28 May 2012
Well, the dust has very much settled on our South Island galavanting, but things are very much alive here at The Bitches Box HQ. We are thrilled to announce our plans for a North Island Tour, beginning October 17 2012, which will see us in 20 different sheds around the North! If you have a shed you think we should be visiting, please get in touch.
Meanwhile, you can read all about our adventures in the current Young Country Magazine. Go here for a look at this great magazine! (we’re on the cover with Richie McCaw!)
20 March 2012
Six shows on the trot and our wee traveling theatre and music show is taking a well earned break out at Bluff Station, the venue for last nights bumper show. So many helpers were on standby when we arrived which made pack in and out an absolute joy. Not to mention the DELICIOUS passionfruit slice handed around with cups of tea. What hospitality!
The week started out at the iconic Takaka pub The Mussel Inn. After a hearty meal of scallops and mussels, we bounced onto their well worn stage. A quick glance at the visitors book told us we were in very good company and the evening was washed down with some of their delicious ales.
Next on the list, Nelson and the Spring Grove Drill Hall. A charming old hall built in 1900 for young men to practice their rifle shooting before being shipped off to the various World Wars. Wonderful burgers served up by the neighbouring playcentre kept everyone warm and satisfied as the sun went down.
The first of two Blenheim shows next (the first one sold out VERY quickly!) at The Throne. Our wonderful hosts, David and Sue Dillon did a superb job, not only telling so many people about the show but David even had an entire staircase built up to the embankment to allow for more audience! So much fun to be had at The Throne, we were very happy to return for another full house on Sunday night.
Inbetween we tore down to Kaikoura and strung the red curtain up at The Point. A raised board shed that is used to seeing audiences for their daily shearing shows. We were thrilled to host a Hen’s Party and our M.C. Tom ensured the ladies had a night to remember.
Look at us on the telly :
12 March 2012
Week Three had us travelling through some of the most beautiful parts of the South Island, with the first show at the Remarkables Park Red Barn. The old hangar (which was helicoptered to the site in two parts from just over the fence!) is the home to the local farmers market every Sunday. We fired up the generator for this one and had a very warm and welcoming audience of locals and curious tourists!
Criffel Station is perched up in the hills overlooking the beautiful town of Wanaka. Country 99TV were down from Auckland for the Wanaka Show, so popped up with their camera to say hello. This is a very charming old shed with even more charming local folk and we woke up the morning-after, looking out to Mt Aspiring. Divine.
Cape Foulwind and Mel’s home turf! Whare Tangaroa is an amazing 130 year old house, built by one of the original managers of the Denniston Mining Company, purely for entertaining. The house has been left to rack and ruin over the last 50 years and is currently being lovingly restored to its former glory. We were very excited to host one of the first parties there since the old days, and as more audience arrived, we kept squeezing more and more seats in. Another sold out show!
Time to hit the West Coast surf…
Criffel Station in Wanaka
6 March 2012
Built in 1856, Te Waimate is the oldest working woolshed in the country and Wednesday night kicked off the 2nd week of the tour. A beautiful shed where the original Totara posts still stand strong, looked after by our wonderful hosts Jan and Mike Studholme.
It got VERY chilly as we boosted further South to Traquair Station, 40mins outside Dunedin. Thankfully our bbq folk turned up with a diesel heater and hearty burgers to fuel the hardy souls who braved the balmy 4degrees evening!
Next stop : Shoreford, Riverton. Another charming red woolshed and our first venue without a raised board. Out came our wee makeshift stage, up went the curtain and low and behold A THEATRE! And as we bunked down in the little cottage next door, the locals had a good ol’ knees up long after the show was over.
The final show for the week took us to Noddy’s Hangar in Te Anau. Out came the helicopter (we all got a ride! thanks Mark!) and we set up to host over 90 local Te Anau folk on Saturday night. The hangar has seen many a party judging from the photographs on the wall and from the tales told around the diesel heaters!
And a very generous community has seen our few days off full up with Fiordland adventuring!
Bing from Te Waimate
27 February 2012
Well, the first week of our 5 week tour is over! After a wonderful opening at Quartz Hill Station we packed up and arrived at Mt Somers Station. Rain had meant that shearing was delayed and we waited in the wings whilst the gang finished their days work and we could throw up the red curtain.
Kakahu had buckets of fresh flowers awaiting our arrival (thanks Anna!) and the fundraising bbq, being run by the local karate club, had Cassidy and Jordan cutting some mean burgers. HeeeYA! Back to the homestead after the show where three labs and a jack russell had us in hysterics well after bedtime.
Buscot Station was another big show which saw us hunting out extra chairs and being Saturday night, the music stayed on long after the final curtain call!
A huge thankyou to our wonderful audiences and especially to all our hosts during our first week!
22 February 2012
OPENING NIGHT TONIGHT!
The curtains are up, the chairs are out, the wine is chilling….Quartz Hill Station woolshed is gearing up for the Opening Night of the ambitious 5 week tour that will see Mel, Amelia and Emma performing live in woolsheds up and down the South Island. Colin and Hilary Guild are hosting us tonight, and the woolshed is spotless!
See you out there!
18 February 2012
Our first show has sold out! As The Bitches’ Box & Mel Parsons are putting the final touches on the show, we are very excited to announce an extra date. Due to very popular demand, there will be another show on 25th MARCH at QUARTZ HILL STATION. Full details on our BOOK TICKETS page. Thankyou for the support!
12 January 2012
An inspired commercial from VW. We like very much :
Posted by Kent on February 21, 2012 at 9:50 pm
This so looks like an awesomely fun night! can’t wait – what a great tour of the ‘Mainland’ – need anyone to carry your bags?