See more recent reviews at theatreview.org, the NZ Performing Arts Review & Directory

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
LIFE MUSIC: Nuanced truth with style
English Flower Garden, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton

- reviewed by Jan Maree

Music is so personal and yet it is universal, and so, in devising this piece Poole and her band of interviewers/writers (some of whom are also actors in the piece) have richly mined Hamilton’s musical treasury to bring forth stunning, candid, emotional and downright beautiful recollections.

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IF THERE’S NOT DANCING AT THE REVOLUTION, I’M NOT COMING…: Funny, ambitious and provocative but …
Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
Created and performed by Julia Croft 
Directed by Virginia Frankovich
- reviewed by Dione Joseph

Julia Croft is a talented performer. Her physical presence is commanding and she presents a no-holds barred 60 minute analysis of female sexuality that is funny, provocative and entertaining.

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BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH MUST DIE!: Pleasant, witty, clever and dedicatedly delivered
Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
by Abby Howells 
Directed by Kate McGill 
Produced by Kit Haines 
Presented by The FruLu Collective
- reviewed by Chloe Baynes

The set of Benedict Cumberbatch Must Die is as much a shrine to the critically acclaimed and obsessively loved British actor as it is a theatre space. Pictures of Benedict plaster the walls, from red carpet shots to his Julian Assange, and the Cumber Corner boasts posters and cu-Cumber sandwiches.

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BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH MUST DIE!: Cumbersome
Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
by Abby Howells 
Directed by Kate McGill 
Produced by Kit Haines 
Presented by The FruLu Collective
- reviewed by Courtney Bassett

I know how real the pain of loving something to the point of obsession can be. All too often, the passion of young women for celebrities is dismissed and demeaned. But the adoration (and the creativity, friendships, and fun that comes with it) is real.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
LOVELY LADY LUMP: Rare candour, compassion and insight
Gryphon, Wellington
Lana Schwarcz
- reviewed by Michael Gilchrist

It’s a solo performance from an abundantly talented – indeed charismatic – performer, supported by some very well-worked sound and lighting. From the warm introduction at the beginning of the show to the sale of some quite unexpected ‘Merch’, available from the performer afterwards, Schwarcz reaches out to the audience in a direct but caring fashion.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
TOMORROW NIGHT LIVE: I enjoy seeing the sausage get made
BATS Theatre, The Dome, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Presented by Makers of Entertainment
- reviewed by Shannon Friday

We, the BATS audience, are the future YouTube video’s “studio audience.” Throughout the evening we’re given a variety of tasks to perform for the cameras. Our tasks range from clapping at various levels of enthusiasm (golf claps to completely bonkers) to throwing enormous dice at the stage, to manning a camera.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
CONVERSATIONS WITH MY COUNSELLOR: More ‘outside eyes’ might help
Katherine Mansfield House and Garden, 25 Tinakori Rd, Thorndon, Wellington
Written and directed by Ian Harris 
Red Label Productions
- reviewed by John Smythe

Grey, a Sales Relationship Manager, is here because of a major stuff up with a client that may or may not have involved alcohol. Oddly, exactly what happened to put his job in jeopardy is never revealed. In a normal counselling session, I imagine the patient’s version of the event and how he ascribes cause and blame would form the foundation for the subsequent analysis and treatment.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
SRINGARAM: Subtle and beautiful reworking of Devadasi dancing
Whitireia Performance Centre, 25-27 Vivian Street, Wellington
Choreographer/performer: Swaroopa Unni
Music: Sandeep Pillai
- reviewed by Tania Kopytko

Unni gave a subtle and beautiful performance of Bharatanatyam genre such as Javali and Padam (which address love or a beloved), all written between 1400 and 1900, including some recomposed in a more contemporary style. These dance and song “sonnets” told different sides of the courtesan’s story and provided the programme structure.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY GROSS: Fun and funny and smart and comforting and exciting
BATS Theatre, Studio, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Written and performed by Adam Goodall 
Directed by Alice May Connolly 
Music by Oliver Devlin 
Presented by Leaving Party
- reviewed by Shannon Friday

