Gorilla in our midst
A busking gorilla playing a piano accordion drew curiosity and joy from passersby in George St, Dunedin, yesterday.
Underneath the primate costume was Chester Dextar, who, after working in the movie industry, decided to create a character for himself.
He makes and sells costumes, but decided to keep the gorilla suit for himself.
‘‘It’s my thing.
‘‘I’m hideously ugly, so I wear a mask,’’ he joked.
‘‘I am just out there having some fun, trying to put some smiles on people’s faces.’’
Mr Dextar, as a gorilla, played a range of music from pop to old folk songs.
A sign on his zebraprinted donation box explained that his ‘‘baby needs a banana’’.
He began playing the accordion when he was about 8 years old and took up street performing about two years ago.
In 2019, he won a prize in the South Dunedin Busking Festival.
Mr Dextar said he had also started dreaming up his next character to keep his performance fresh — that was a pirate that played old sea shanties.
He will play at the Port
Chalmers Community Market this weekend.