Nothing new under The Basement Lights [by Matt Baker] 29 performers, numerous acts, and one creative mind behind it all. It’s a recipe for a potentially excessive and hubristic night at the theatre, but creator Jessie McCall has pulled together a diverse assortment of dancers, actors, and musicians under the unifying theme of artistic copyright to produce a truly entertaining evening. […]
Enjoyably engaging [by Sharu Delilkan] If you go to Ballet Revolución with your dance snob’s hat on I’d advise you not to bother. But if you’re interested in having an entertaining night out with the family Ballet Revolución is definitely the one for you. Yes I agree that their attempt to incorporate classical ballet, contemporary dance and modern hip hop […]
Young in Trouble [by Matt Baker] B4 25 Playmarket Award nominee Ben Wilson has been inspired by seeing “young people’s stories told honestly,” and while I don’t buy the authenticity of the issues addressed in his play, “I’ll Be Fine”, the pre quarter-life crisis generation is a terrifying truth to which I’ve been exposed. The film obsessed potential scriptwriter role in […]
A Satisfying Squeeze [by Andrew Parker] It seems sort of appropriate that Kate Watson’s The Cave, a show so concerned with size, plays out in Garnet Station’s Tiny Theatre – where space isn’t wildly abundant for either the players or the audience. What better setting for a drama of sexual function and dysfunction performed by actors often wielding impressively proportioned dildos? […]
Substantive [by Tim George] A couple sit on a couch, enjoying the evening. A plain of glass shatters. And then, so does everything else. Written by Christopher Hampton (Dangerous Liaisons) and directed by Alistair Browning, Treats is a bruising comedy about three people who want (and need) different things from each other. Dave, a journalist, has just come back from assignment in Iraq, […]
The Anti-Arrival [by James Wenley] Going in, the talking point is how Red Leap have downsized from their large ensemble company, the world-building of The Arrival, and the giant creatures of Sea. Dust Pilgrim is a nimble show for a smaller venue and three performers (plus crew member), designed artistically and economically for ease of touring. Going out, the big news […]
Maybe another day [by Matt Baker] The combination of Auckland Playwright Collective’s Read Raw in 2008 and The Court Theatre’s Fresh Ink new play development programme in 2010 has certainly given substance to Laurence Dolan’s play, Days Like Today, but substance is not enough for a play to make the transition from page to stage. It requires a ruthless director and […]
Natural Born Killas [by Sharu Delilkan and Tim Booth] Often not knowing what to expect when you go to a show is key. In this case my total ignorance about Victor Rodger’s Club Paradiso worked a treat. Shock, horror and amazement was what ensued from the minute I sat in my seat, having managed to refrain from reading the programme. […]
La cenerentola captivates [by Sharu Delilkan] If you go to see Gioachino Rosinni‘s version of Cinderella aka La cenerentola with an open mind I can guarantee that you are in for a veritable feast that will satisfy all your senses. But if you’re expecting pumpkins, carriages, rodents, wands, glass slippers and fairy godmothers you are bound to be disappointed. So […]
Too light [by Matt Baker] It is the most difficult process any parent could endure, not the loss, but the unknown fate of a child. The stakes are high in Shelagh Stephenson’s script, and while Auckland Theatre Company’s production of Enlightenment has an intellectual grasp on the chaos of the play, it remains less resonant than the text allows it to […]
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