Grumpy Old Man in Lycra

Kiwi theatre veteran Mark Hadlow is back on his bike for the grumpier sequel to his one-handed tour-de-force MAMIL. Middle Aged Man in Lycra was enjoyed by 70,000 people around New Zealand and Hadlow is expecting a similar response to his follow-up show GOMIL (Grumpy Old Man In Lycra).

“Boomers who have aged alongside me over the past decade will find a lot to laugh at, that said it’s a show for all generations…we’ve all got the ‘golden years’ coming at us!” Hadlow says. “I once again take on the persona of Wayne, the founder and father figure of the original MAMIL peloton - still with knees akimbo and lots of opinions but even more grumpy!”

The ten years post-MAMIL have taken their toll on Wayne. He’s lost his beloved wife Maggie, his son has moved to the other side of the world and getting on the bike just seems to be getting more difficult every day. Then calamity strikes, life is turned upside down and Wayne must face a whole lot of new questions – questions Hadlow says will be extremely relatable for the GOMIL audience.
“He’s asking can he still take care of his quarter acre section? Is a four-dollar glass of shiraz and free bowls enough incentive to move into a retirement village? And why is he still getting up at 5am when there’s nothing for him to bloody do anymore?” Hadlow says. “It’s a funny but poignant examination of one Kiwi bloke’s battle to find purpose amongst the prostate examinations.”

Hadlow describes GOMIL as ‘live theatre at its best’ and a show that ‘promises insight and clarity on who, what and where we are at this stage of the 21st Century’.

GOMIL reunites the original MAMIL ‘dream team’ of actor Mark Hadlow best known for his role as Dori the dwarf in ‘The Hobbit’. Hadlow has now made Nelson his home, using his out-of-town connections to bring top theatre to his new home city. He has cooperated before with writer/director Gregory Cooper on That Bloody Woman, Mr & Mrs Macbeth of Dodson Valley Road, and The Complete History of Nelson Abridged. Sean Hawkins' lighting design will illuminate the magic and Nelson legend Bob Bickerton will create a soundscape to bring Wayne’s world to life.