REVIEW: The Like Minds Big reTHINK

October 4, 2012

I’m thinking… [by Matt Baker] Next week is Mental Health Awareness Week, and what better way to generate awareness than with a show about mental health? The Big reTHINK, conceptualised in 2009 and currently run by producer and creative director Taimi Allan, combines theatre, dance, comedy, film, and music, in an effort to enable awareness for the general public.  The […]

REVIEW: Bucket Boy (I’m not Content Productions)

October 4, 2012

There’s more than one hole in it [by Matt Baker] After a 30-minute delay due to technical difficulties, we were finally ushered into the Basement loft, but not before being told that we were about to see the ‘greatest show of our lives.’ It was a bold and conceited statement, and one to which the show does not live up. […]

REVIEW: Short + Sweet 2012 Week 3 (Stamp at The Edge)

October 4, 2012

Third Time’s a Charm [by James Wenley] It is the third week, of the third year of the Short+Sweet Theatre Festival in Auckland. Since its arrival at The Herald in 2010, the ten minute play festival has been firmly embraced by the Auckland Theatre community – emerging and experienced – and has gone from strength to strength. This is the […]

REVIEW: A Heart’s Path (Tales from the Kava Bowl)

September 27, 2012

Straight from the Heart [by Sharu Delilkan] A Heart’s Path, written by Suli Moa, is the young playwright’s second Tongan play in less than two years. I’m glad to see that talents like Moa are not a flash in the pan. I have to say congratulations bro for consistently making new works – may this be a sign of more […]

REVIEW: Short + Sweet 2012 Week 2 (Stamp at The Edge)

September 26, 2012

Sweet As! [by Sharu Delilkan] I thoroughly enjoyed tonight’s performances of Short + Sweet which is in stark contrast to my review of Week 1. Varied, funny, clever, poignant and sweet in equal proportions the performers complemented each other creating a great mix of thought provoking dialogue. In case you haven’t seen Short + Sweet before, it is the biggest […]

REVIEW: The Bartered Bride (NBR NZ Opera)

September 25, 2012

Bartered then betrothed [by Sharu Delilkan] The word ‘opera’ conjures images of elitism and grandeur among people who don’t frequent the art form. And if you identify with that majority, NBR NZ Opera‘s version of The Bartered Bride would be a great first opera to see. It’s easy to understand, simple storyline and of course it’s highly accessible because it’s […]

REVIEW: Short + Sweet 2012 Week 1 (Stamp at The Edge)

September 20, 2012

Short, but Sweet??? [by Sharu Delilkan] Death, murder and suicide seemed to dominate the themes for Week 1 of Short + Sweet 2012. To be honest I could have done with a little more levity and a little less gravity. Thank goodness for the reprieve provided by The Lighthouse Keeper, Wisdom of Solomon and Supercide. Speaking of Supercide, the reason […]

REVIEW: The Gift (Auckland Theatre Company)

September 17, 2012

The Gift of the gab [by Sharu Delilkan] “Wow!” was all we could say when we saw the striking set as we walked into the Maidment Theatre. A Rubiks-like upholstered grid with minimal cube props for tables and seats is the genius creation of set designer Rachael Walker. This style is repeated behind as a backdrop with the whole set […]

REVIEW: Cowboy Mouth & Love It Up

September 14, 2012

A Bittersweet Mouthful [by Matt Baker] Cowboy Mouth was once described as co-writer Sam Shephard’s ‘most thinly-veiled autobiography.’ However, his resultant abandonment of the production prior to the second night’s performance (he starred alongside his co-writer and lover at the time, Patti Smith) indicates that perhaps the piece was less of a thin veil, and more of a deluge of emotionally […]

REVIEW: Michael James Manaia (Taki Rua Productions & Q)

September 13, 2012

Raw, real and rewarding [by Sharu Delilkan] John Broughton’s epic one-man play Michael James Manaia (MJM) machine guns you with emotion right from the get-go. I can safely say this is the most raw and rewarding play we’ve seen for a long time. Our friends at Q had warned us that the show had had a profound effect on audiences. […]

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