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“Colombo’s honest character is charmingly comical” - Theatreview

Letdown is an intimate, sharp-edged theatre work exploring the postpartum experience as it is rarely portrayed: raw, funny, frightening, and deeply human.

Drawing on letters written by Marea during late-night breastfeeding sessions, the work weaves together personal reflection, feminist history, and cultural myth to ask what happens when joy and terror arrive in the same body at the same time. Through stand-up–style comedy, surreal storytelling, and moments of creeping psychological horror, Letdown explores exhaustion, identity loss, bodily vulnerability, and the unspoken expectations placed on new mothers.

Laughter sits beside dread; tenderness collides with rage.

This is not a gentle birth story. It is a love letter, a warning, and a survival guide – written in milk, sweat, and dark humour – for anyone who has given birth, supported someone who has, or wondered why we do not talk about this part of life out loud.

Winner – Outstanding Performer 2023 Dunedin Fringe

Winner – NZ Fringe Tour Ready Award 2022

Winner – Most Promising Emerging Company 2023 NZ Fringe

Nominee – Best in Fringe 2024 Dunedin Fringe

Nominee – Best in Theatre 2024 Dunedin Fringe

Bios

Marea Colombo - Co-Writer and Performer

Colombo makes up half of Late Boomers, a local company established in Ōtepoti 2021. Originally from a dance background, Colombo came to theatre through the Dunedin-based comedy troupe Discharge in 2014. She has since become an integral part of the community, producing for Arcade Theatre Company and becoming the Artistic Director for Improsaurus. Her work with Late Bloomers has taken her across stages from Adelaide Fringe to NZ International Comedy Festival, where she was shortlisted for the Billy T Award in 2024. Her comedic strength is reflected in the plethora of award-winning one-woman shows she has created and performed.

Bronwyn Wallace - Co-Writer and Dramaturg

Wallace, the other half of Late Bloomers, has been producing theatre since the age of seventeen, before completing her Honours degree in Theatre and Gender Studies. She has extensive experience directing and producing theatre including being the Artistic Director for Counterpoint Productions, Production Manager for Improsaurus and co-creating Late Bloomers. Her passion lies in dramaturgy and direction, helping shape one-person shows into award-winning pieces (Babyface 2025, Baroness 2024, Flow 2023, Gaslight Me 2022). Wallace completed her Masters overseas and is currently working in Theatre and Events in Edinburgh.

Tabitha Littlejohn - Technical Design and Director

Tabitha is a theatre maker from Ōtepoti. Her work crosses many areas of theatre including technical design and operation, improvisation, writing, and teaching. As a technician, Tabitha is dynamic and precise with a great appreciation for the technician/ performer relationship and interplay. Her experience includes technical operation for Prima Facie (Birds of a Feather) and Wahine Mātātoa (Theatreworks), and design and operation for The Cherry Orchard (Sahara BreeZe) and Every Brilliant Thing (Birds of a Feather). Tabitha currently works as a Venue Manager for Te Whare o Rukutia and is studying a Master of Creative Performance Practice at Toi Whakaari.

LETDOWN

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