"I love Hawke's Bay and I can't wait to get there. It will be a welcome break from rehearsals for the Shortland Street Musical I am right in the middle of."
MAMIL (Remounted) explores male middle age crisis and was born after Hadlow joined a group of cyclists to get some exercise.
"I couldn't believe the things they talked about. It was not about sex or women as many people think, it was about mental health, relationships, business, it was a conversation and banter of course. You got a ribbing if you did something silly. It was better than therapy.
"I thought it would be amazing to do a something with it — maybe a one-man -show so I mentioned it to Gregory Cooper and before I knew it he had come back with a first draft."
The show is written and directed by Cooper and tells the story of Bryan Cook (Hadlow), a property developer who has made a load of money from building leaky homes. He's highly stressed, self-medicated and doesn't really like himself at all.
MAMIL (middle aged man in lycra) has performed all over New Zealand to sold out crowds.
"It's such a delight to perform and it's not just for people who ride bikes," Hadlow said.
"People from 80 to 13 have seen the show and loved it. The audience loves the change of characters. It's a fast-paced, in your face, full-on show."
He says Hawke' Bay is lucky to have someone like Pitsch Leiser [festival director] driving the arts festival.
"He does a great job. When he asked me to do the show, I said I would have to relearn it all. Pitsch just said 'well get on with it then'.
"Hawke's Bay people should embrace the festival and get out and support it."
He says he thinks people are a little more tolerant of MAMILs now because communities such as Hawke's Bay have got behind the cycle movement and built cycle lanes — "safe places for people to ride", he said.
"After all with the price of petrol climbing all the time and the government telling us we should be looking at electric cars, biking is a good option. It's good for your health and it's good for the environment."
Hadlow is of course no stranger to comedy and is well know for his roles in Willy Nilly, and some of the voices for the 1989 Peter Jackson puppet film, Meet the Feebles. He starred alongside New Zealand Maori comedian, Billy T James in The Billy T James Show.
On the international scene he is best known for playing Harry in King Kong and Dori, a Dwarf, in The Hobbit series.[1]
So get your tickets now for MAMIL (Remounted) before they sell out.
sidebar: MAMIL (Remounted)
Mark Hadlow
MTG Century Theatre, Napier
October 21, 7.30pm
October 22, 4pm
Fro more information and tickets go to www.hbaf.co.nz