Adam and team are on a mission to save modern cinema. Their weapon? A podcast about the greatness of Adam’s subject/personal obsession: Final Destination 3! Assisting are two guest actors (Matt Powell and Keegan Carr Fransch, who are either ridiculously prepared or the best cold-readers in history) waiting in their folding chairs for the event to begin.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
HOW TO ROMANCE A HUMAN: What we want v what we get ….
BATS Theatre, The Propeller Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Dog with Ball
- reviewed by Shannon Friday

For me, How to Romance a Human works best when the acting challenges are transparent, allowing me to reflect on the pseudo-mechanical ways we operate as theatre makers – or, for those who aren't in theatre, the way our unconscious programming can determine how we act in our relationships.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
AGAINST THE PIERCING SUN: An energetic contemporary work about youth, by youth, for youth
Gryphon, Wellington
Written and composed by Flinn Gendall 
Directed by Johnny Crawford and Amy Griffin-Browne 
Presented by the Making Friends Collective
- reviewed by Pepe Becker

Interesting gritty and droney 'washes' of sound certainly enhance the vibe of characters' movements or dialogue at times, and the electronic music that accompanies a recurring floating-in-space video projection provides an appropriately unearthly background to the only 'song' in the piece, sung three times by three different characters ...

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR: “Don’t you love outdoor theatre?”
Riverside Terrace, Hamilton
By William Shakespeare
- reviewed by Cate Prestidge

Gather all ye gentlefolk, for the annual summer Shakespeare is upon us! A much loved tradition at the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, this year Director Ross MacLeod introduces the audience to the comedy requested (allegedly) by Elizabeth I after seeing Henry VI. I immediately envisage a messenger dispatched to The Globe: “More Falstaff, and make it funny!”

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
DROWNING IN VERONICA LAKE: This is what magnificent theatre looks like
Chinoiserie Garden, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
Written by Phil Ormsby 
Director: Simon Coleman
presented by Flaxworks
- reviewed by Jan Maree

The highest praise must be saved for Ellis, who is flawless in every way, never missing a beat nor a lighting state change (no mean feat, she must be seen to be believed!). At once she is gentle and then powerful, angry and hard, then so soft and vulnerable – so much so that I want to wrap her up in her dress/set-dressing and shelter her from herself!

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
RETRACTION: More to explore
BATS Theatre, The Dome, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Written and directed by Kristyan Sian 
presented by Danger Tape Collective
- reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku

The use of video, sound, lighting, a simplified yet effective set, the movement between all the characters and use of the stage and a perfectly-pitched dance scene, really add to the layers of this work. And there be layers.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
SQUAWK: Fun underpinned with emotional ballast
Whitireia Performance Centre, 25-27 Vivian Street, Wellington
Wellington Young Actors
- reviewed by Tim Stevenson

Perhaps you’re inclined to hold back because you’re allergic to fairy tales, straight or bent. Don’t be, is my suggestion. Because underneath the machinery of the plot details, the clever folk from Wellington Young Actors and Churton Park Young Actors are delving away at another set of questions ...

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ROMEO AND JULIET: An intimate portrayal of youthful love
Pop-Up Globe, Bard's Yard, 38 Greys Avenue, CBD, Auckland
By William Shakespeare 
Directed by Ben Naylor 
presented by Pop-up Globe Theatre Company 
as part of the Anthony Harper 2016 Auckland Season
- reviewed by Paul Simei-Barton

The Bard's complex meditation on the power of love sparkles into life on a bare stage of compelling physical intimacy, in which earthy buffoonery rubs shoulders with the most transcendent poetry.

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TWELFTH NIGHT: A truly ensemble production with some outstanding performances
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 Lexie Matheson

[Miles] Gregory’s ending has a pertinent modernity, however, in that the lack of guilt and the joy in inflicting pain far beyond what might be deemed reasonable can be seen every day from our leaders, no matter where in the world you might abide.

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TWELFTH NIGHT: Night to remember at Globe
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 Paul Simei-Barton

'For the rain it raineth every day," Feste sings in the celebratory finale of Twelfth Night, and right on cue a subtropical downpour cascaded through the open roof of the building which recreates the dimensions of a structure that once housed Shakespeare's players.

