Messy

Messy The Play | Theatre

Wellington Te Whanganui-a-Tara

$3,105.00 of $2,500 Raised

$3,105.00 of $3,500 Stretch Goal Raised

124%

60 Generous Donors

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Stretch Goal Message

23 Oct 2025

We're beyond grateful to have made our target, and we'd like to thank everyone who helped us get there - whether the donation was big or small, it made a world of difference!

The costs of putting on a production are high! So we're adding a stretch goal of $3500 to help us elevate our project to be the best that it possibly can be.

We're also excited by the prospect of future seasons of 'Messy', and would love to invest as many resources as we can into helping grow that possibility so that we don't need to continue asking for help between seasons.

So while there's still time, please donate or share - the impacts of this will be felt greatly.

Much love,

The team at 'Messy' ❤️

Overview

Messy is a dark comedy about two women leaning on each other.

Freya is solid and grounded but losing her spark. Gracie is a wildfire who is ready to burn the world to the ground.

They’re struggling to navigate their first year as artists in the real world. Finding that having money, sanity, and artistic purpose at the same time is nearly impossible.

The play came about from real conversations between Tara and Cayla and from discussions with clothing designers, visual artists, photographers, actors, directors, singers, dancers and chefs who all felt that education in their field kicked the stuffing out of them, and left them utterly drained on the doorstep of real life. But who also we’re not willing to give up on their dreams.

Messy speaks to those still on the doorstep and those who have made it into the house of dreams but still remember the days of accidentally dying their potatoes blue, because they had to use the same pot to boil the blue fabric for their designer dreams

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Donors

Anonymous

Have a great season. Toi Toi Toi
Ross Burrows
Hugo Snell
Anonymous
Kiri Chelley

You’re incredible Cayla!

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Project Updates

225 Days Ago

Thank you to our donors so far- how the funds are being used

A quick note to our donors.

We have been so grateful for your donations so far. Every dollar makes a difference and every email uplifts our spirits as we put in long hours to make this show. If you could see how many messages I’ve got from Cayla and vice versa moved by the people who have come forth from our lives to support us.

What have we been up to with the money that has been donated thus far?

Crucially, I ( Tara) have flown from Auckland to Wellington.

We have signed contracts with BATS

We have designed posters

We have printed our final scripts

We have held our first 10 rehearsals; first script analysis and then we have put together a block of the entire play.

We have hired rooms at Toi Poneke and used them to hold auditions for the role of Annie.

We have cast Annie .

We have purchased mountains of scarves.

Nailed down the set pieces required for the stage. Cooked orange slices to be made into garlands for the stage. Purchased the supplies needed for the remaining mushrooms that have to be made and begun crafting them.

We have reached out to radio stations to see if they will interview us

We have booked in facilitation sessions with experts.

Much of this would be impossible without the knowledge of our incoming funding. We would be rehearsing in the park (neither of our homes are suitable) reading our scripts on our phones and preparing to perform on a barren set-less stage.

We are so grateful for your support thus far. Please continue to share our Boosted as we are seven days from the close! Much love to you all,

Tara, Cayla and the team of Messy