Theatreview Weekly: 10/03/2016
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See more recent reviews at theatreview.org, the NZ Performing Arts Review & Directory
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Hamilton Fringe 2016
BILL MASSEY’S TOURISTS: Impassioned recollection deserves full houses
Waikato Museum, Victoria Street, Hamilton
Written & performed by Jan Bolwell
Directed by Kerryn Palmer
Presented by Handstand Productions
- reviewed by Jan Maree
Not only does she beautifully portray her granddad Arthur and his mates Cyril and George, Sergeant Majors, ‘Tommies’ and training officers, she also bounces fluidly back into the youthful semblance of herself, showing us a staunchly anti-war teenaged Jan, one who frankly states that war is “Pathetic.” Amazing!
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
THE JAMES PLAYS: Scotland plays no games
Aotea Centre, Auckland Live, Auckland
Written by Rona Munro
Directed by Laurie Sansom
The National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre of Great Britain and Edinburgh International Fest (Scotland)
- reviewed by Matt Baker
I have no interest in slaughtering the sacred cow that is the Bard as seen in The James Plays’ marketing and publicity quotes (“Better than Shakespeare” says the review quote on the poster). This is not for concern of offending Shakespearean purists, but due only to the inequitable comparison of three plays and a life’s works.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
RANTERSTANTRUM REDUX: Balances coarse with clever, witty with raw
Otago University Bookshop, 378 Great King St, Dunedin
By Victor Rodger
- reviewed by Reuben Hilder
This is not a play for the weak of heart. The tension and shocking imagery in some scenes pack such punch in spoken word form I can only wonder at what it must be like to see them staged. As the characters are stretched to breaking point we see them explode with emotion that is sometimes terrifying and sometimes darkly funny.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
MARAMA: Call to action needs to be extended
Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland
Director: Nina Nawalowalo
Composer: Gareth Farr
Original Set Design: Nicole Cosgrove
Remount Set Design: John Verryt
Costume Design: Seraphina Tausilia
Lighting Design: Fabiana Piccioli
- reviewed by Raewyn Whyte
The narrative arc of this production is clear, from dawn to dusk, and overnight to the day beyond that, The first day stretches for aeons of peaceful, harmonious, repetitiously structured habitation, brought to life by a quartet of Pasifika women who animate the space with dance and song and ritual and taonga. The final night and morning bring a fifth woman and chaotic contemporary reality.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
THE VERY BEST OF THE 140 CHARACTER SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM: Good premise has promise
Dunedin Fringe Festival Club, 20 Princes St, Dunedin
Sanjay Patel
- reviewed by Jenny Gleeson
Tweets. Whether you’re a madly tweeting Millennial yourself or conversely know nothing about this recent phenomenon, Sanjay Patel’s comedy set is accessible across the ages. Sanjay delivers his description of not only the good features of tweeting, but also its downside or problematic aspects, in a mild and geeky manner that is not without some charm.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
THE JAMES PLAYS: Two Critics with the Egos of Three Kings
Aotea Centre, Auckland Live, Auckland
Written by Rona Munro
Directed by Laurie Sansom
The National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre of Great Britain and Edinburgh International Fest (Scotland)
- reviewed by James Wenley & Matt Baker
Critics Matt Baker and James Wenley went to the National Theatre of Scotland’s The James Plays over the weekend and podcasted their experience. Catch their conversation during the breaks of their nine hour theatre marathon.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
THE JAMES PLAYS: This is Netflix theatre; The Godfather in Scotland
Aotea Centre, Auckland Live, Auckland
Written by Rona Munro
Directed by Laurie Sansom
The National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre of Great Britain and Edinburgh International Fest (Scotland)
- reviewed by James Wenley
All up, it’s nine hours of your life. But this is no high-art slog, the James Plays are populist and rowdy, broken up into very manageable chunks – before you know it, is time for another interval. It manages to satisfy both our wavering attention spans and our desire for long-form storytelling.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
THE JAMES PLAYS: A vigorous testimony to the potency of historical drama
Aotea Centre, Auckland Live, Auckland
Written by Rona Munro
Directed by Laurie Sansom
The National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre of Great Britain and Edinburgh International Fest (Scotland)
- reviewed by Paul Simei-Barton
Scottish national pride takes centre stage in a spectacular display of robust, finely crafted theatre in which events drawn from the mists of medieval history are shown to be vitally relevant to understanding who we are today.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
THE JAMES PLAYS: Story well served in highly integrated theatrical banquet
Aotea Centre, Auckland Live, Auckland
Written by Rona Munro
Directed by Laurie Sansom
The National Theatre of Scotland, National Theatre of Great Britain and Edinburgh International Fest (Scotland)
- reviewed by Dione Joseph
The James plays are the jewels in the crown in the Auckland Arts Festival: brilliant production value, top-notch drama and impeccable acting. It’s a chance to experience the best of what an international festival can offer right here in Auckland and whether you’re a history major or care about the Scots one whit matters little; it’s an excellent example of international theatrical standards.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
THE IRIS PROJECT: Fascinating, dreamy, shocking, sad, courageous
Fortune Theatre Studio, Dunedin
Writings and poems of Robin Hyde
Set to music by Pete Stewart
Narrated by Kiri Bell
sung by Vebka
- reviewed by Terry MacTavish
Hyde’s career, her life and tragic death at thirty-three, offer a positive embarrassment of dramatic material, but Pete Stewart has made a judicious selection of some of her most evocative poems and further enhanced them by setting them to music.
