Prowl Fest is a queer, camp, cabaret collective with several events in conjunction with Auckland Pride. I was lucky enough to head along to the final show PROWL – an award-winning exploration of the many shades of femininity.

Prowl Productions has created something truly fearless. Using street dance as a vehicle for political expression, the ensemble confronts gender and body politics head-on, challenging colonial legacies while lifting indigenous perspectives on femininity into the spotlight.

Image supplied by PROWL Productions.

Winner of multiple Auckland Fringe 2024 awards, including Outstanding Movement, NZ Fringe Tour Ready, and Auckland Arts Festival Tuakana. The show combined dance, song, poetry, audience interaction and even what felt like stand-up to keep the audience enthralled from start to finish.

Images by Afrina Razi.

The result is visceral and intimate all at once . At times the fierce as a dagger (dancer Lara Chuo commanding the stage with her stand out performance to Nine Inch Nails’ Closer) and then tender as a mother (such as the hauntingly intimate solo by Ella Rerekura). This is bold, emotionally charged work that centres BIPOC feminine experience across the gender spectrum, and it speaks with urgent relevance to the world we’re living in right now. The kind of show that stays with you long after the lights go down.

If you don’t already follow PROWL on social media – do. No doubt the next event (or events) will be as entertaining as this year. PROWL is a must- see.