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
FROLIC: Turtle Lake alive with dance
Meet at Coombes Johnston MINI Garage, Hamilton
choreographer Marie Hermo Jensen with Waikato Contemporary Dance Projects Trust & Stellaris DansTeater
- reviewed by Debbie Bright

In shifting groupings and ensembles, the dancers tumble, leap and roll, using all the architectural features of the area – wooden seats, concrete terraces and open areas, and the wooden stage - while the apples Snow White has released from her basket roll across the space and are used as ‘prizes’ and props in games and movements combining frenzied pace and sudden pauses. The final climax is a release of hundreds of bubbles that are carried right across the dancers by a very obliging breeze.

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
PORTABLE DANCE SERIES: Vignettes reveal the beauty of the moving body
Cloud Court, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
Touch Compass dance company
- reviewed by Debbie Bright

We sit or stand in the pavilion and look out towards the water. In the pavilion, two dancers, also in neutral beige, interact quietly, their focus on each other, exploring movements that are slow, movements that are faster, and moments of stillness, that can be achieved with a wheel chair, a floor space, a wooden parapet, two bodies of differing sizes and areas of strength, a man and a woman. I find myself thinking about how the body organises itself to move. Slow-moving contemplative music floats out over the water. Beautiful

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
THREE GUYS IN DRAG SELLING THEIR STUFF: Disappointing
English Flower Garden, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton

- reviewed by Jan Maree

The jokes are simple and need flesh. Soon the titters of the crowd wane, and the show lurches from bawdy jabber to bungled physical comedy. By half time all the trio have achieved is to get drunk…

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HART: An impressionistic representation
BATS Theatre, The Propeller Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Created and performed by Ian Michael 
Text by Ian Michael and Seanna van Helten 
Directed by Penny Harpham 
Presented by She Said Theatre
- reviewed by John Smythe

What follows is heartfelt and compelling in its unavoidable authenticity: an impressionistic representation of countless lives which reverberate with endless repercussions that resonate enough in even the most privileged life to command our empathy.

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
THIS IS CALYPSO: Anticipation well satisfied
Rhododendron Lawn , Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
Mighty Duke & The Lords, with acoustic beat-box duo Jamie MacDowell and Tom Thum
- reviewed by Debbie Bright

Then the stage is re-set for Melbourne Calypso band The Mighty Duke and the Lords. This group of highly talented and well-rehearsed musicians bring a sudden explosion of music, dance and colour, as they raise the volume, the energy and our pulse rates to the rhythms and harmonies of Calypso bass, brass, percussion and voice. Partying, dance, love, humour and fun. I am transported to the beach clubs of Latin America and the Caribbean. We are urged to come forward and dance, and then to dance some more. Beach balls are tossed through the crowd. The evening ends too soon!

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
A TENSION TO DETAIL: Thoroughly sensitive, carefully crafted and performed
Cavern Club, 22 Allen St, Wellington
Gerard Harris 
Presented by THAT’S ENOUGH DRAMA
- reviewed by Shannon Friday

Harris is constantly not only telling us personal, crafted stories about himself, but in doing so, he is changing the story of himself. He is crafting it; leaving things out to create a distinct impression. It is a testament to his considerable skill that the night feels so fresh and off-the-cuff, like talking to an exceptionally chatty bloke at the pub; The Cavern Club, in this case.

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
THE PIED PIPER OF HAMILTON: A great offering for families – and anyone
Medici Court, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton

- reviewed by Gail Pittaway

In this story the popular farmers’ market is being plagued by rats and the flatulent rat catcher Mr Whiffy (Owen Mooney) seems incapable of managing the crisis. The council tries a special meeting, holds a referendum and calls for votes for measures to be taken, eventually agreeing to put money into a few desperate schemes.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
SAMOA 101: All the ingredients are here
Whitireia Performance Centre, 25-27 Vivian Street, Wellington
Director: Sasha Gibb 
Writer: Saufoi Tua Fa’avale 
Producer: Sandra Malesic 
Presented by Jandals Inc
- reviewed by John Smythe

The premise is that, having been asked to ‘mind-map’ their country of origin, the assignment for a class of schoolboys is to further research the traditions and culture of their given country then present something in performance. A palagi boy with no family apart from his grandmother teams up with his Samoan mate whose life is replete with a mum, dad, sister and traditional cultural practices.

