The Tavern, The Yarns, The Madness
For writer, producer and actor Matt Hicks, The Tavern (2025) may be a Cambridge-made film, but the soul of the story was shaped just as much by the Coromandel.
This unruly Kiwi comedy follows five small-town battlers racing against time to save their beloved rundown tavern from a slick Ponsonby property developer with sinister plans for the site. It’s low-budget, proudly independent, R16, and has been described as what might happen if Flight of the Conchords had a bastard child with South Park and raised it in the Waikato.
The film features Josh McKenzie (La Brea, The Hunting Party), veteran actor Mick Innes (the voice of the iconic Hammer Hardware ads), NZ Idol Ben Lummis and a cast packed with talent from Cambridge, Te Aroha and the wider Waikato, along with cameos from former All Black Zac Guildford and a colourful mix of personalities from rugby, racing and beyond.
But for Hicks (aka DJ Honest Matt aka DJ SkrillHicks), the real inspiration behind The Tavern came from more than a decade spent DJing in the Coromandel.
Hicks has rung in the New Year many times at Waihi Beach Hotel and, more recently, Whitianga Hotel, while also becoming a familiar face at Smoky Pallet Freehouse, Junction in Thames, Beach Hop, and Dance Farm at Joe’s Farm over the last 10 to 15 years. Those years immersed in the region’s pubs, festivals and unforgettable local personalities left a lasting mark. The smoky back bars, the rough-around-the-edges regulars, the larger-than-life yarns – all of it became part of the DNA of The Tavern.
The idea for the film may have started in Cambridge, with early scenes written while Hicks was living in London, but the story truly found its voice during a week in Whangamatā. With the internet switched off and no distractions, the bones of the story came together – and with them, the unmistakable influence of the Coromandel.
That influence even appears on screen. One of the film’s characters, Keitz, wears a Thames Valley Swamp Foxes jersey throughout the movie – a tribute to the region and to the unforgettable Meads Cup victory celebrations Hicks was lucky enough to DJ.
The Coromandel also played a huge role in helping The Tavern find its audience. The Left Bank Theatre in Thames, with the support of David Mulholland, hosted three sold-out screenings, The Theatre Waihi led by Hollie Weir, had the quickest sell out the film has ever seen, while Anne-Maree and Matt McDougall at Mercury Twin Cinemas in Whitianga championed the film with multiple successful sessions, including collaborations with the Mercury Bay Marlins and the CoroCine Film Festival.
That kind of grassroots backing helped turn The Tavern into one of last year’s surprise underground hits. The film went on to screen in 40 cinemas nationwide, selling out sessions around the country and outperforming many films made with far larger budgets. In true Tavern fashion, the team even brewed its own signature beer – Piss – a cheeky, irreverent nod to the humour and rebellious spirit that gave the film its cult appeal.
That momentum helped propel The Tavern onto TVNZ+, where audiences around the country can now discover it.
While The Tavern may be a Waikato story on the surface, the Coromandel is woven through its heart. If you missed it on the big screen, now’s your chance visit TVNZ+ and watch The Tavern today.
For more information visit www.thetavernmovie.com
Words by Graham Lauder
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