REVIEW: Miss Jean Batten (Flaxworks)

March 30, 2016

[Solo Flight] “Flying is the easy part,” Jean Batten tells us with a smirk and a quirk of a brow. She struggles with the judgement and disapproval of men, who fear a woman will do what they never have: cross the Tasman from England to New Zealand, in her tiny plane, and break the world record.  Convention and propriety are […]

REVIEW: Benedict Cumberbatch Must Die (The Basement)

February 24, 2016

[Cumbersome] Fandom culture is fascinating. It’s hysterical, it’s heartfelt, and for those involved, it’s very real. I was an avid Sherlockian as a young teenager. I cried and yelled when Sherlock jumped off that roof. I went to the conventions, I read the blogs. My feelings towards Cumberbatch have moved more towards ambivalence in recent years, as I realised that […]

REVIEW: Puzzy (Auckland Pride Festival)

February 11, 2016

[Poetry from the Puzzy] A major concern in theatre that deals with LGBTIQ identity is often the validity of labels. Which box do we fit into? Do we have to decide? Gay? Lesbian? Bi? These are the questions  hurled at Mele (Frankie Adams) in the opening sequence of Puzzy, and immediately reflects a relatable plight for young people uncertain of the […]