REVIEW: O le Pepelo, le Gaoi, ma le Pala’ai (Auckland Theatre Company)

March 16, 2024

The Road to Leadership is Through Service As soon as O le Pepelo, le Gaoi, ma le Pala’ai (The Liar, the Thief, and the Coward) starts, the audience is immersed in the Samoan language. The opening monologue by Vaofefe (The Village Vale), played by Jesme Fa’auuga, is recited fully in Samoan — no subtitles provided.  A bilingual production requires a […]

REVIEW: Te Tangi a Te Tūi (Te Pou)

March 14, 2024

Te Tangi a Te Tūī is a ground-breaking collaboration between Te Rēhia Theatre, The Dust Palace and The Cultch, which weaves together elements of Māori pūrakau, circus theatre, spectacular visuals, and stunning choreography to tell the story of the Tūī’s song which becomes an allegory for the beauty and persistence of te reo Māori. The Tūī’s birdsong is complex and […]

REVIEW: Cowboy Dreaming (Basement)

March 4, 2024

[The Ballad of Billy Bob and Bobby Bill] Pale pink and white fabric clouds hang in fluffy banks over the Basement Studio stage. On a single mattress are two, improbably still, denim-shorts-clad, cowboys. They lie on top of each other, stacked like flapjacks, with only the flashing of the silver studs on one of their belts giving the impression of […]

REVIEW: Sirens of the Silver Screen (Q Theatre)

February 28, 2024

Offered as part of Auckland Pride Festival 2024, Sirens of the Silver Screen is a charming and energetic drag cabaret, which pays homage to the plots and songs of popular films.  Miss Demeanour, Miss Givings, and Miss Manage provide renditions of songs which typify the nostalgia of films gone by. These performances were slotted into a loose narrative arc, which […]

REVIEW: Twelfth Night: A Queer Reimagining (TAPAC)

February 26, 2024

Presented as part of the Auckland Pride Festival 2024, Arden Ensemble’s Twelfth Night was variously advertised as a lesbian reinterpretation, an LGBTQIA+ retelling, and a queer reimagining. ‘Reimagining’ may best fit the bill. Director Rose Herda and her players have staged a vibrant rendition of Shakespeare’s comedy that delivers the usual laughs and shenanigans — with an unmistakably contemporary feel.  […]

REVIEW: This Room is an Island (Te Pou)

February 26, 2024

[If you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you] Described as an immersive experience to ‘journey through time, bearing witness to a Taiwanese perspective on legacies of colonialism (1930-1995)’, This Room is an Island sets the stage outside the theatre, beginning in the Te Pou foyer. One by one performers make their way through the audience to […]

REVIEW: Tea For Two Valentine’s Special (Loft at Q)

February 21, 2024

What an absolute treat it was to see Tea For Two Valentine’s Special. I arrived early at the Loft at Q Theatre and found a seat front and centre, only then realising that I was at a Valentine’s show by myself. Theatre goers file in and decide to leave a number of conspicuously empty seats around me. The one woman […]

REVIEW: Jingle Bellethon Telethon (Basement Christmas Show)

December 19, 2023

It’s Christmas. And every day Australia steals more of our Kiwi kids. But you, kind caller, can stop this! Donate today to the Jingle Bellethon Telethon and we will send a parcel of Christmas kiwiana to remind our Kiwi kids of just what it means to be a Kiwi!  Created by Janaye Henry (Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa) and Bea Gladding […]

REVIEW: Ngā Reta (Te Pou)

December 7, 2023

Ngā Reta is a poignant and humorous solo performance piece, which explores the individual nature of relationships and identity, in total-immersion reo Māori. The play follows Mia’s journey after receiving a box of letters, ngā reta, in the mail. The letters, from Kuia, detail her mother’s life and hint at the identity of her father. This throws Mia into turmoil, […]

REVIEW: The Clay Cart (Prayas Theatre)

December 7, 2023

Prayas Theatre Company returns to TAPAC with their production of The Clay Cart. The play opens with a meta twist; on stage the Prayas ensemble are rehearsing their own production of The Clay Cart, ready to bring this classic in Indian theatre to the New Zealand stage for the first time.  However, it’s no simple task. The cast is struggling […]

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