Show Review: Ode to a Grape

Em Barrett: Ode To A Grape

VENUE: The Motley Bauhaus

DATES: 28 September – 3 October 2026

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Four Stars

In the upstairs room of the Motley Bauhaus, an intimate crowd awaits with bated breath. A minimalistic stage with just a black curtain awaits the audience.

A microphone crackles to life and a voice booms out:

“Great art does seem most flourish. Weather is great pain to nourish”

Onto the stage steps Johann, a quirky little man with slicked back hair and a strong Berlin accent. Johann, surrounded by grapes informs us that he has travelled all the way from   Aotearoa and we  may have seen his  works published in certain underground publications, such as Eternal darkness,  Nihilist Rage or perhaps Women’s Weekly.

Tonight the audience is in for a treat- Johann is launching his book- Ode To a Grape.

We are drawn into the world of grapes, via Johann who has a wonderful affinity with the small ubiquitous fruit.

Along the way we also meet Johann’s very encouraging and slightly Scottish inner child, who gives him support, and a little violence when Johann’s inner demon threatens to derail the show with self sabotage.

 

A baby crawls throughout the night on shards of glass towards the light. In the distance, there are screams of endless, scheming robot machines. 


The baby clambers, elbow, and knee, knowing only one thing, poetry. Each prick of glass only makes them stronger, whilst verses and pros get longer and longer.

A ray of hope lights ups the dark. 
And the shots of glass turn into bark. Oh, but not that kind of bug.

Elbow, need it on time to toe. 
And now he’s running, but his parents say, No! It’s like a… Okay, fine.


That little boy was dragged back to hell, also known as Limburgh, under love. That little boy, both me. His verses and pros were torn from him, bone by one.

Johann recites snippets of poetry, each with perfect timing and prose, while telling us his life story. We don’t just get a book launch, we get a trauma dump, all dressed up in a quirky turtleneck.

Performing as Johann, Em Barrett  a queer emerging artist gets the chance to be utterly transformed and is completely ridiculous. Em gives a performance that is polished but allows room for improv. When calling on a very reluctant audience to participate, Em sees it as a challenge and runs with it expertly. Giving an absolute masterclass on how to deal with a very tough audience, Em doesn’t let it take them out of character and leans into the lack of participation. The show could have been a disaster as the audience simply refuses to participate, at times leaving Em hanging, and turning it around is sheer brilliance.  It takes enormous courage to stand on a stage, presenting your art and is an incredibly vulnerable moment- for Em Barrett to do this deserves applause. The show is quirky, fun and wholesomely unique. To step outside one’s comfort zone and create a character, bring him to life and present an entire show that is different and unique is a breath of fresh air.

Ode to a Grape is utterly ridiculous, stupid fun and Johann is a wonderful character that will long be remembered for more than just his love of grapes.