Far from abominable [by Matt Baker] Love, lust, manipulation, jealously, and revenge are the key ingredients of any great melodrama, and no Auckland based theatrical melodrama has proved so great as The Moving Theatre Company’s Yeti Trilogy. Encompassing original productions Dan Is Dead: I Am Yeti and Yeti Is Dead: I Am Tom, the Yeti Trilogy incorporates a third act, Yeti In The Himalayas, to create a […]
What every woman needs [by Matt Baker] Incorporating a similar narrative construct to her hit Fringe Festival show Elevator, writer and actress Jess Sayer has brought three women together in a confined space and gradually turned up the heat. Wings follow three sisters’ literal and metaphorical journey, with Sayer cleverly making the subtlest of suggestions along the way. The result is that even […]
Pleasantly controversial [by Matt Baker] Regardless of whether one believes in it or not, climate change is undoubtedly a hot topic, and British playwright Richard Bean has clearly done his homework on the subject. While The Heretic could easily be a vehicle for playwright pontification, there is nothing terribly dogmatic in Bean’s writing, nor is the character of Dr. Diane Cassell by […]
F*ck yeah [by Matt Baker] Written and directed by Sarah Graham, F*ck Love revolves around the lives of three twenty-something women in Auckland, each succumbing to and working their way through the effects of love. The play gets a passing grade on the Bechdel test, mainly because the love it explores is not only that between men and women, but […]
We’re all going to hell [by Matt Baker] Presented as the telling of the Titus myth through the perspective of a pack of post-apocalyptic lost boys, director Ben Henson has once again created a visual feast of a production. Titus Andronicus is one of Shakespeare’s most highly criticised works, written by a young playwright in an attempt to keep up with […]
Mass Appeal [by Matt Baker] The less said about Gravity Hotel, the better. I say this, not in regards to the incredibly high quality of the work, but of its journey, as it is one that simply must be experienced as opposed to explained. Very rarely does an audience remain seated post show in huddled discussion about the events they’ve just […]
A precious piece [by Matt Baker] The Glass Menagerie is a magical play. From the opening Brechtian monologue, to the blatant symbolism and dialogue surrounding the titular menagerie, playwright Tennessee Williams does not shy away from using a light theatrical shroud to expose truths. It would be easy to rely on these conventions and consequentially not find the true weight in […]
Some things you can’t learn in school [by Matt Baker] Composer, lyricist, and musical director Vicki Millar has a Masters Degree in Musical Theatre (specialising in Writing), so I am surprised that I Wish I Learned came across as such a primary level production. The story is devoid of plot and is instead driven by the characters, who, by themselves, are […]
Clucking good fun [by Matt Baker] “What do I really wanna say that I’m afraid to say?” In his eulogy for George Carlin, Louis CK noted that what made the late comedian better every year was his constant digging deeper for new material; from jokes about airplanes and dogs, to feelings and who you are, to fears and nightmares. With […]
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 […]
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