Hideto Ambiguous now launches from Wellington his North Island tour of the one-man tragicomedy “The Unfolding of Benjamin’s Misery” which won Best Words and Ideas Award at Melbourne Fringe Festival 2019. Partially based on Hideto’s own migrant experience of work exploitation, casual racism, and cultural fetishism, this play reveals how global capitalism even preys on popular progressive ideals such as cultural diversity, equal opportunity and celebration of art. With nothing but his characters and original poetry, music and dance onstage, Hideto examines potentials and limits of an individual everyday dissident in a collective fight for global transformation in this age of xenophobia.
“His poetry is lovely and soul-baring, flirting with the edges of provocation.” –theatreview
Benjamin who now presents himself as a storyteller narrates the audience through the most miserable night he had when he was still exploited as an undocumented migrant at a small entertainment venue. With Marebito the night’s guest spoken word artist not showing up even 15 minutes after the starting time, Martin the sadistic venue manager forced Benjamin to entertain the audience impromptu with some traditional Asian dance as a stand-in. Though Benjamin was not a dancer and rather grew up with Hollywood, he had no other choices but to humiliate himself onstage to keep this job. It was only afterwards Marebito finally arrived. Benjamin in deep despair had no idea how this encounter would soon begin to unfold his misery not just of the night but of his entire life, and ultimately make who he is today. But how could just a poetry performance change one’s life so radically? Well, now that’s Benjamin’s job to tell us the answer. Let us just be ready to listen to the story of a nobody.
Hideto Ambiguous is a Japanese theatre-maker/performance poet whose artworks focus on narratives of the cultural others as he himself has spent past seven years living abroad in USA, Mexico, UK, China, and currently Aotearoa New Zealand.
He won the Best Words and Ideas Award at Melbourne Fringe Festival 2019 (AUS) with “The Unfolding of Benjamin’s Misery.” The show is now on its North Island Tour 2020 (Wellington, Palmerston North, Napier, Rotorua, Hamilton, and Auckland).
He is also the winner of Liverpool Poetry Slam 2018 (UK).
His first poetry collection, “Foreigners in Me” will soon be published by Lastbench/Antivirus productions in Liverpool, UK.
The Unfolding of Benjamin’s Misery North Island Tour 2020 – WELLINGTON
Dates: January 15th-16th, 2020
Times: 7:30PM
Venue: The Fringe Bar, 26-32 Allen Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Tickets: $15 (Tickets available at https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2020/the-unfolding-of-benjamins-misery/wellington)
Website: https://hidetoambiguous.weebly.com/