REVIEW: The President Tour (The Classic)

November 10, 2016

[The Future is Now] With hideously perfect timing Alexander Sparrow’s new show The President Tour arrives at the Classic to offer a terrifying view into the mind of US president-elect Donald Trump. The lead-up to this show was a series of ironies. Most of the audience did not turn up because they were following the results. As Trump (the real […]

REVIEW: A Ghost Tale (The Basement)

November 10, 2016

[A Bit Wispy] Theatre is not always good at creating a visceral experience — the medium is designed as a platform for exploring ideas, not action (let’s take musicals and pro-wrestling out of the equation). Anthologies are also difficult to pull off — not only do you have to provide a strong set of tight stories, you also have to […]

REVIEW: Madwoman/Gentlewoman (The Basement – Art Week)

October 13, 2016

[Burnt Toast] Created and performed by Kate Bartlett, this one-woman show is an attempt to bring an emotional void to the stage. The set-up is intriguing — the stage is sparsely decorated with a few pieces of furniture and everyday items (a chair, a desk and a toaster). But there is an uncanny quality to the mise-en-scene which goes beyond […]

REVIEW: Suits (Auckland Live International Cabaret Season)

September 29, 2016

[HellzaBoppin’] Going into Suits, I realised a) I know nothing about cabaret and b) this was not going to be a musical based on the US TV series. It turned it it didn’t matter — if you are in the mood for some deeply personal revelations with great tunes (and Iggy Izalea), this show is the one for you. A […]

REVIEW: Hook-Up Boys (The Basement)

September 23, 2016

[A Satyrical Satire] Sex is an easy starting place for comedy. The expectations, the realities, and the frustrations of desire can provide great set ups for jokes. Think back to the characters played by Marilyn Monroe and Joe E. Brown in Some Like It Hot — their bodies and perceived sex appeal (or lack of, in Brown’s case) become walking […]

REVIEW: Sister Anzac (Stark Theatre)

August 25, 2016

[Honour & Horror] Theatre can do certain tones well. Visceral dread is not usually one of them. Sister Anzac is the rare drama that manages to feel like a completely theatrical yet horrifically immersive experience. Told from the perspective of three green New Zealand Red Cross nurses and their formidable matron, Sister Anzac (written by Geoff Allen) presents the battlefields of […]

REVIEW: Mia Blonde in Ice Dagger (Dynamotion)

August 4, 2016

[Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Ha Ha] There have been a few times I’ve watched an old James Bond movie (generally one starring Roger Moore) when I’ve wondered what a James Bond musical would look like. Mia Blonde in Ice Dagger is probably as close as we are going to get. Mia Blonde (Olivia Tennet) is James Bond without the penis or […]

REVIEW: La Vie Dans Une Marionette (White Face Crew)

June 22, 2016

[Master Showmen] As soon as the  man in white face paint screamed ‘lock ze doors!’, I knew we were in for something interesting. La Vie Dans Une Marionette is a delightful confection of humour and surprising pathos. Making a return visit to The Basement as part of their Matariki season, White Face Dance Crew tell the story of a lonely pianist (Tama Jarman) and the […]

REVIEW: Medea (Silo)

June 19, 2016

[Medea Mediated] Jasper (Quinn Bevan) and Leon (Aedan Burmester) are the children of Greek hero Jason (of the Argonauts fame) and the witch Medea (played by Bronwyn Bradley). As the action begins, the couple’s marriage has broken up over Jason’s infidelity and the boys have been locked in their room while their parents thrash it out. While their parents battle […]

REVIEW: Milky Bits (The Basement)

June 15, 2016

[Vision Boards A go-go] Three friends (Chris Parker, Hayley Sproull and Leon Wadham) are lost on a windy heath. After finding each other, they declare their mutual devotion and vow to return on the anniversary of their ordeal to celebrate their enduring bond. And that about does it for plot. When I first heard the title ‘Milky Bits’, I was […]

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