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THE KISS INSIDE: Transcendant, meditative
Opera House, Wellington
Choreography: Douglas Wright
- reviewed by Ann Hunt
In a series of visionary scenes, some nightmarish, some beautiful, choreographer Douglas Wright reflects on humankind's capacity for deception and desire. Nothing is sacred, except perhaps the natural world.
Wright has intimated that this may be his last full-length work. We shall all be the poorer if this is so. No-one makes us think like Wright, and no-one holds up a mirror to our follies as he does.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
NOT IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD: Stories of refuge women heard loud and clear
Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland
Written and Directed by Jamie McCaskill
Presented by Tikapa Productions
in association with Te Whāriki Manawahine O Hauraki
- reviewed by Sam Brooks
We don't talk about domestic violence enough. We don't talk about the abusers, we don't talk about the victims and we don't talk about the people who ask for help and what that process is.
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New Zealand Festival 2016
PAGE TURNERS: Stunning performances of enchanting words from multi-layered pages
St James Theatre 1st Floor Gallery, Wellington
Directed by Jane Yonge
Produced by Isobel Mebus
- reviewed by Saran Goldie-Anderson
What do Te Rauparaha, Robin Hyde, Nancy Wake, James K Baxter and Carmen Rupe have in common? They were all Wellingtonians – and all trouble-makers.
The premise of Page Turners is as simple as this: these are people who shared the same land and broke new ground. Five people, five stories, all delivered from the pages of a book.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
THE TWO MORONNIES AND TOM MORSS: Could be more polished
Dunedin Fringe Festival Club, 20 Princes St, Dunedin
- reviewed by Nick Tipa
The Moronnies show consists of a number of popular songs from 40 years ago or more with parody lyrics. The subjects that they parody range from the exploits of Boris Johnson (the mayor of London) to the archetypal folk song. However, my favourite is definitely the Nandos song.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
LOVELY LADY LUMP: A rich and vibrant experience
Fortune Theatre Studio, Dunedin
Lana Schwarcz
- reviewed by Nick Tipa
Thoughtfully and hilariously, Lana details the experiences surrounding her cancer treatment alongside presenting moments of reality that leave the audience silently stunned. It is hard to explain just what Lana has achieved with this show, but she has taken this taboo subject and made it comedy; cathartic, real, honest comedy.
