REVIEW: The Life of Galileo (Auckland Theatre Company)

June 29, 2021

[Use Science Wisely] The scene is 17th century Italy. Legendary astronomer Galileo Galilei is unsatisfied with what he has achieved in his life so far, and fixated on one subject in particular: the movement of the earth around the sun. Yet as Galileo tries fervently to share his discoveries with the world, it’s clear that there’s a big, black hole […]

REVIEW: Wonderful (Basement Theatre)

June 24, 2021

[First Period – Starring: Brother Vianney] Brother Vianney, played by Andrew Laing, begins the show in a warm spotlight, and delights us with Rogers and Hammerstein’s Shall We Dance, from The King and I. A tender beginning that then explodes, and our very own Deborah Kerr twirls and floats around the stage, not unlike Maria on the hilltop from another […]

REVIEW: Cake Baby (Basement Theatre)

June 23, 2021

[Nobody puts Cake Baby in the corner: fatness, art, and representation] The Basement stage floor is littered, quite literally, with trash – empty take-out boxes, wrappers, and containers of food – directly contrasted by diaphanous pink material strung grandly from the centre of the ceiling. It is immediately intriguing and the audience seems to be in a good mood, warmed […]

REVIEW: Barrier Ninja (Auckland Live)

June 22, 2021

[Medicine under the spotlight] The problem of othering has to be one of the biggest contemporary issues that is still only finding its light. The “us” vs “them” mentality places certain groups of people outside of what is considered “normal”, and they are then subjected to racism, inequality, isolation, and marginalisation with alarmingly harmful consequences. I was heartened that one […]

REVIEW: Bunny (Basement Theatre)

June 18, 2021

[A Comedic and Musical Meditation on Grief] The doors to the stage open and I am greeted with this immense sense of liveliness. Barnie Duncan, our sole performer, is playing a bass guitar, ushering us in with music and smiles as though he knows each of us personally. Above him is an LED sign reading, “haere mai” and “welcome”. Something […]

REVIEW: Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream (Indian Ink)

June 13, 2021

[“The Secret to Life is Inconsistency”] From the moment the striking white lights brighten the black box of Q Theatre, Jacob Rajan captures the full attention of every audience member as Harvey Norman worker, Kutisar. He lies sprawled on a plinth, perhaps dead, or at least close to death. In swoops a Vulture, expertly animated by puppeteer Jon Coddington. The […]

REVIEW: Boom Shankar (Basement Theatre)

June 9, 2021

[Heaven & Hell walk into a bar…] In the six-ish years that I have reviewed shows at Basement Theatre, I have never found a formula for writing about them. Regardless of my opinion, it requires a completely different approach every single time. I do not like to lump different shows into categories, but one ‘genre’ I have noticed that keeps […]

REVIEW: 45 Cents an Hour (Basement Theatre)

June 4, 2021

[A Portrait of a New Zealand Artist as a Middle-Aged Man] How does it feel to be a struggling artist? What is the line between artistic integrity and corporate success? How do we know when it’s time to give up pursuing our passion? Dominic Hoey, in his new show 45 Cents an Hour at the Basement Theatre, explores his own […]