Yes Yes Yes

 

YES YES YES

 

Jamie and Ari like each other. Karin and Tom do too. 😊
They might be at two separate parties, but their stories are identical.
Until they really aren’t.

Part confession, part documentary, part open conversation, YES YES YES is a theatre show created for young people that explores the knotty and necessary topics of healthy relationships, desire and consent.

This latest work from award-winning duo Karin McCracken and Eleanor Bishop blends audience interaction with a captivating solo performance, and features in-depth interviews with teenagers from around Aotearoa-New Zealand.

CREATIVE TEAM

  • Written by: Eleanor Bishop & Karin McCracken

  • Performance: Karin McCracken, Hannah Kelly (2025 tour), Brynley Stent (2023 tour alternate), Arlo Gibson (2022 male version)

  • Direction: Eleanor Bishop

  • Lighting Design: Rachel Marlow for Filament Eleven 11

  • Originally Produced by Helen Sheehan for Zanetti Productions, Executive Producer: Lydia Zanetti,

  • Production Management: Ruby Reihana-Wilson (2019), Pilot Productions (2021-2024), Khalid Parkar (2025)

  • Technicians: Oliver Hawke, Khalid Parkar

  • Australian Producer: Fenn Gordon for Tandem

AWARDS

  • Outstanding Performance, Karin McCracken: Yes Yes Yes. Wellington Theatre Awards 2019

  • Excellence in Theatre for Social Change. Wellington Theatre Awards 2019.

  • Excellence for Overall Production, Auckland Theatre Awards 2019.

Workshop participants and interview subjects: Epsom Girls Grammar School, Papakura High School, Newlands College and Court Theatre Drama classes
Drama Teacher Liaisons: Anna Richardson (EGGS), Anita Imlach (PHS), Jo Matheson (NC) & Rachel Tully (Court)
Videographer: Sacha Stejko, Jack O’Donnell & Alex Hubert
Production Photography: Jinki Cambronero & Megan Goldsman

Commissioned by Auckland Live
Supported by Creative NZ, Boosted & Rape Prevention Education (RPE)

PRESENTATIONS

“One of the most relatable, raw portayals of how young people navigate consent
”
— Student
“Funny, thoughtful and entirely relatable
”
— NZ Herald
“Oh to have this show when we were 16. ”
— Kate Prior, Pantograph Punch
“intelligent, sensitive, honest, empathetic and insightful – all without a trace of preach”
— Theatreview

  • Hamilton Garden Arts Festival, Hamilton, 27-28 Feb 2019

  • Upsurge Festival, Bay of Islands, 5 April 2019

  • Southland Arts Festival, Invercargill, 2 May 2019

  • BATS Theatre, Wellington, 28 May-1 June 2019

  • Auckland Live, Auckland, 17-22 June 2019

  • TAHI Festival, BATS Theatre, Wellington, 22, Oct 2020

  • Circa Theatre, Wellington, 23-27 March 2021

  • Court Theatre, Christchurch, 18-20 May 2021

  • Te Kuiti Little Theatre, Te Kuiti, 10 June 2021

  • Court Theatre, Christchurch, 31 May - 3 June 2022

  • Herald Theatre, Auckland, 14-17 June 2022

  • Carterton Events Centre, 20 June 2022

  • Circa Theatre, Wellington, 28 June - 1 July 2022

  • Auckland Theatre Company, Auckland, 28 Feb - 1 Mar 2023

  • HOTA, Surfers Paradise, 28-29 August 2023

  • Horizon Festival, Sunshine Coast, 1 September 2023

  • La Boite, Brisbane, 4-6 September 2023

  • Arts Centre Melbourne, 11-15 September 2023

  • Reykjavik Arts Festival, Iceland, 2-3 June 2024

  • Westwind Festival, Essen, Germany, 5-6 June 2024

  • First Ontario PAC, St Catharines, Canada, 28 Feb 2025

  • Richmond Hill Centre, Canada, 3 March 2025

  • Rene Caisse Theatre, Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada, 4 March 2025

  • Vernon & District PAC, BC, Canada, 7 March 2025

  • Port Theatre, Nanaimo, BC, Canada, 11 March 2025

  • Kicking Horse Culture @ Golden Civic Centre, BC, Canada, 13-14 March 2025

  • Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA, 16&18 March 2025

LICENSING

  • Ie Ie Ie - Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru (Wales) 5 Feb -15 March 2024

  • SÍ SÍ SÍ - Teatre De L'Aurora (Barcelona) 1-3 March 2024

REVIEWS

  • “Intelligent, sensitive, honest, empathetic, insightful” Sarah Nathan, Theatreview, February 28, 2019

  • “Should you go? Yes. Yes Yes. Yes Yes Yes. Yes Yes Yes.” Hannah Banks, Theatreview, May 29, 2019

  • Hannah Banks, Radio NZ, May 29, 2019

  • “Consent culture”, Brigitte Knight, Theatrescenes, June 1, 2019

  • “In review: Yes Yes Yes”, Nidha Khan, Tearaway, June 19, 2019

  • “Why you should say yes yes yes to sexual violence prevention play”, Dionne Christian, NZ Herald, June 21, 2019

  • “Ten Moments in Aotearoa Theatre 2019”, Pantograph Punch, December 20, 2019

  • “Honesty, humour and balance sensitively shared”, Margaret Austin, Theatreview, October 23, 2020

  • “Theatre that truly makes a positive difference”, John Smythe, Theatreview, March 24, 2021

  • “Yes Yes Yes”, Wellington Reviews, March 27, 2021

  • “Yes yes yes to examining rape culture and consent in NZ”, Ines Almeida, Dominion Post, March 30, 2021

PRESS

  • “Should we teach 'Just say no' or YES YES YES?” TVNZ’s Re:, July 2018

  • “The myth of the tortured artist: How New Zealand is safeguarding mental health in the arts”, George Fenwick, NZ Herald, November 25, 2018

  • “A play about consent for teens”, Jesse Mulligan, Radio NZ, February 26, 2019

  • “YES YES YES uses theatre as a tool for educating teens about consent”, Alice Webb-Liddall, The Spinoff, May 26, 2019

  • “Talking with teenagers about consent and healthy relationships”, Kathryn Ryan, Radio NZ, May 27, 2019

  • “We Need To Talk About Sex In Schools”, India Essuah, The Pantograph Punch, May 28, 2019

  • “Auckland Theatre Award Winners named”, NZ Herald, January 17, 2020

  • Q&A: Eleanor and Karin, Capital Magazine, March 17, 2021

  • “Interactive solo performance highlights positive relationships and consent”, Hanna McCallum, The Press, May 26, 2021

  • “Inaugural Lecture: Professor David O’Donnell”, Te Herenga Waka - Wellington University YouTube, July 8, 2021

  • “Keeping it real: Three thumbs up for show that invites audience to be part of the dialogue”, Nance Haxton, In Queensland, September 6, 2023

  • “Theatre show tackles the tricky subject of consent education”, Suzannah Conway, Arts Hub, August 29, 2023