming out to everyone around you.

‘Ze: Queer as Fuck!’ is split in to six ‘parts’ with an epilogue at the end. Each part is about a different part of Michelle/Ryan’s life, and how ze (a gender neutral pronoun for she/he) came to discover who ze was, and that everyone has their own unique labels and everyone should be proud of who they are.

This show is a clear example of the fact that you don’t need fancy sets, audio and visual to pull off a great show. Ren Lunicke shows that if you have enough talent then you only really need yourself to pull off an incredible show. The performance is a display of passion, knowledge and experience.

This show is a must-see for every open minded individual, no matter who you are. Bring your mum, bring your friends (as long as they won’t be offended by a whole lot of LGBTQI++ and sex stuff) and go see ‘Ze: Queer as Fuck!’ at the Ivy Bar as part of the NZ Fringe Festival! You can get tickets to “Ze”: Queer as Fuck! here

(Reviewed by Lucy Forrestal) - [Note: this is also one of my picks of the Fringe - Lucy R]

PICK OF THE FRINGE

1. Router Sidewalker: Pedestrian Pilgrimage

[Wind in your Bits]

Kick off the Wellington Fringe with a good walk through the city. Promising to be an interactive experience, join Router Sidewalker, Urban Shaman and Asphalt Mystic, on a journey to rediscover the familiar streets of Wellington City. An Interactive street experience showing one travelers pilgrimage over the entirety of Fringe over a variety of shows. Bring Shoes, a Water Bottle and an Open Mind. Contains walking and improvisation.

Monday 13 Feb, 15 Feb, 17 Feb, 20 Feb, 22 Feb, 24 Feb, 27 Feb, 1 March, 3 March - 5:30pm - 6:30pm
VENUE - Cuba Mall - Cuba Street, Te Aro, Wellington
PRICE - Koha $5

2. Jacob's Party

[Naughty Bits]

Have you ever been to an awkward party? It's worse if you are the one hosting it. This hilarious show revolves around Jacob and his quest to throw the perfect party for his friends. Along the way, we dance to a lot of excellent 2000's pop, hear Jacobs woes and generally get down-down. This is a great play for everyone, from Mum to your nan. The themes in this play are ones everyone will relate to. Jacob shows a vulnerability that make us all in love with him, as much as his musical choices. You'll be partying all night long.

This play has already finished for this year's Fringe Season but keep an eye out for it in the future.

3. The Basement Tapes

[Family Friendly Fringe]

Personally recommended by Fringe Director Hannah Clarke, Basement Tapes promises to be a curious experience into the stories we hear and what we piece together. This piece promises to be an interesting exploration of past and present.

Following her Grandmother’s death, a girl is faced with the overwhelming task of clearing out her house for sale. When the girl tackles the basement, she stumbles across a tape recorder. Next to it sits a suitcase with a series of tapes – some seriously damaged, and some purposefully so. The suitcase contains 23 slots for tapes, but the girl finds only 5 that work. As the girl listens to these piecemeal recordings, she finds the voice of a woman she never knew existed. But can we trust the Grandmother as a reliable narrator? Not to mention becoming suspicious of the girl herself…

Monday 13 Feb, Tues 14 Feb - 7pm - 8pm
VENUE - See Fringe.co.nz
PRICE - $15

4. S toge Chollonge 2006

[Performance Bits]

If you have nostalgia for the good old days of 2006, this is the play that will "bring it all back to you". 2006. Bebo. Nokia 2280. The end of Destiny’s Child. The start of Rihanna. And Stoge Chollonge: Teens all over NZ dancing about the issues that matter: violence, racism, war, computers taking over the world, presented with a rousing finale dance to Darude’s Sandstorm. RIP Steve Irwin. This play promises to be a hilarious romp into the life I once knew as a teenager. Check it out and book soon as this one is sure to be popular!

