An audience-to-audience performance experience by Boca Del Lupo
There’s something quietly delightful about stumbling into a piece of theatre that asks so little of you and yet reveals so much. Red Phone is exactly that kind of surprise: fun, interactive, and an unexpectedly charming way to break up your day if you’re even a little bit curious.
You step into a beautifully crafted vintage red phone booth, lift the receiver, and suddenly you’re both performer and audience in a tiny world built for two. A teleprompter sits between you and the unseen voice on the other end, who might be a friend, a partner, or a complete stranger, guiding you through short, scripted dialogues written by world-class playwrights, including Aotearoa’s own Victor Rodger ONZM. It’s intimate, a little mischievous, and strangely revealing, like being caught singing in the shower and realising you don’t mind.
Boca del Lupo, the internationally acclaimed Canadian company behind the installation, has toured this work through Canada, Norway, and Latin America, and now it’s tucked into Tāmaki Makaurau for a brief window from March 4–7. It’s free, it’s small-scale, and it’s the kind of participatory theatre that feels more like a social experiment than a performance; a reminder that conversation itself can be a form of art.
Not everything lands perfectly. The audio is on the quiet side, and because you’re reading instructions while trying to listen, the experience leans more toward concentration than immersion. You’re aware of the mechanics even as you’re inside them. But the uniqueness of the setup; the handcrafted booth, the red phone, the thrill of speaking scripted words to someone you can’t see; still carries a certain magic.
What lingers is the simplicity: two people, one phone line, and a script that becomes a tiny, shared moment. Whether you go with someone you know or take the plunge with a stranger, Red Phone offers a gentle, curious reminder that even the smallest conversations can become theatre.
Red Phone was conceived by artistic directors Sherry Yoon and designed by Jay Dodge, with technology by Carey Dodge
This event is free! You do not need to book tickets; you can just show up. If there are a lot of people, you may need to wait for your turn.
Red Phone is available March 4-7, 11am - 5pm at Aotea Centre, Auckland