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CELESTIAL BODIES: Flitting through the gardens
Chinoiserie Garden, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
- reviewed by Debbie Bright
They swirl, bend, stretch, balance and briefly flit from place to place within this space before moving off down one of the adjoining pathways. Having recently attended a number of mobile performances in the Gardens, I am prepared. I call out to the other audience members, “I think we’re meant to follow them!” So, follow them we do. Casual garden attenders look astonished or shriek with laughter as these shiny beings flit by. Some stay to watch briefly, others continue on their way giggling or earnestly talking together about the meaning of what they have just encountered.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
A TENSION TO DETAIL: Leaves you with much more than the story
Dunedin Fringe Festival Club, 20 Princes St, Dunedin
Gerard Harris
Presented by THAT’S ENOUGH DRAMA
- reviewed by Kimberley Buchan
Harris makes his disdain for such performance fripperies as microphones and stages clear from the very beginning, eschewing both in favour of borrowing a chair from the audience, coming down to our level and telling us about the need for storytelling in our modern world.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
THE DREAM COLLECTOR: Beautiful, spooky and fascinating
St Paul’s Cathedral Crypt, The Octagon, Dunedin
- reviewed by Alison Embleton
What follows is both peculiar and compelling. The doctor speaks of the various stages of the dream cycle as he leads the audience through each installation, most are interactive in some way and all are exquisitely made. The feeling of unease permeates the entire space, but in the adrenalin-fuelled way of ghost stories.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
TAR BABY: Compelling way to bring racism to the fore
Spiegeltent, Aotea Square, Auckland
Platt Productions
(United States of America)
- reviewed by Janet McAllister
This clever, funny one-woman show is about the extremely sticky tar-baby problem of personal racism. Not the most sexy topic, as African-American performer Desiree Burch points out, but hey, we can do a deal here.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
SOLO COMMUNITY: Five short life stories
The New Edinburgh Folk Club, 50 Dundas St, Dunedin
Hahna Briggs
- reviewed by Hannah Molloy
On arrival, each member of the audience is asked to place a medal around Briggs’, neck - she is dressed in a leotard and standing on a chair, and is rewarded with an effervescent smile, a very personal and engaging way to start any performance. This exchange gives the audience a vested interest in the dance work and a recognition of their participation in the experience of Briggs’ movement.
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MACBETH: Grimly satisfying
The Court Theatre, Bernard Street, Addington, Christchurch
written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Ross Gumbley
- reviewed by Erin Harrington
Mark Hadlow offers a strong Macbeth whose complexity unfolds over the course of the show’s two hours, and I would happily watch Lara Macgregor’s marvellously textured Lady Macbeth all night. The scenes between the two thrum with tension.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
DUCK, DEATH AND THE TULIP: Faultless, enjoyable, challenging and expertly made
The Pumphouse, Takapuna, Auckland
Based on the book by Wolf Erlbruch
Adapted for the stage by – Peter Wilson
Director: Nina Nawalowalo
Composer – Gareth Farr
Little Dog Barking | Wellington, New Zealand
- reviewed by Lexie Matheson
The story line is simple. Duck lives happily by his pond. Death appears and we know immediately that Duck is not long for this world. Beside the pond, Tulip happily waves in the breeze until Death arbitrarily uproots him. That’s life, after all.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
TAR BABY: Invisible Woman
Spiegeltent, Aotea Square, Auckland
Platt Productions
(United States of America)
- reviewed by Nathan Joe
In case you aren’t aware, Tar Baby is a solo show about racism, performed by African-American comedian Desiree Burch. Perhaps you’ve already started to picture the sort of show this is. That’s the thing with prejudice, it’s painfully predictable and reductive.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
TALES OF THE TABLETOP: Fun and quirky
Athenaeum, 7 The Octagon, Dunedin
- reviewed by Alison Embleton
The production has a rough-and-ready charm, something the director and cast have obviously run with. And while the hammed-up slapstick comedy is definitely amusing, it wears thin over the course of the nearly two hour show.
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New Zealand Festival 2016
WAVES: Lively delight appeals to all ages
Circa Two, Wellington
Alice Mary Cooper, Australia/United Kingdom
Presented by NZ Festival in association with Auckland Arts Festival
- reviewed by John Smythe
What a story! Told just in time, too, by a 95 year-old Elizabeth Moncello, to care-giver Alice Mary Cooper at the Marie Curie Hospice in Edinburgh. Who knew what we now call the butterfly stroke was invented by an Australian schoolgirl in the 1930s?
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
LOUISE BEUVINK: QUARTER-LIFE CRISIS: Charismatic, self-aware style with pin-point timing
Taste Merchants, 36 Stuart St, Dunedin
- reviewed by Reuben Hilder
Although it is at some points undeniably shocking, Beuvink is clever enough never to rely solely on shock value. Instead she allows the risqué elements of her stories to work in tandem with her talent as performer to enhance their comedic value.
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MAN PARTS – DANNEVIRKE'S GREATEST FEMALE TENOR: Brilliantly funny
BATS Theatre, The Propeller Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Written and performed by Carrie Green
Now We Are 30 Productions
- reviewed by Patrick Davies
During the show Green shows off a simply electric voice as she powers through (almost) every significant tenor song from a wide range of musicals including Oklahoma, Hairspray and Little Shop of Horrors just to name a few. Her rendition of these numbers is worth the price of admission alone.