Monday 13 Feb, Tues 14 Feb - 7pm - 8pm
VENUE - Bats Theatre
PRICE - $12 - $18

5. Troll

[Performance Bits]

After touring the world with their previous works, award-winning Wellington company Trick of the Light Theatre are returning to NZ Fringe with TROLL - a brand new one-man performance. Combining storytelling, music, and puppetry, this uncanny tale of the digital age will be staged at 17 Tory Street from February 12-15. Written by Ralph McCubbin Howell, and directed by Hannah Smith, this darkly comic show brings the innovative design and intricate narrative that enchanted audiences with The Bookbinder into the contemporary world. Inventive staging transforms the devices we use everyday - smartphones become light sources, laptops turn into skyscrapers, and charger cords morph into puppets. A network of hyperlinked stories build to a tale both mythic and modern in the vein of David Mitchell (The Bone Clocks).

Monday 13 Feb - 15 Feb - 6:30pm and 8:30pm
VENUE - See Fringe.co.nz
PRICE - Koha

6. Alayne's Cat Safari

[Wind in your Bits]

There's been a lot of hype around this show. People apparently want to go and hunt cats in Aro Valley. Make sure you book in because this one has already sold out a few shows. The title speaks for itself.

7. Personal Filter 2

[Performance Bits]

For Snapchat addicts, this show is a mix of technology and storytelling. Various stories around a theme are broadcast via Snapchat through the festival:

11 February - Women Aren't Wolves //
18 February - Apple Box Brand //
25 February - Discharge //
4 March - Making Friends Collective.

Sign up just using your phone and wait to start the journey. Username: Personalfilter

8. Marjolein Robertson: Relations

[Bit De Internazionale]

Fresh from the Edinburgh Fringe. Shetland comedian Marjolein Robertson has headed from her Scottish home, where she lives with her Mam, Dad, Sister, Brother-in-law and Niece to New Zealand to broaden her horizons and live with some cousins. After a successful debut run at the Edinburgh Fringe, in which Marjolein’s show “The UK’s 2nd Most Northerly Comedian” received warm reviews, she has now combined her love of comedy and New Zealand and her tax rebate to travel across the world to perform in Wellington.

Monday 13 Feb - 15 Feb/ 17 Feb - 18 Feb - 7pm
VENUE - See Fringe.co.nz
PRICE - Koha

9. The Internet is where Innocence goes to Die and you can come too

[Bit De Internazionale]

This show was the 2016 Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready winner. It is an existential comedy happening as the audience surfs the internet as a performative act. Sounds cooler than it, well, sounds. Featuring YouTube, Wikipedia, Reddit, and the memes of Meryl Streep, click through to this mysterious play.

19 - 22 Feb
VENUE: Bats Theatre
TICKETS: Fringe.co.nz

10. Fouvale Imperium

[Bit De Internazionale]

James Nokise performs a piece about the tales of Captain Cook, drawing on his Samoan ancestry. This Poem is made of commemorate the story of the finding of New Zealand, and what it means to be a Kiwi.

11. Manifesto 2083

[Performance Bits]

On July 22, 2011 Anders Behring Breivik killed 77 people and injured more than 200. What makes a young Norwegian man put on a police uniform and sail out to the island of Utøya on a quest to shoot as many politically active young people as possible? Before the terror attack Anders Breivik sent out a 1500 page manifesto containing everything from racist propaganda, philosophical reflections and bomb manuals to interviews he conducted with himself together with diary entries. Manifesto 2083 gives an extraordinary insight into the mind of man who radicalized himself in order to commit an act of terror that shocked the world. This play looks to be challenging yet moving. An insight into what makes 'crazy people' tick. Winner: Outstanding Performance, Dunedin Fringe Festival 2016 (Edwin Wright) Nominated: Best Theatre, Dunedin Fringe Festival 2016

13 - 18 Feb
VENUE: CircaTheatre, 1 Taranaki St, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
TICKETS: $30/$20/$15

12. Women at work

[Wind in your Bits]

Caution, work site ahead! Women have always worked, and here they are, working, getting in the way. All that emotional labour, ugh. Part circus, part protest, all live art. Come see the women at work. VENUE: Cuba Mall. For details see Fringe.co.nz.

13. Photival

[Ear and Eye Bits]

A photography exhibition for positive change, Wellington's first international photography exhibition in over a decade promises to be beautiful and thought-provoking. Runs between 18 Feb - 4 March at venues around Cuba St and Courtenay Place