LAUGHING MATTERS
Vulnerable, powerful and a whole lot of fun, Riley Brebner’s brand of entertainment both tickles the funny bone and tugs at the heartstrings.
WORDS MONIQUE BALVERT O’CONNOR
Former Aquinas College student Riley Brebner used to get in trouble now and then for laughing and talking too much at school. Imagine turning that into the foundation of a career.
Riley’s done just that, and the theatre-maker will soon be on stage to deliver a smash-hit, debut solo show as part of the upcoming Tauranga Arts Festival – at which laughing will be fully encouraged. UNO’s thrilled to sponsor this home-grown talent.
Riley learnt about the power of laughter at an early age. It turned out to be an invaluable tool when it came to dodging detention and fitting in.
“I could diffuse a situation by making my teachers laugh, and I got into the popular group because I was funny,” they say. “I think I laugh more than many people. Humour’s a big thing for me – it’s how I connect with people. I’d never survive in a serious job.”
Instead, 25-year-old Riley has a job that’s designed to make you chuckle. Their hour-long solo comedy show Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat, which Tauranga festivalgoers will soon get to enjoy, was a sell-out success in Auckland recently. It also won Riley the Most Promising Emerging Artist award and the Dunedin Fringe Tour Ready award at the NZ Fringe Awards in Wellington.
In a mockumentary format, the show follows four students (all played by Riley) rehearsing for a Stage Challenge performance. It’s written from the teenager’s perspective as they endeavour to win the nationals, and tracks the rehearsal process – in which lots of things go wrong and relationships form.
Speaking from their parents Megan and Mark’s Tauranga home, Riley says, “I describe it as a love letter to the arts. Think of the number of hours you put into preparing for a performance like Stage Challenge, and at a time when your understanding of the world is so funny. It’s when you learn about bigger things, form opinions and your own identity, feel vulnerable, have crushes, discover where your passion lies. As a teenager, I remember thinking, ‘This is my whole world’.
“It’s so fun to perform and play these teenagers, who are based on people I went to school or drama school with – and I reckon I’m a little bit of all of them. It’s nostalgic in terms of overall high school experiences.”
Speech and drama and a good dose of acting were all part of Riley’s school years. They enjoyed performing in Tauranga Musical Theatre’s The Wizard of Oz and The Little Mermaid, then directed Chitty Chitty Bang Bang during a gap year before heading off to study at the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art in Christchurch. They graduated in 2022 with a Bachelor of Performing Arts and the realisation that acting and creating work was a passion – as well as the way to be seen and get work in Aotearoa’s performing arts world.
Riley says their favourite thing about theatre is how impactful it can be. Educational work to benefit young people was an early post-graduate focus, via school tours of performances including Crash Bash, about safe driving, and Sex Wise, on sexuality, consent and online safety. Then came a successful audition for TV show, Camp Be Better, which spurred a move to Auckland.
Riley loves that their adopted city has a fabulous improv scene and a group called Bull Rush that puts its hilarious, fast and fearless acting on show every Friday at Basement Theatre. “That’s been my launch into the Auckland theatre scene... how I got seen and got to meet the right people and set up important connections,” says Riley, citing comedian Tom Sainsbury as a mentor.
Performing with Bull Rush, touring Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat, writing a TV show, creating a play, working to pay the bills, and studying towards a post-graduate qualification in teaching all keep Riley happy and busy. Becoming a drama teacher one day could be on the cards.
“I have a passion for working with teenagers. It’s the seed from which a lot of my work inspiration comes from. Teenagers need stories in which they can see themselves.
“My favourite theatre is vulnerable comedy – it comes from people living in their truth. ‘Tickle the ribs, then stab the heart’ is a quote I really love. You’re allowing your audience to feel safe, connect with you and let you in, and at the same time you’re talking about really important things. These are the shows that affect me and inspire my own work.
“Oh, and it’s great to have people laughing.”
A Canadian acrobatic troupe, singing sensation Macy Gray, local legends Hittmen Bucket Drummers, bilingual theatre, cult cabaret, music shows, classical piano, a pocket orchestra, a light installation, a poetry slam, a zinefest, a literary programme, an interactive gaming event, comedic performances and more – Tauranga Arts Festival 2026 is set to deliver big time.
Eleven days and nights will be jam-packed with fun from October 22 to November 1.
Visit TAURANGAFESTIVAL.CO.NZ for information and tickets. Tickets are also available from Baycourt and Eventfinda.