PREVIEW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Auckland Theatre Company)

April 30, 2012

In Love with Shakespeare [by Sharu Delilkan] It has been a journey of self-discovery for Xavier Horan, particularly since he has gone from being a ‘Shakespeare-phobe’ to acting in two of his plays within a matter of months. Horan, who has recently performed at The Globe Theatre London in the ground breaking Maori production of Troilus and Cressida, is extremely […]

REVIEW: Yeti is Dead / I am Tom (Comedy Festival)

April 30, 2012

Yeti Strikes Back [by James Wenley] When we last saw Yeti, she had been shot by a jealous Yvette Parsons after the Himalayan visitor had started an affair with Yvette’s husband, Thomas Sainsbury…. That would seem to have been the end of our beloved Yeti. That is, until the sequel. Turns out Yeti isn’t dead, but has been in a […]

REVIEW: Idiots of Ants (Comedy Festival)

April 29, 2012

Idiots or Savants? [by Sharu Delilkan] Entering the Herald Theatre greeted by four slightly dodgy war film characters it was great to see that the British obsession with the World Wars, (2-0), was still alive and kicking. This of course soon descended into the chaos and confusion that we expect from a show like Idiots for Ants. Having already been […]

REVIEW: Mrs Van Gogh (Galatea Theatre)

April 22, 2012

Wikipedia for the stage [by Rosabel Tan] At the beginning of Mrs Van Gogh, Johanna Gesina Bonger (Gina Timberlake) introduces herself to the audience. I see my name does not strike a chord, she says. Perhaps you will know me better as Johanna Van Gogh – wife of Theo (Brendan Lovell), sister-in-law to Vincent (John Goudge), and one of the […]

REVIEW: The Brave (Massive Company)

April 20, 2012

Bravery the Massive Way [by James Wenley] I see a lot of theatre, and I enjoy a lot of theatre, but it’s a rare show that’s able to cut through and grab you on a deeply personal level. That show is Massive Company’s The Brave. Eight men, embodying bravery in body and souls, share their personal stories and experiences of […]

REVIEW: Everything She Ever Said to Me (Scratch New Writing)

April 19, 2012

The pain of everyday [by James Wenley] Jo’s everyday interactions are characterised by a sort of agony. As played by Kayleigh Haworth, she’s an intriguing study of indecision, awkwardness, tension and a constant internal torment about what to reveal, keep to herself, and behave.    Keziah Warner’s new play Everything She Ever Said to Me, speaks to the painfulness of conversation […]

REVIEW: Sinarella (Mangere Arts Centre)

April 18, 2012

Perfectly Pitched Pacific Panto [by Sharu Delilkan] The theatre was electrically charged as we scrambled to find our seats. In fact my mate Liz and I ended up sitting separately because it was so full. Not to mention the fact that they added almost 6 new chairs stage left to accommodate the stragglers. Seeing the theatre packed to the gunnels […]

REVIEW: Jersey Boys (Civic Theatre)

April 16, 2012

The good kind of Jersey [by James Wenley] As I take my seat in the Civic, the Jersey Boy stage looks surprisingly non-descript. It’s a grey and drab industrial looking set, complete with walkways and chain mesh. A pretty ordinary set for an international musical, but then, the origins of the real Jersey blue collar Four Season members were rather […]

PREVIEW: Everything Benjamin Henson said about ‘Everything She Ever Said to Me’

April 13, 2012

No rape, pillage or murder here: Just some good old-fashioned human drama. And some nudity. [by Rosabel Tan] It’s a stifling afternoon and the palms in St Kevin’s Arcade hang limply in the thick air, but Benjamin Henson appears unaffected by the heat. Hunched over a table scattered with notebooks and scripts and an empty cup of coffee, he doesn’t […]

NOT A REVIEW: Hanussen – The Palace of Burlesque (Q)

April 12, 2012

Burle…. [by Sharu Delilkan] “Willkommen, Willkommen, have we got a show for you.” So started the Hanussen – The Palace of Burlesque show. The audience laughed and clapped. “Why?” you might ask. And the reason was they didn’t have a show for us. For once in a burlesque blue moon the show was not going to go on. What? How? […]

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