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Hamilton Fringe 2016
RUMPELSTILTSKIN: A great show from an outstanding performer
Meteor Theatre, Hamilton
Strings Attached
- reviewed by Gail Pittaway
It’s hard to believe there is only one puppeteer or marionette player, but it is indeed the case. Norbert Hausberg of Strings Attached Puppet Theatre is a Wellington-based player who has been creating shows there and around the world for – he owns, in his opening greeting – over thirty years.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
THOM PAIN: BASED ON NOTHING: A little too clever for its own good?
Fortune Theatre Studio, Dunedin
Written by Will Eno
Directed by Alex Wilson
- reviewed by Alison Embleton
Darkness. The strike of a match, and a disembodied voice: “How wonderful to see you all.” Meet Thom Pain, he’s a little eccentric and strangely compelling for such a terrible story-teller. The title gives fair warning that this show is not going to be run-of-the mill, and it certainly delivers.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
DARK MATTER: Mesmerising art
Allen Hall Theatre, University of Otago, Dunedin
Light, AV and space design by Martyn Roberts
Original Sound design Jeremy Mayall (with Martyn Roberts)
- reviewed by Hannah Molloy
Most of the haiku are dreamlike, in that so little light illuminates the bodies of the dancers (Katherine Kennedy and Megan Wilson), it feels as if I am grasping at what I am seeing, trying to catch it before it disappears when I awake. The dancers are wraithlike and there, then not there. Sometimes it seems like they are both on stage but it may have just be the haze. Sometimes they move like a sepia-toned mirror image, and sometimes are just present and then not.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
SLUTTY LADIES GARDEN PARTY: Visual, comedic, musical, horticultural, hospitable
The McDougall's Garden, 68 Greig Street, Broad Bay, Dunedin
Elsa May and Sarah McDougall
- reviewed by Jenny Gleeson
The title hooked me – an interesting oxymoron if ever there was one: ‘slutty’ and ‘ladies’ are not words commonly seen together, let alone that sluts would have a garden party. My preconceived idea of the term slut is humorously questioned as two pleasant and witty bohemian styled, middle-aged women claim the term for themselves, and do so quite endearingly.
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PANNZ Tour-Makers 2016
THE BOOK OF EVERYTHING: Charming, engaging access to broader, deeper issues
TSB Showplace, New Plymouth
Adapted by Richard Tulloch
from the novel by Guus Kuijer
Directed by Sophie Roberts
An Auckland Arts Festival and Silo Theatre co-production
- reviewed by Ngaire Riley
Don’t look at the ad and think that this is a show just for kids. The Book of Everything lives up to its name – there is joy, pain, insight and whimsy for everyone. Don’t miss it. Take the whole family. It is a bit scary, so perhaps leave those under eight at home.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
FUTURE SPLENDID: Apparently flippant with subtle undercurrents
17 Tory St, Wellington
Presented by Jonny Potts
- reviewed by Shannon Friday
Future Splendid is a whole bunch of ideas that Jonny Potts just couldn't get out of his head. They are things that have no future. But they are also pretty entertaining, and most are pretty funny.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
YOU MAKE ME FEEL SO NORMAL - A TALE OF TWO ENABLERS: Hyperactive, slightly deviant, fun
VK's Comedy & Blues Bar, 60 Dixon St,
Jacquie Fee and Lady Sane (Jena Turner)
- reviewed by Shannon Friday
You Make Me Feel So Normal is a celebration of rock'n'roll, mischief, and female friendship. Jacquie Fee and Jena Turner are the BFFs and miscreants of this semi-autobiographical tale.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
CARABOSSE – FIRE GARDEN: Mysterious, entrancing and a sizzling, crackling, feast
Auckland Domain, Auckland
Compagnie Carabosse (France)
- reviewed by Heidi North-Bailey
But this event isn’t about the stories, or any kind of narrative; this is about experiencing the fire. Fire is passion, fire is fear and fire is wonder. The Fire Garden gives a chance to revel in the flames without danger of getting burnt.
