How All You Had Was Fun Is Going

This week at Dramatic Pause is about All You Had Was Fun. In this, a little update about how the show is going – and where we're going to from here.

(If you don't want to read this piece and just want to donate to our campaign or book a ticket, donate here or book here. Your time is precious, as is your presence.)

Just under a month ago, we started rehearsals for All You Had Was Fun. In just under a week – six days, no stress – we'll bring All You Had Was Fun in front of an audience for the first time.

It's been a long journey to make it here. I've talked about it a bit in the press (here and here) but the genesis of All You Had Was Fun came out of the 2021 lockdowns. I missed being in rooms with friends and I missed being in rooms with actors – there's definitely some crossover there.

From that feeling of loss, albeit temporary, came the idea to write a show about friendship, about loss, about the spaces between those things. I also wanted to write a play that was an actor's playground. That any four actors could bring all of themselves, regardless of identity, age, gender, race, sexuality, ability, and a text could allow them to shine.

Over 2022, I worked with over 30 actors (below) to get the play to a point where it was able to be performed. I did a reading of it at Vogelmorn Bowling Club, where so many brilliant pieces of theatre have gestated. I did a reading of it at Q Vault, where I'm lucky enough to have brought some of my most experimental and strangest work (if any of you saw opening night of Stutterpop, the first and last time I'll sing in front of an invited audience, you'll know). I spent two weeks working on it at the Michael King Writers Centre.

This isn't a play that has sprung up overnight, is what I'm saying. I've put a lot of time, effort, and money into making sure that when it got onto stage, it was - apologies to put a sports metaphor in my arts story – matchfit.

I've applied for funding from Creative New Zealand to put this show on since 2024, and was miraculously successful in 2026. In one email, what was kind of a pipe dream became a reality. In a few more emails and a quick meeting, I locked in a ten date season at Q Theatre, in the Vault space, for November. I love that space, and wanted to reimagine it, and perhaps give other audiences, other practitioners, a chance to imagine themselves and their work into it.

I assembled a cast, and a team over the next few months. It's a dream team, a mixture of people I've known for years, and relatively new faces and friends. The cast of four – Max Crean, Kate Johnstone, Adeline Shaddick, Tyler Wilson-Kokiri – round out the ensemble show. It's by far the trickiest show I've ever written for actors, and they've cleared every single hurdle. These are some of my most favourite actors in the country, and it just so happens by coincedence that both Max and Kate did the first workshop of this piece, when it was just a 20 page precis. I can't wait for an audience to see what they can do, and for the industry to cast them in everything please.

The design team is also a mixture of old friends and new friends. Filament 11 have worked on a few shows of mine, from delivering a world-class cabaret design for Stutterpop in Q Vault only a few hours of tech time, to yet another world-class design for Burn Her in Q Loft that elevated every single aspect of that production. They've not only transformed Q Vault, but turned it into the perfect space for this wild piece of text to unfold.

On the other hand, Kristine Crabb has been kind enough to lend her eye, her taste, and her tremendous skill to design the costumes for this show. I swear, she knows these characters, and this world, better than I do. She has been an absolute dream to work with. Her name alone elevates this show to another echelon, her work propels and spirals it ever further upwards.

I also have to shout out, before opening, before even packing in, to the amazing people who have helped along the way. Nomuna Amarbat, for being a tremendous producer. Nightsong, for being so generous with their space. Elephant Publicity, for pitching the show hard, fast, and successfully. Everybody is doing their damndest.

I can say without a doubt: This is the best show I've worked on. This is the best process I've been a part of. I'm so proud of it. I'm so proud of everyone involved. I've never seen a show like this, I've never made a show like this, and maybe never will again. It's a show that might be polarizing, but you definitely won't be neutral on it. You'll walk out with questions, maybe your mate will walk out with questions too. You might have each other's answers. You might see it again, just to see what else you can wrangle from the work. That's what All You Had Was Fun is about. It's about friendship, it's about grief, it's about cycles. But mostly it's about what we can get out of "it" – whatever "it" is.

And so this story ends with a little plea:

We have a Boosted campaign. For those of you who are international, that's a crowdfunding campaign. It's unique in that if we don't make it to 100%, we don't get any of the funds raised.

If this has spurred you to donate, please do! As of this writing, we're at 66% with four days to go. We can make it! I have faith in us. But we need just one more big push to get us there.

If you've already donated, as many have, thank you! I appreciate it heaps. I won't forget it. You know I have a long memory, too.

If you're in Tāmaki Makaurau, I'd love to see you at the show. We run from November 18 through to November 29. If you're unsure when to see the show, the early shows could use a little love! I'm not too proud to admit that.

If you like my work and feel like sharing either the campaign or the fact that the show's happening, please do so with your friends! If you want to share it with your enemies, share it with them too. Will never turn down a paying enemy.

For the meantime, I'm gonna sign off. I'll post about the show maybe once or twice during, before I return to normal (erratically) scheduled Dramatic Pauses.

Love your work, Happy Friday,
Brooks xx