REVIEW: Venus Is… (The Dust Palace)

September 11, 2011

Q’s Loft loses its virginity [by Sharu Delilkan] Everyone is familiar with the Roman goddess Venus, that’s often associated with love, beauty and fertility.  So naturally I was bracing myself for an evening brimming with decadence, desire and debauchery. And coupled with the excitement of Q’s new studio space The Loft’s first show Venus Is…, the evening promised a spicy […]

REVIEW: Raising the Titanics at Q Theatre

September 8, 2011

Raising the Titanics, Raising a Theatre  [by James Wenley] The Maori Volcanics show band in their 60s heyday were arguably our most famous exports. With members included bonafide legends Prince Tui Teka and Billy T James, they took their unique mix of song, comedy, and Maori culture around the world to the USA, Vietnam, Israel, Europe, playing to royalty and appearing […]

REVIEW: The End of the Golden Weather (Auckland Theatre Company)

September 8, 2011

Milk and Honey Dreams [by James Wenley] The End of the Golden Weather has got to be one of the great New Zealand stories. As a play, it’s endured far beyond its intended lifespan. Playwright Bruce Mason wrote it partly as a platform for himself, performing the work solo across NZ in the decades for a staggering 986 performances, until […]

REVIEW: The Only Child (Silo Theatre)

September 2, 2011

Not your classic ‘bathroom’ drama [by James Wenley] In The Only Child, actor Stephen Lovatt spends most of his time in the bath. If this sounds like taking it easy as an actor, it is anything but. From the bathtub Lovatt, naked – physically and emotionally, delivers an intense performance as a father dealing with profound loss, grief and, most […]

REVIEW: Soap the Show

August 24, 2011

Wet but definitely not Wild [by Sharu Delilkan] Anticipation is the only way to describe the atmosphere on opening night – anticipation for whether cabaret could translate to a big venue like The Civic, without losing the naughtiness and immediacy that’s the essence of cabaret. The crowd was willing and excited about the sexy and sensual show that the programme […]

REVIEW: The Factory (Kila Kokonut Krew)

August 14, 2011

Killer Kreation Knocks yer socks off [by Sharu Delilkan] The ‘Klu Kux Klan’ of Pacifica aka Kila Kokonut Krew have yet again pulled a rabbit out of the hat with another first – The Factory, New Zealand’s first Pacific Island musical. “What the hell”, I thought.  “How can it have taken until 2011 to produce a musical, with the abundance of Pacific […]

REVIEW: Calendar Girls (Auckland Theatre Company)

August 14, 2011

Tastefully titillating theatre [by Sharu Delilkan] Leaving home yesterday evening on the way to the city to watch Auckland Theatre Company’s stage production of the infamous Calendar Girls brought its own set of surprises. I innocently said to my mate who was giving me a ride to the city  “I’m going to Calendar Girls today”.  To which I got this […]

REVIEW: The Terrific Tale of Tabatha Talmus & These are the Skeletons of Us

August 11, 2011

Labyrinth and 500 Days of Summer? Skip the films, see the plays… [by James Wenley] When I interviewed Chris Neels on Theatre Scenes for Skin Tight in June he mentioned that he was working on two shows for a double bill at the Basement theatre in August. “Last year the Basement put out a call for proposals and I thought… […]

REVIEW: Young and Hungry Festival Auckland 2011

August 4, 2011

Cow, Tigerplay and Disorder. What a threesome! [by James Wenley] If you haven’t already, rush to see the Young & Hungry Festival, there’s not much time left… there’s a Zombie apocalypse on don’t you know? Under Auckland Theatre Company’s guidance, the third year of Young & Hungry in Auckland is arguably the strongest yet, containing two Young and Hungry classics – […]

REVIEW: Othello (Peach Theatre Company)

July 25, 2011

Honestly, Iago… [by James Wenley] It might be called Othello, but this one is very much Iago’s show. Iago, the villain in Shakespeare’s Othello, has long threatened to outshine the titular tragic hero. Shakespeare for one gave him substantially more lines and a relentless destructive driving force, plotting to destroy the Moor that he says he hates. Why Iago does […]

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