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
BOLLARDS: THE COMEDY OF HYPER-INDUSTRIALISATION: Offbeat comedy engages audience fully
Dunedin Fringe Festival Club, 20 Princes St, Dunedin
A Photographic Performance in Songs and Poems
By Andrew Choate (@saintbollard)
- reviewed by Sarah Spicer
The fast pace is an excellent way of avoiding over-analysis. The main premise of the work is explained prior to the next interlude. Choate explains that he aims to use "writing as a landscape", highlighting the use of repetition as his concept of a horizon line.
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THE KISS INSIDE: Simmering vignettes of the search for ecstasy
Opera House, Wellington
Choreography: Douglas Wright
- reviewed by Jillian Davey
Presented in vignettes, The Kiss Inside gives us the multitude of ways we seek ecstasy and what we hand ourselves over to in devotion. From religion, to sex, to drugs, cultural ritual, dedicated toil, male and female bonding, sport, war, politics, and dance itself; they’re covered with honesty, if not a touch of absurdity. These vignettes might not scream cohesion, but the theme is slowly and surely built upon.
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THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR: Works well enough, in its fashion
Rose Gardens, Victoria Esplanade, Palmerston North
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Kelly Harris
Presented by Manawatu Summer Shakespeare / Massey University
- reviewed by John Ross
The performance begins and ends with a full-cast dance, competent and happy enough. And as Winnie the Pooh might have said: Nobody could be uncheered by such a dance.
The Merry Wives of Windsor is one of the Bard’s lesser comedies, and needs a lot of cutting, which here it gets, done reasonably well.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
OUR CATHARSIS: Small, personal, wry and cleverly engaging
Thistle Hall, Wellington
Choreographed and written by Kate Bartlett, in collaboration with Rebecca Solomon
- reviewed by Deirdre Tarrant
Shadows against a wall alone and together, similar yet different, friends yet individuals, Words drove the music and songs and a series of autobiographical episodes played out. Gestural rhythms and synchronicity then simple but effective 'tests' ' Attempting the impossible' was fun and these two had a wry humour and a minimalist and pragmatic take on some universal dilemmas. The minimalist extended to the use of named props - Tabitha Tasha and Lilly and some sensory delights that cleverly drew us into their relationship.
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Dunedin Fringe
THERE’S NOTHING ON TV: Brief spurts of quality
Playhouse Theatre, Dunedin
Vocalist Jason Henderson
Musical Director Fiona McCabe
- reviewed by Reuben Hilder
Sitting in an armchair amidst a cluttered mass of TV guides, food containers and other such typical debris of bachelor life, Henderson’s performance follows a simple formula: sing a song, deliver a few lines of dialogue to lead into the next song, and repeat ad nauseam.
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New Zealand Festival 2016
THE WOMAN WHO FORGOT: Gradual reveals effective but could involve us more
Wellington CBD, Wellington
Written by Rachel Davies
Directed by Jess Feast
- reviewed by Fiona McNamara
The Woman Who Forgot is an immersive theatre experience that plays out as a promenade performance, in which we walk and ride the bus to various parts of Wellington, with headphones in our ears and watching the screens of our smart phones.
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New Zealand Festival 2016
BRASS POPPIES: Honest. Bare. Truthful.
Shed 6, Queens Wharf, Wellington
Music by Ross Harris, Libretto by Vincent O’Sullivan New Zealand
Directed by Jonathan Alver
Co-produced by New Zealand Festival, Auckland Arts Festival and New Zealand Opera, with support from the Lottery Grants Board
- reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku
World War One – or in fact any war story – tends to have the words glory, honour and sacrifice blazoned upon it. And while that may all be true, it is refreshing to experience a work that presents the impact of war upon the men who fought it and the women who waited for them at home.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
TAR BABY: Only the most empty-hearted sociopath could leave unaffected
Spiegeltent, Aotea Square, Auckland
Platt Productions
(United States of America)
- reviewed by Nik Smythe
With her naturally funny personality, arguably developed in part as a defence mechanism against a lifetime of dealing with society’s ingrained prejudices, Desiree has the house frequently roaring with laughter, often tinged with guilt as she exploits the very stereotypes being decried.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
THE LOOSE DICK KIDDIES SHOW: Masterful in all its glorious smuttiness
BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Directed and Written by Kylie Milne and Daryl Wrightson
Presented by KD's Performing Arts
- reviewed by Deborah Eve Rea
This is not a show for the faint-hearted. Stuffed companions such as Big Ted the drug dealing teddy bear, Lily the Lesbian dog who has her liquor licence and Hump-Me-Dump-Me, among others, join the three friends. Of course there’s visitors too such as Pat, the Pre-Op Postman who is soon to be Patsy.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
PENNY DREADFUL'S RISQUE REVUE: Entertainment with pieces of man flesh
Bodega, Wellington
- reviewed by Ashleigh Pope
The first act, Blue Virtue, is a highlight. He immediately holds our attention with his sharp, controlled movements, suggestive facial expressions and direct invitations for audience participation as he jolts his head back and tenses his forehead raising his eyebrows as if to say “come and join me”. His background in dance is apparent through strong but graceful movements. Each choreographed move is deliberate and sharp. He is Magic Mike meets drag and 100% fabulous. Even his costume is planned down to a T. The way he incorporates lighting into both his costume and props is captivating. The audience is dazzled by his big reveal with audible gasps coming from all directions.
