A novel comedy [by Matt Baker] Four years after being nominated for Best Show in the NZ International Comedy Festival, Andy Clay’s Book of Love returns for its second season. Presented not as a one-man reading, but more of a self-help seminar, the show is broken into ten chapters, with Clay enthusiastically rattling off a great variety of hilarious observations […]
Come back soon [by Matt Baker] “In a day and age where we idolise ‘glamour and swag’ – we often forget the people who died getting us here, these should be our idols and heroes. It’s been an honour breathing life into this part of our Pacific heritage with the boys and the crew in acknowledging the role which our […]
Grape fun [by Matt Baker] Constantinople has a rich and impressive history, a history that is manhandled to fit the mold for Trygve Wakenshaw and Barnie Duncan’s show of the same name. Though some of the facts are true, the majority of the storyline is warped to accommodate a series of bizarre scenes including a horse and his physiotherapist, Rod […]
A climactic theatrical experience [by Matt Baker] Idle hands are the devil’s playthings, but it seems they might also be responsible for a zombie outbreak in Auckland. Conceived via procrastination, actors David Van Horn and Simon London turned their hands to writing and created what is being dubbed in the theatre industry as the most immersive theatrical experience to date. […]
I’m on it [by Matt Baker] Cross-gender and cross-racial casting, an era-specific time relocation, and characters represented by dolls or never seen at all are three fundamental theatrical constructs employed by Caryl Churchill to present the themes of sexuality, oppression, and identity in her 1979 play, Cloud 9. Such constructs illustrate said themes to the audience in a blatant and […]
Whānau ties [by Matt Baker] Family is an intrinsically universal concept, one to which all – regardless of (and sometimes in spite of) one’s upbringing – can relate. Instigated by the ultimate qualifier of death, Mitch Tawhi Thomas explores this concept, and the dynamics surrounding it, in the world premiere of the appropriately titled Hui. Said dynamics are illustrated through […]
And I Was Like: Whatever [by Matt Baker] In his programme notes, writer and director Sam Brooks puts forth the question, ‘What happens when you take one of the fundamental pillars of relationships, the words, out of the equation?’ He summarises by saying that ‘when it gets from the stage to your faces, maybe you’ll get your answer.’ If there is […]
America Calling [by Matt Baker] 22 years on, Jon Pheloung returns to perform the self-proclaimed sort of sequel to his one-man show, One Man Guy. This, of course, raises the question of what, if anything, has changed. Having not seen the original production, I couldn’t say, but there is certainly a distinct feeling of the show not only taking place, but […]
Transcendental [by Matt Baker] Presented by The People Who Play With Theatre, Just Above The Clouds is, not surprisingly, a very playful piece of theatre. That is not to say, however, that the content is treated facetiously – far from it. It is a story about love, loss, grief, denial, acceptance, and self, and I thank writer and director Ben […]
I’d rather have my stomach pumped… [by Matt Baker] High School Hangover is described as a romantic-comedy that will “have you in stitches”, and I did laugh, twice. Once at Xavier Mercedes Black’s awkward attempt to both calm and support her friend, and once at musician Jess Dowlman’s one-liner aside. It’s hard to keep track of this play, not only […]
Copyright © 2024 | MH Magazine WordPress Theme by MH Themes