Erin Harrington reviews The First Annual Parnell Croquet Club Facebook Live Telethon, created and performed by William Burns (and friends), at Little Andromeda, Friday 22 May 2026.
The Parnell Croquet Club is in danger of folding, and community stalwart Pat Stevens (Will Burns) is here with her zip up vest, sensible shoes and tenuous wi-fi connection to save the day. Her beautiful vision: a telethon, like the ones in the glory days of the 70s and 80s, right here at the Little Androgynous Theatre. There’ll be games, challenges, and celebrity guests including, it couldn’t be, Neil Diamond? What could possibly go wrong? (Hint: everything.)
Will Burns’s show is a very funny, very well produced celebration of community that leaves the audience laughing, crying, and singing. The Telethon builds on the aspiration and chaos his earlier solo shows – An Intimate Evening with Peter Partridge and Shit Finds Love – both of which have been restaged in recent weeks as he looks to fundraise for his next show (very meta). This show has as much crowd work and nonsense, but it’s also a much more fleshed out dramatic world, integrating narrative and character arcs with production elements in manner so successful that I keep being surprised, even though I’ve seen the show in a previous season.
Burns is joined by Hillary Moulder, who plays Pat’s dedicated, doddering husband (and Telethon tech wrangler) Darryl with such fondness you just want to give him a hug. The character work is excellent. Burns has described this production as The Play That Goes Wrong but with more heart, and he and Moulder have so much affection for their daffy characters and their life-long dedication to one another, even as they both mess things up terribly.
There’s a litany of problems. Pat’s had to come south because Kat (a great video cameo from comedian Urzila Carlson) from the Parnell Lawn Bowls club stole her Auckland Town Hall booking (and more besides). The tech is on the fritz. Darryl’s messed up the bookings. Pat’s grandkids (also played by Burns) are only moderately helpful. The guests are bailing. The set is falling to pieces, and now even Debbie’s in the audience looking sour. Pat starts to lose it as off-stage challenges become onscreen disasters.
Underpinning this is a clash between Pat’s impossible ambitions, and the impact it’s all having on her relationship with Darryl. He’s been carrying the can, keeping the home fires burning, standing by his (wo)man, and various other idioms while she dedicates her life to the cause, and it’s all coming to a head. Their relationship is the backbone of the piece, offering a moving emotional throughline as everything around them goes tits up.
The whole show is impeccably presented. It is ambitious on and off-stage, with the various technical elements integrated beautifully. I don’t know how Burns has Harold the Giraffe on speed dial to be our night’s special guest, but you’ve never felt an audience lean forward in a thrilled collective what? so much.
The First Annual Parnell Croquet Club Facebook Live Telethon is a joyful, nostalgic reminder of why live collective experiences are so good (so good, so good). Highly recommended for anyone who loves their nan, is up for a cheeky pre-dinner The Chase, has ever worked with a grassroots organisation, and understands the power of a pot-banging singalong. Thank you very much indeed.
The First Annual Parnell Croquet Club Facebook Live Telethon plays at Little Andromeda until Saturday 23 May 2026. If you’ve missed out, you can find Pat on the Facebook at the club’s page here.
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