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SWIMMING WITH WHALES IN TONGA: Really funny and thought-provoking
Meteor Theatre, Hamilton
Skeleton Crew
- reviewed by Gail Pittaway
Before we even enter the theatre, a cheerful, winning young man encourages the audience, who are scattered all over the foyer, to each write our names on a sticker badge, wear it and sign a confidentiality agreement. So really I am breaking confidence in writing this at all.
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New Zealand Festival 2016
FOR THE BIRDS: Superb creativity and ingenuity the most quirky, inventive thing I have seen
Otari-Wilton's Bush, Wellington
Created by Mark Anderson, Jony Easterby, Kathy Hinde, Marcus McShane and Tane Upjohn-Beatson, Johann Nortje and Cameron May, Ulf Pedersen, and Esther Tew England/Wales/New Zealand
- reviewed by Joana Simmons
As I walk from one installation to the next, about 100-200 metres between them, my face lights up and mouth opens with child-like wonder. From origami seagulls through glowing birdcages to wooden keas wreaking havoc on a picnic table, each installation offers something different. What impresses me the most is how the music, sounds and lights are one ...
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
BEST OF SCOTTISH COMEDY II: Polished and slick
Fortune Theatre Studio, Dunedin
- reviewed by Nick Tipa
Best of Scottish Comedy at the Fortune Theatre is a night well spent. Bruce Fummey and Vladimir McTavish keep the laughs rolling and at times have me, for one, almost in tears.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
MARAMA: In Praise of Shadows
Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland
Director: Nina Nawalowalo
Composer: Gareth Farr
Original Set Design: Nicole Cosgrove
Remount Set Design: John Verryt
Costume Design: Seraphina Tausilia
Lighting Design: Fabiana Piccioli
- reviewed by Nathan Joe
At its most basic, Marama is an attempt to represent the destruction of our natural landscapes through deforestation. While it does this, the power of the piece goes beyond that. Led by artistic director Nina Nawalowalo, what the theatremakers of The Conch accomplish is creating a whole world before our eyes. Paying homage to its Pacific heritage without tokenising it.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
NOT IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD: Brave Faces
Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland
Written and Directed by Jamie McCaskill
Presented by Tikapa Productions
in association with Te Whāriki Manawahine O Hauraki
- reviewed by Nathan Joe
How do you approach an important subject such as domestic violence in a theatrically engaging manner without exploiting it? The most obvious thing would be to present it as truthfully as possible. But there’s a tendency for storytellers to take on causes that aren’t their own and attempt to suggest they know better.
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TWELFTH NIGHT: Drowning in Illyria
Pop-Up Globe, Bard's Yard, 38 Greys Avenue, CBD, Auckland
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Miles Gregory
Presented by The Pop-up Globe Theatre Company
as part of the Anthony Harper 2016 Auckland Season
- reviewed by Nathan Joe
The best thing that can be said about director Miles Gregory’s all-male Twelfth Night is that it’s funny. It seems like an obvious comment to make about one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies, but too often I’ve found myself laughing at the wit and humour of Shakespeare rather than the productions themselves.
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Hamilton Fringe 2016
SHOES: Funny but could – should –be better
Meteor Theatre, Hamilton
Written and directed by Sebastian Byrne
Gnarly Teapot Productions
- reviewed by Jan Maree
Shoes is – as described in the programme – “an originally devised narrative showcasing one evening in a raving nightclub”. It purports that; “this will be a night to remember”. This has me excited as I do find some empathy with a well-done piece of theatre about clubbing.
