REVIEW: Bus Stop (Auckland Fringe)

February 22, 2013

Any minute now… [by Matt Baker] Youth suicide. It’s an unquestionably prevalent and heavy-handed topic, and it’s been chosen as the theme for Dark Horse Productions’ (a group of eight of The Actors’ Program graduates) fringe show. Writers notes, and Youthline and LifeLine advertisements in the programme indicate a genuine attempt to address the issue, however, it would have been […]

REVIEW: Dolly Mixture (Auckland Fringe)

February 22, 2013

Gross-out Dolly Horror [by James Wenley] Thomas Sainsbury and Yvette Parsons’s previous work together typically tend to features unsavory oddballs, extracting comedy from social awkwardness and character eccentricities. This style is once again at play in Dolly Mixture in which the premise sees Crispin Merriweather (Sainsbury) boarding at the residence of Beverly Beavington (Parsons) who restores dolls as her hobby. But […]

REVIEW: Tim Dibley. Masterclass (Auckland Fringe)

February 22, 2013

Christ knows he should be charging a lot more [by Matt Baker] After three years of gradually and increasingly leaking the persona of Tim Dibley into the acting community’s collective consciousness, actor and casting director Eryn Wilson has finally taken the step from Facebook and Youtube to the stage in the premiere live performance of his ridiculous yet somewhat veracious […]

This Week in the Theatre Scene: Make The Basement your new home (18-23 Feb)

February 18, 2013

This Week’s Picks: Black Faggot, Elevator, A Night to Dismember and Dolly Mixture [by James Wenley] Auckland Fringe is out in full force from this week, and audiences are  spoilt for choice, you lucky things you. All of our picks are at The Basement this week, giving you the perfect opportunity to check out their classy new bar area. PICK […]

REVIEW: Black Faggot (Auckland Fringe)

February 18, 2013

It’s all in the title [by Matt Baker] With such a provocative title (faggot sits at number 9 on the Broadcasting Standards Authority’s list of 31 words ‘Not To Swear’), one would be forgiven if they were to presume that Victor Rodger’s Black Faggot was going to be an excessive bombardment of racial and homophobic rants from both sides of […]

REVIEW: A Night to Dismember (Auckland Fringe)

February 17, 2013

Dexterous “Big Fish” Yarn [by James Wenley] A Night to Dismember by Australian creator and performer Wil Greenway is a late Fringe entry that handily plugged a gap in The Basement’s schedule after previously advertised Truth was cancelled. Hopping across the ditch after seasons in Adelaide and Melbourne, Dismember has a true Aussie larrikin spirit and an off-beat sensibility that […]

REVIEW: Vivacious Vaudeville (Auckland Fringe)

February 16, 2013

Frivolity and a few Cheeks [by James Wenley] Lily Loca has created a streamlined version of her Vaudeville Cabaret experience especially for the Auckland Fringe. Vivacious Vaudeville is my first time I’ve seen one of her shows (there have been five previous) so going in I was officially, as Loca put it, one of the ‘virgins’. As a Vaudeville there is no […]

Looking forward: What’s on my theatrical radar for 2013? (Part 1)

January 20, 2013

Festival Year! [by James Wenley] Theatre always goes to ground in January. The stages may be bare, but Auckland’s theatre community are busy strutting and fretting behind-the-scenes. There’s a lot to do: Auckland Fringe 2013 is now less than a month away, and Auckland Arts Festival is right on its tail. I’ve enjoyed the break, but if, like me, you […]

Adieu Auckland Fringe

March 14, 2011

I hardly saw thee… [by James Wenley]  Last night the Auckland Fringe Festival closing night was partied away in exuberant style to a live Swing band, after the awards had been handed out, in the stunning Pacific Crystal Palace Spiegeltent in Aotea Square. The Spiegeltent was a ‘loan’, of sorts, from the Mumma Auckland Arts Festival. Whereas the prestigious Arts […]

REVIEW: Standstill (Auckland Fringe)

March 14, 2011

All is revealed [by James Wenley] With the Auckland Fringe over, it is safe to talk about Standstill. The latest from The Rebel Alliance, Standstill featured a unique and risky promotional campaign. Their image said “Don’t read this” and the promotional blurb told us nothing about what the show was about, or who was in it. We were asked to […]

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