These props range from the decorative to the integral, but months after seeing the shows remain memorable. Proof that imagination and time can work wonders with little or no budget.

A volcano – Ernest Rutherford: Everyone Can Science
Auckland’s favourite potential natural disaster played a starring, spectacular and marginally educational role in the life and times of a certain Ernest Rutherford, he of the $100 bill, impressive moustache and some business with atoms.

Whiteboards / blackboards – Manifesto 2083, The First 7500 Days of My Life, and Ernest Rutherford: Everyone Can Science
Clearly the most popular prop when wanting to explain basic concepts to an audience, from complex algebra to why killing people seemed like a good idea at the time. Bonus points for nearly causing the most random ACC claim of the year.

Clouds – Jesus Christ Part II
A wooden cross plays a more prominent role in the show (apologies for giving away the ending, but aren’t most sequels just reruns of the original?) but I liked the clouds, as seemingly the most / only substantial thing to exist in heaven. There won’t be any champagne or strawberries but it can be guaranteed to rain at some point, how very Auckland.

McDonalds happy meal – If There’s Not Dancing At The Revolution, I’m Not Coming
The best concealed prop of the year, but as the show is returning this year I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise. Lets just say that it also involves some pretty funky dance moves, and an impressive temperature tolerance.

Stationery – Tiny Deaths
Not sure I’ll ever be able to look at a pad of A4 paper in quite the same way again, or the colossal squid in Te Papa…

Fruit, vegetables, and Sun Maid raisins – The Last Man on Earth (Is Trapped in a Supermarket)
How to humanise the food we eat, and put special meaning into the lady pictured on the front of your box of raisins. Bananas have feelings too.