How to Art

Two actors, dressed as bananas, bunching together in an art gallery with expressions of delight.

Harriet Maire

Image of two performers, covered by a giant piece of duct tape, attaching them to a white wall. They are seemingly naked apart from black socks and yellow beanies, referencing Maurizio Cattelan's 'Comedian'. They are attached to the wall side-on, with expressions of terror on their faces. On the wall to the right is a plaque with a blurred description and a small 'sold' sticker.

Leilani Heather

Two actors dressed as bananas are stuck together with duct tape, standing in an art gallery and looking at the audience with expressions of excitement.

Harriet Maire

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An award-winning clown-fruit-mash-up about making art, surviving, and chasing mass a-peel.

Two bananas wake up duct-taped to the wall of a prestigious art gallery and meet their maker. Three artists, two auctions, one audience. Will anyone get paid?

Winner of the ‘Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award’ 2025, How to Art is a physical theatre-clown-fruit-mash-up about making art, surviving, and chasing mass a-peel.

In a world that values youth, perfection and mass production, can two bruised bananas go the distance? Ripe with potential, can they find their place before they’re put up for sale?

Jesters, collectors, and narcissists reign in this low-brow exploration of the cost of creativity and the art of living.

Find out how starving these artists truly are.

Watch out, Picasso.

Birthed from the burnt-out brains of NZ Theatremakers Katie Burson and Georgie Llewelllyn, and fresh from charming the art connoisseurs of Aotearoa, this critically-acclaimed fruity fable leaps the ditch for its Australian premiere. Echoing the controversy of Maurizio Cattelan's infamous ‘Comedian’, How to Art invites the audience to question hierarchy, ownership, and the repercussions of the 'red sticker'.

You'll never eat a ladyfinger the same way again.

“The design elements – Production design by Rob Byrne; Props and Object Design by Tse-Yu Lin; Costume Design by Dan Collings; Sound Design by Fia Haugh; Lighting Design by Alylai Flynn – flawlessly contribute to a whole that is a living artwork in itself.” - John Smythe, Theatreview.

How to Art is presented by Ratbags Theatre (NZ), with performances by Katie Burson (Room on The Broom, Wheelhead), Bronwyn Ensor (Murder on the Orient Express, Émilie) and Georgie Llewellyn (The Wedding, Cowboy Dreaming).

““One of the funniest shows I have ever seen anywhere” - Lexie Matheson, Theatreview”

Theatreview

“"Every element of their exquisitely physicalised awakening, freeing themselves from constraint, discovering their environment, their rudimentary voices, then us, is endearing." - John Smythe, Theatreview”

Theatreview

““This show takes ridiculosity to the extreme.” - Sharu Delikan and Tim Booth”

Basement Theatre

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Event Info

Important Event Information

How to Art is a clown show with playful audience interaction. Most of the direct participation will be focused on the front rows, and audience members who indicate that they do not want to participate will not be forced to.

The Access guide to How To Art, including Low Sensory information can be found here.

A Visual Guide to Trades Hall can be found here.

Content Warning

Sexual References, Death

Funder Credits

Supported by the Creative Communities Scheme (NZ). This project is a recipient of a Melbourne Fringe Tour Ready Award.