ABSTRACT
The Generation of Z: Apocalypse is one manifestation of a wider contemporary trend in New Zealand theatre toured globally that does not engage with the cultural work of representing the nation within its content. Writers, David Van Horn and Simon London, and producers, Charlie McDermott and Beth Allen, debuted the first incarnation of the show under the title Apocalypse Z in Auckland’s Aotea Square in 2013 (Benjamin Farry later joined the writing team from the Edinburgh season onwards). Although a Zombie apocalypse is a fantasy scape, the concept opens reflections of what the individual might be capable of if attempting to survive a social breakdown. The Zombie apocalypse works well within the immersive form when it presents the audience with moral choices. The Generation of Z: Apocalypse represents an attempt by New Zealand theatre makers to free themselves from the restraints of locality in order to pursue the experiential economy and a global market for Zombie media products.