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HENRY V: An Incomplete Herstory
Pop-Up Globe, Bard's Yard, 38 Greys Avenue, CBD, Auckland
written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Grae Burton and Natalie Beran
Presented by SHAKEITUP! and Sharu Loves Hats
- reviewed by Nathan Joe
They say history is written by the winners, yet Shakespeare, for all the nationalism evoked in Henry V, is conscious of the moral predicament that his hero (if he can be called that) faces. It’s important, then, where the production stands on the subject. Is this an anti-war narrative, a celebration, a history lesson or something else entirely?
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Dunedin Fringe 2016
POLSON HIGGS OPENING NIGHT SHOWCASE: Exhilarating opportunities
Polson Higgs Comedy Club, XII Below Bar, Dunedin
- reviewed by Terry MacTavish
By the pricking of my thumbs and the tingling of my toes I know Fringe is here: bizarre posters, oddly dressed people wandering the streets, and unexpected venues springing to strange life in our old Victorian Gothic heritage city. Once more Dunedin has a near sell-out crowd for the traditional Showcase in the glorious Regent Theatre ...
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
THE SWORD, STAFF OR BOW?: Multiple choices set demands
Alpha Gallery, 55 Abel Smith Street, Wellington
Powergaff
- reviewed by Shannon Friday
After making our way through a mystical room full of David The Gnome Toadstools, we descend to the somewhat grotty art room at Alpha Gallery. There awaits our host/ actor/ game master, Ken Gaffney. He's going to give us, the audience, three choices, and our story will depend on the outcome of those choices. We choose by shouting out our preference.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
MY PET, MY LOVE: Fears exposed
BATS Theatre, Studio, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
MARCUP Productions
- reviewed by Ewen Coleman
The poignancy of loss, namely memory loss, is the theme of Rob Gaetano's one-man show My Pet, My Love.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
PERHAPS, PERHAPS... QUIZÁS: Totally engaging, extraordinarily funny
BATS Theatre, The Propeller Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Created and performed by Gabriela Munõz (MEXICO)
Presented by Thomas Monckton and Show Pony
- reviewed by Ewen Coleman
In something of a tour-de-force, Munoz spends an hour on stage without saying a word, apart from a few musical sounds.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
PERHAPS, PERHAPS... QUIZÁS: Brave, well-crafted, side-splittingly funny and sad
BATS Theatre, The Propeller Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Created and performed by Gabriela Munõz (MEXICO)
Presented by Thomas Monckton and Show Pony
- reviewed by Shannon Friday
Perhaps is a single performer clown show. Gabriela Muñoz plays Greta, a lonely woman desperate for love. And it's the clarity of Greta's desires, how she self-sabotages, and Muñoz's ability to set up a series of incrementally more risky invitations that makes this show sing.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
NOT IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD: A vitally essential work but more pretty than gritty
Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland
Written and Directed by Jamie McCaskill
Presented by Tikapa Productions
in association with Te Whāriki Manawahine O Hauraki
- reviewed by Dione Joseph
Written and directed by Jamie McCaskill, Not in our Neighbourhood is a moving social commentary on the ongoing systemic violence in our society. Packed into an hour long production, powerhouse performer Kali Kopae takes us into the lives of three women who have sought shelter at their local refuge and, drawing upon their stories, offers quintessential snapshots of their varied experiences.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
THE IRIS PROJECT: Why this? Why here?
St Peter’s on Willis, 211 Willis St, Wellington
Writings and poems of Robin Hyde
Set to music by Pete Stewart
Narrated by Kiri Bell
sung by Vebka
- reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku
My companion suggests the work needs more light and shade. And I agree there is a sameness to its tone and rhythm. That isn’t to take anything away from the care and obvious passion that sits here for these performers. Only you don’t feel it from them. No chemistry. No passion. The energy is very inwards and it’s hard for us as the audience to even engage.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
SPEED OF LIGHT: Dancers exult in challenging triple bill
SKYCITY Theatre, Auckland
Choreographers:
Andonis Foniadakis - Selon désir
William Forsythe - In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated
Alexander Ekman - Cacti
- reviewed by Raewyn Whyte
The centerpiece of the programme is the marvelous post-Balanchinian master work, In The Middle Somewhat Elevated (1987) by William Forsythe, set to a pulsing, dramatic and at times electrifying industrial electronica score by Thom Willems [...] This modern classic is now a benchmark work, and it is truly satisfying to see the clarity and precision and finely nuanced delivery the Company's sleekly lycra-clad dancers bring to it.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
LAYMAN: Outlandish, deeply unsettling and unforgettable
IVY BAR, 49 Cuba St, Te Aro, Wellington
Created and performed by Patrick Carroll
Directed by Anya Tate-Manning
Produced by Show Pony
- reviewed by Lena Fransham
Carroll is a gifted physical performer. His bizarre, humanoid character conveys delight, dismay, fear, curiosity, love and shame in a kind of eloquent pre-speech language. A story unfolds in coos, barks and groans, shivers, cringes and a slowly increasing vocabulary of gestures.