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ROMEO AND JULIET: Bound to be captivated
Pop-Up Globe, Bard's Yard, 38 Greys Avenue, CBD, Auckland
By William Shakespeare 
Directed by Ben Naylor 
presented by Pop-up Globe Theatre Company 
as part of the Anthony Harper 2016 Auckland Season
- reviewed by Heidi North-Bailey

The cast of New Zealanders more than lives up to the expectation of the hallowed ground on which they perform. Headed by UK director Ben Naylor, the production is rich, full, lively and hilarious. It pops and zings, hitting all the right notes.

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Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival 2016
CHANGE THE CHANNEL: Overall good fun all over now
Victorian Garden Conservatory, Hamilton gardens, Hamilton

- reviewed by Cate Prestidge

On the opening night of this year's Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival, the audience have come prepared to sit back and enjoy the laughs and the performers are soon into it with host Dave Taylor calling out offers and programme names.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
RECEIVER: The whole paranoid mind-bending spiral is a delight
BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
by Daniel Fraser 
Presented by Hank of Thread
- reviewed by Lena Fransham

Daniel Fraser’s Receiver, directed by Jimmy Sutcliffe, opens with Claire Fisher (Lorraine Fisher) in her flowery living room, with a very stylish old red telephone on the side table. She's listening to an opera (the Jewel Song from Charles Gounod’s Faust), as she puts on her gardening gloves. That's when she gets the first phone call. The music starts to lose its melody, breaking up into discordant noise.

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PEOPLE LIKE US: Same but Different
The Pumphouse, Takapuna, Auckland
Written and Produced by Joanna Jayne St John 
Co-produced by Gregory Shepherd 
Directed by Borni Te Rongopai Tukiwaho 
Musical Direction by Lavina Williams 
Choreography by Taiaroa Royal
- reviewed by Nathan Joe

The heart of Joanna Jayne St John’s homegrown People Like Us is the binary-breaking love story between two trans-women, Bianca (Luke Bird) and Sheena (Ramon Te Wake), who meet at DOT’s Bar, a safe haven for the show’s transgender community. Like any good romance, they both have their own baggage and personal obstacles to overcome before they can really be together.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
KEEP UP NEW ZEALAND: Underdeveloped
Fringe Bar, 26 Allen St, Wellington
Louis Tait and Jundas Capone
- reviewed by Henrietta Bollinger

If comedy duo Jundas Capone and Louis Tait of the show Keep up New Zealand are looking for a target audience who feel reflected in their humour and politics, I'm sorry to say that it certainly does not include me.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
BIRDLIFE: Measured pacing created stasis rather than change
BATS Theatre, The Dome, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Written and Directed by Bridget Sanders 
Incidental music composed and performed by Julian Raphael. 
Presented by Birdlife Theatre Productions
- reviewed by Shannon Friday

The whole thing has a fairy-tale aspect to it; a sense of simplicity and inevitability. The vocabulary is simple, direct address exposition is frequent. Book-ending the evening is a short karakia and an address from Heron, who speaks in short rhymed couplets reminiscent of children’s bedtime stories.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
I LIP SYNC FOR HIM: Almost no need for the actors
VK's Comedy & Blues Bar, 60 Dixon St, 
Smoke Labours Productions
- reviewed by Ashleigh Pope

At first the lip-synched dialogue seems an interesting dramaturgical choice, and I try extensively to see the metaphor. However, I soon begin to lose faith as the mouthing of the words to the pre-recorded audio track morphs into the erratic mouth movements of a drunk ventriloquist puppet.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
WHY DO I DREAM?: Deserving of a much larger audience
Gryphon, Wellington
Sabrina D'Angelo (AUS) with with Cal McCrystal & Justin Heazlewood
- reviewed by Anna Bate

Full credit to Sabrina D’Angelo as she easily carries her small audience with her throughout the duration of the work. It would be brilliant to see this show played to a fuller house. You could imagine the volume of contagious laughter that would reverberate throughout space. Infecting all. So help make it happen! With a 9.30pm start it’s a perfect dinner and show combo night.

