REVIEW: David Ladderman in Battle of the Bastards (Comedy Festival)

April 29, 2013

A show worth fighting for [by Matt Baker] Starting nearly half an hour late can result in an immediate uphill battle for a performer, but, with an enthusiastic energy and true showmanship, David Ladderman quickly has us on his side in his one-man show Battle of the Bastards. The show focuses on the sub-plot to King Lear, namely, the events […]

REVIEW: Andy Clay’s Book of Love (Comedy Festival)

April 29, 2013

A novel comedy [by Matt Baker] Four years after being nominated for Best Show in the NZ International Comedy Festival, Andy Clay’s Book of Love returns for its second season. Presented not as a one-man reading, but more of a self-help seminar, the show is broken into ten chapters, with Clay enthusiastically rattling off a great variety of hilarious observations […]

REVIEW: Chris Parker and Hayley Sproull in Outsiders’ Guide (Comedy Festival)

April 28, 2013

Its cooler outside [by James Wenley] Everyone is an outsider somewhere. Hayley Sproull and Chris Parker know this well, and find fertile ground for comedy, and laughs of identification, in their Outsiders’ Guide: A whirlwind guide to life and reasons yours doesn’t work. The thespianic-comedians are the insiders on the outside, who promise, in beatnik poetry at the top of […]

REVIEW: Chris Martin in Spot the Difference (Comedy Festival)

April 28, 2013

Close but no cigar [by Sharu Delilkan] The foyer of The Classic was buzzing as would be expected on the first official night of the 2013 NZ International Comedy Festival. The bar was under siege before the start of Chris Martin’s first show and the queue for the theatre snaked out the door to the last of the smokers building […]

REVIEW: Midnight in Moscow (Auckland Theatre Company)

April 24, 2013

Reds in your Head [by James Wenley] Since his stage debut in 1974, New Zealand playwright Dean Parker, who last year was awarded the inaugural Playmarket award for making a a significant artistic contribution to theatre in New Zealand, has been a consistent voice from the left worldview.  His last work staged in Auckland was The Hollow Men in 2008, the […]

REVIEW: Madame Butterfly (NZ Opera)

April 19, 2013

Colourful Culture Clash [by Sharu Delilkan] We were welcomed to the opening night of Madame Butterfly by The Edge’s Director Robbie Macrae, billed as the grand opening of the newly refurbished ASB Theatre with improved decor and acoustics. Having seen Madame Butterfly more than a decade before in Hong Kong we were intrigued to see how an American-Asian love story […]

REVIEW: Queen (Smoke Labours Productions)

April 18, 2013

Gay-up Storytelling [by James Wenley] The passing of this bill will validate my place in society. It does nothing for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender couples that have gone before me and had to hide their relationships. It does wonders for those of us that will be able to enjoy it at this time of great change. Most of […]

REVIEW: Goodbye My Feleni (Hekama Creative)

April 17, 2013

Come back soon [by Matt Baker] “In a day and age where we idolise ‘glamour and swag’ – we often forget the people who died getting us here, these should be our idols and heroes. It’s been an honour breathing life into this part of our Pacific heritage with the boys and the crew in acknowledging the role which our […]

REVIEW: Apocalypse Z (Royale Productions)

April 15, 2013

The Stationary Dead [by James Wenley] So, the Zombie Apocalypse is finally upon us, but it has arrived with more of a low moan than a blood-lusting scream. Royale Productions’ high-concept Apocalypse Z – written by Simon London and David Van Horn and directed by Andrew Foster – has barricaded itself securely within Aotea Centre. The square is host to […]

Auckland Festival Dispatch: The Festival of Us

April 8, 2013

Auckland: City of Culture? [by James Wenley] I led something of a charmed existence during the 19 days of the Auckland Arts Festival. By night, I could enrich my mind and surrender my senses to the stunning array of local and international shows on offer. By day, I was En Route, working on a show that sent audience members off, […]

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