Given how cruddy the weather has been of late, I would highly recommend you escape to the sleepy, sunbathed island of Karukam this weekend.

On Thursday night, Indian Ink Theatre Company kicked off its national tour here in Tauranga for their latest production Kiss the Fish, which is onstage at Baycourt Theatre on Friday and Saturday night.

Escape to the island of Karukam with Indian Ink Theatre Company's Kiss the Fish which is on stage at Baycourt Theatre tonight and Saturday night only. Photo: Supplied.

Created by Justin Lewis and Jacob Rajan, Kiss the Fish weaves together Balinese masks, ancient theatrics and modern pop culture to create an 'epic comic love story” that lives up to its billing.

It's directed by Justin, with Jacob heading an exceptional cast which includes actors Nisha Madhan and Julia Croft, actor/comedian James Roque and award winning musician David Ward.

This truly is a show that needs to be seen to be believed, and if you've experienced an Indian Ink production in the past, you'll agree with Jacob when he says: 'They're kind of hard to describe.”

Running for just over two hours, the show is nothing sort of enchanting and kept me enthralled from start to finish. It is the best example of stagecraft I've seen in a long time.

The story itself is and is not straight forward; it does veer and wind all over the place, which helps to keep audiences guessing, but it doesn't stray too far off course as to lose people.

Through the use of beautifully crafted Balinese masks, the four actors played a total of 11 characters Well, 15 if you include their roles as the island's mischievous monkeys.

What I enjoyed most was watching the actors portray one of their characters, then slip off stage for a quick mask change, then re-enter as a completely different denizen of Karukam.

Sure, masks help with any magical transformation, but it was much more than this – the actors completely changed their voices, their movements, and even something as simple as the way they stood.

The performance was also peppered with moments where the cast broke the fourth wall which worked brilliantly for me. While certainly scripted, it never felt fake or engineered.

Indian Ink is in the serious business of making you laugh and they certainly live up to this expectation. There were hearty laughs echoing through the entire theatre throughout.

Even those moments of poignancy, where you felt your heart starting to crack, were alleviated with a well-timed joke. I overheard an audience member saying ‘you laugh hardest when you're the saddest'.

Certainly, the show's use of humour to communicate rather serious and thought provoking notions was done very well. Case in point – Jacob's character Father John, the island's Christian priest.

If I had one wish it would have been for more of those poignant, sad moments, just to give the laughs more oomph. But it pays to note that this is coming from the man who absolutely adored the ending to George Orwell's 1984.

Along with some fantastic acting, the cast turned out to be talented musicians with amazing voices. There are some brilliant musical interludes during the performance, and if you're a fan of Queen, then this is a show for you.

Last but certainly not least - 'Thanks Dave!”

I hope Indian Ink don't mind me stealing one of their lines, but one-man band David Ward's music throughout the entire show was one of the big highlights for me.

Indian Ink presents Kiss the Fish atBaycourt Theatre tonight and Saturday night. Tickets cost $30-$55 for adults and $25-$55 for concessions. Booking fees may apply.

To purchase tickets visit: www.ticketek.co.nz

Photo: Supplied.