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PEOPLE LIKE US: Great first outing with happy endings gone mad
The Pumphouse, Takapuna, Auckland
Written and Produced by Joanna Jayne St John 
Co-produced by Gregory Shepherd 
Directed by Borni Te Rongopai Tukiwaho 
Musical Direction by Lavina Williams 
Choreography by Taiaroa Royal
- reviewed by Lexie Matheson

Director Borni Te Rongopai Tukiwaho, in his curtain speech at the end of the performance, described this, the first outing of Joanna Jayne St John’s impressive new transgender musical People Like Us, as “a development season”. There are moments during the two and a bit hours plus interval where the need for development is evident but they are few and far between.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS FROM MY HOLIDAY ON EARTH: A ton of energy and unselfconscious charm
BATS Theatre, Studio, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Written and performed by Harriet Hughes 
Directed by Jen O’Sullivan
- reviewed by Tim Stevenson

The ‘alien observer on earth’ premise is an oldie but a goodie – like a sort of literary SUV, you can take it just about anywhere. You get the outsider observations about life on earth and, in turn, you can observe alien behaviour in all its variety, to entertain, amaze, provoke – whatever the artist likes.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
PLAN C: A delightfully sustained comedic hour
Fringe Bar, 26 Allen St, Wellington
Created and performed by Caspar Schjelbred
- reviewed by Henrietta Bollinger

Plan C is described by its Parisian-Danish creator Casper Scheljbred as an “existential comedy”. Such a bold claim has me sceptical: will this be a self-indulgent solo piece trading on its European roots and the inherent raised status that Kiwis tend to give the shining jewels of imported theatre?

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
AD MEN: Comfort and cohesion within dramatic conflict
Gryphon, Wellington
A PlayShop improvised show 
Directed by Ryan Knighton
- reviewed by Dianne Pulham

I’m greeted by Jennifer O’Sullivan as I walk in and am impressed by the variety of costumes worn by the actors, each representing the world while at the same time expressing their own individual characters.

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DOWNTON ADLIB: Cracking pace, quick wits, broad skill set
Centrepoint, Palmerston North
The Improvisors
- reviewed by Joan Ford

Interestingly, chosen for this performance is a missing body (unusual choice for an everyday situation in one’s home), a physical twitch, a jury summons, an item of clothing (a scarf) and someone from Spain (Ole!)

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DOWNTON ADLIB: A farcical evening bedecked in bathos and caricature
Centrepoint, Palmerston North
The Improvisors
- reviewed by Adam Dodd

As a troupe and individually, The Improvisors are impressive. The troupe are responsive to events on and off stage. Their experience is demonstrated when dealing with incidents such as cast stumbling at an exit or the audience member who clomps in late from the interval. These are handled with quick wit, drawing them into the narrative logic of the story.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
JAGGED LITTLE PILGRIMAGE: A playful, humorous and at times harrowing journey of self-discovery
BATS Theatre, The Propeller Stage, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
Written by, directed by, and featuring Ali Jacs
- reviewed by Henrietta Bollinger

A gifted and charming storyteller, Ali is a joy to watch and her audience stays with her the whole way. Practiced in her art, I cannot fault the content. I will say, however, that the show evidences a performer learning the potential of theatre.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
AND THEN SHE LET HERSELF GO: More needed to really make it sing
Vogelmorn Bowling Club, 93 Mornington Rd, Brooklyn, Wellington
Made and Performed by Rachel Baker 
Directed by Isobel MacKinnon 
Presented by Wench
- reviewed by Thomas LaHood

And Then She Let Herself Go lures the spiritually curious into the mysterious suburban backwater of Vogelmorn to attend a meditation retreat at the former Bowling Club. It’s a kitschy building, rather run-down, and quite breezy and creaky in the North-Westerly on opening night, giving the show a sombre, even slightly creepy undertone.

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NZ Fringe 2016 [reviewing supported by WCC]
PUTTING THE G’DAY IN CABARET: Dynamic, original, funny, engaging and an absolute joy to watch
Fringe Bar, 26 Allen St, Wellington
Just Bananas
- reviewed by Maryanne Cathro

It takes a pretty impressive show to get me out at 10pm on a work night, and Putting the G’Day in Cabaret is the real deal. 

Supposedly a one woman show, it seems instead to be a series of fantastic performances by a range of characters ...

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See more recent reviews at theatreview.org.nz, the NZ Performing Arts Review & Directory

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