REVIEW: The Savage Coloniser Show (Auckland Arts Festival)

March 20, 2023

Poetry and theatre lovers alike have been eagerly awaiting Tusiata Avia’s The Savage Coloniser Show to grace the stage. The Savage Coloniser Book is the second book of poetry by Avia to be transformed into an ensemble stage play since the award winning Wild Dogs Under My Skirt. Both shows have been produced by Victor Rodger (F.C.C) and directed by […]

REVIEW: Wheel Head (Summer at Q)

February 27, 2023

[What’s Your Bus Number?] Absurd, playful, and freshly imagined. Co Theatre Physical have once again produced an comedic and engrossing piece. Mixing physical theatre, contemporary transport woes, live music, and light audience interaction, Wheel Head, written by Beth Kayes in collaboration with Katie Burson,  is a surprising and charming 50 minutes.  We are introduced to Joanna (Katie Burson), Aucklander and […]

REVIEW: Naked & Dangerous (Auckland Pride)

February 24, 2023

“I don’t know what to expect, and that’s exciting” an audience member said as we were queuing up for the opening night of Naked & Dangerous, the latest venture from Luck and Schooney, a veteran artistic duo specialising in Dance Theatre and Cabaret. The show’s description is brief and enticingly general, promising a cabaret show that will explore sexual taboos […]

REVIEW: Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Mt Roskill (Auckland Pride)

February 23, 2023

It’s the final week of the Auckland Pride Festival. With the festival turning out some amazing theatre this year, Concerning the UFO Sighting Outside Mt Roskill is one I’m glad I didn’t miss. Reon Bell gives a charming and thoroughly entertaining performance in this solo act as Dana, a young, closeted gay man in the 80s who has an increasing […]

REVIEW: Sense and Sensibility (Court Theatre)

February 22, 2023

The Court Theatre’s world premiere of Sense and Sensibility is a production of flair, noise and caricature. Whilst playwright Penny Ashton and director Hillary Moulder have a good handle on adapting the narrative dimensions of the source material, this production struggles to make any of it matter. For audience members new to Austen, this is unlikely to be an issue. […]

REVIEW: Alone (Summer at Q)

February 18, 2023

[In Space No One Can Hear the Smiths] It is a testament to the show that David Bowie is a more subject of conversation and debate, but the song that is played is not Space Oddity.  Written and directed by Luke Thornborough, Alone is a sci-fi drama about two astronauts on a return flight from a mission to a distant […]

REVIEW: Jez & Jace: Lads on Tour (Auckland Pride)

February 12, 2023

Jez & Jace: Lads on Tour is a humorous and heart-warming improvised show, which delightfully depicts two life-long bogan mates trying to figure out what they really want. The eponymous Jez and Jace; devised and played by Ginge and Minge, respectively (Nina Hogg and Megan Conolly, respectively); are the beer-swilling, womanising, stubby-wearing men that typify rural New Zealand. They are […]

REVIEW: Man Lessons (Auckland Pride)

February 10, 2023

The Auckland Pride Festival is in full swing in its second week and if you’re going out to see a thing or two (or read, watch, listen to – there’s a beautiful array of activities in the program this year), you can’t go past this gem taking place at the Basement Theatre. Man Lessons, performed by Adam Rohe (he/him), combines […]

REVIEW: Rent (The Court Theatre)

November 22, 2022

The Court Theatre’s production of Rent by Jonathan Larson is an all-star affair both behind the curtain and on the stage. But by the time the curtain call comes, it’s clear that it’s the season of Monique Clementson & James Bell in Ōtautahi. More on them, later.  Director Lara MacGregor has her work cut out for her with Rent: though […]

REVIEW: The King of Taking (Q Theatre)

November 13, 2022

Thom Monckton’s The King of Taking is a physicality-based solo performance, wherein the petulant, titular King tries, and fails, to navigate his kingdom and his subjects – to hilarious result. The lights go up to Gemma Tweedie’s sparse and luxurious set, with the richly-coloured fabric banners and tent doing an amazing job of delineating the performance area. Of immediate note, […]

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