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The Frogs: A Modern Adaptation by Don Zolidis Old Boys’ Theatre 25–27 June 2019 Christ’s College and Rangi Ruru Girls’ School Junior Drama Production By arrangement with NZ Play Bureau Ltd Touted by one patron as “one of the funniest College shows I’ve seen”, The Frogs: A Modern Adaptation entertained even the most sceptical of theatregoers. Borne out of the chaos of marrying up Greek ensemble theatre with Elizabethan conventions and a cast of over 30 incredibly eager junior students, this production aimed to deliver a laugh a minute with exceptional success. While preserving Aristophanes’ classic satire, The Frogs: A Modern Adaptation forces the audience to question whether reality television shows like Love Island and Keeping Up with the Kardashians have ruined our definition of entertainment. Have we grown lazy in our expectations for amusement,

happy to watch people degrade themselves for their 15 minutes of fame? Why does no one go to the theatre anymore? In case you missed it, the show opens with Dionysus (Oscar Gosling), God of Wine and Theatre, demeaning his long-suffering slave Xanthias (Ciaran Huntley). Dismayed with the lowbrow offerings of the modern entertainment industry, Dionysus decides it is time to bring culture back to the masses and embarks,

with Xanthias, on a quest to retrieve legendary playwright William Shakespeare (William Olsson) from the underworld. Things go awry when they are accosted by an army of reality-TV-loving demon frogs. The frogs appear croaking from the mists of the underworld, threatening to destroy our heroic duo unless they create more reality TV shows for their enjoyment. Each frog tells their own heart-wrenching sob story Dr Phil-style, starting with the doomed

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