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HENRY V: Female cast revel in power of Shakespeare
Pop-Up Globe, Bard's Yard, 38 Greys Avenue, CBD, Auckland
written by William Shakespeare
Directed by Grae Burton and Natalie Beran
Presented by SHAKEITUP! and Sharu Loves Hats
- reviewed by Paul Simei-Barton
It is testimony to the subtlety of Shakespeare that Henry V could be both a rallying call for British patriotism in Olivier's stirring rendition during WWII and a searing indictment of the horrors of war in Kenneth Branagh's more recent film version.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
LA CUCINA DELL'ARTE: Farcical fare hits the spot
Circus Ronaldo Big Top, Aotea Square, Auckland
Circus Ronaldo (Belgium)
- reviewed by Nik Smythe
Soon, but not too soon of course, with red-checked tablecloths, Chianti bottle candles, price-displaying blackboards et al in place, the boys are open for business. Said pair of inaugural patrons is recruited and so begins the hilariously arduous task of wining and dining them.
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New Zealand Festival 2016
EVERY BRILLIANT THING: Pacing and presentation exactly right
Hannah Playhouse, Wellington
By Duncan Macmillan | With Jonny Donahoe
Directed by George Perrin
Paines Plough and Pentabus Theatre Company United Kingdom
- reviewed by Patrick Davies
Every Brilliant Thing is one of those rare pieces of theatre whereby the show is stripped right back to just a storyteller. And what a story, and what a teller. Duncan Macmillan is an award-winning playwright and it’s no surprise he wrote Lungs (a man and a woman stand on a bare stage, no set, no lighting effects) which also tells a beautifully emotional tale.
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I, WILL BROWN: Seams still show in classic piece of Eamonn Marra storytelling
17 Tory St, Wellington
Eamonn Marra
- reviewed by Henrietta Bollinger
Eamonn Marra insists to me after the first night of I, Will Brown that the content of the show is, quote: “100 percent true!” I find this hard to believe given that it features episodes of body switching and other anamorphic elements.
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New Zealand Festival 2016
LA VERITA: Polished entertainment but not at all Dali-esque
St James Theatre, Wellington
Written and Directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca
- reviewed by Jillian Davey
The circus, dance and musical skills, as well as the production values are top notch. The cast is multi-talented and expressive. Lighting and set design are world class. And also to be fair, director Finzi Pasca has been quoted that the show is “not the truth according to Dali, but the truth inspired by Dali”, but I believe Dali admirers will be disappointed by this interpretation. It leans heavily on the silly and flippant.
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Auckland Arts Festival 2016
MARAMA: Beautiful. Intense. Striking. Necessary
Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland
Director: Nina Nawalowalo
Composer: Gareth Farr
Original Set Design: Nicole Cosgrove
Remount Set Design: John Verryt
Costume Design: Seraphina Tausilia
Lighting Design: Fabiana Piccioli
- reviewed by Camelle Pink
Visceral and tacit are two words that come straight to mind as the stage comes alive. We feel the power of the women as they give themselves over to the performance. We experience the power of Marama. Strong. Graceful. Mesmerising. We are carried trance-like through these women’s homelands, seeing a jungle that transforms to local bush as they journey through their lived experiences that are recorded through Marama. We all feel the political contention / tension behind the work, communicated through the set and as an unwritten statement that the performers make.
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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
MY PET, MY LOVE: Fractured memories of childhood: sad, funny, hilarious, confused
BATS Theatre, Studio, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
MARCUP Productions
- reviewed by Maryanne Cathro
In the programme Rob hopes we can relate to his fears, laugh about them and be moved. The shark fear – thank you Rob from me, for laying out my own irrational fears verbatim. You have me from that moment on.
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