REVIEW: Call of the Sparrows (Proudly Asian Theatre)

October 14, 2016

[Reasons to be Proud] From their modest beginnings with productions of David Henry Hwang’s FOB and Renee Liang’s Lantern, Proudly Asian Theatre have proven themselves as a necessary presence within the local theatre scene. Developed over the last two years using Short + Sweet as a testing ground, Call of the Sparrows is the culmination of their hard work and […]

REVIEW: G.O.A.T: Frickin Dangerous Bro (NZ International Comedy Festival)

April 26, 2016

[Get them on our Screens] Pax Assadi, James Roque, and Jamaine Ross want to create the greatest sketch show of all time. It’s a ludicrous premise, especially when pitting yourself against the likes of Saturday Night Live, Key & Peele, and, of course, Monty Python, but it’s this ridiculousness presented with loose, informal, direct to audience banter, that make it […]

REVIEW: James Roque – Paper, Scissors, Roque (NZ International Comedy 2015)

May 7, 2015

Roquing it [by Matt Baker] The New Zealand International Comedy Festival asks performers to come up with a title well before most of them have come up with their actual show, and for comedian James Roque the situation is no different. The tie in to his eponymous pun is loose, but Roque sticks with the rule of comedy, offering three tips […]

REVIEWS: NZ International Comedy Festival 2014: Final Week

May 15, 2014

Tim Batt / Guy Montgomery / James Roque  [by Matt Baker] Tim Batt Saves Planet Earth  Following on from themes addressed in his solo show last year, Tim Batt’s Unified Theory, Billy T Award nominated comedian Tim Batt once again joins forces with his audience in a bid to make the world a better place. From his proposals on a new […]

REVIEW: Lantern (Pretty Asian Theatre)

February 11, 2014

Lantern truly illuminates [by Sharu Delilkan] Right from the get-go the acting is ballsy and confident – in yer face and full of pace. Chye-Ling Huang and James Roque play off each other nicely and clearly believe and/or personally identify with the key themes and characters of the play. Coming from Malaysia where Chinese New Year is a big part […]

REVIEW: Kiss the Fish (Indian Ink Theatre Company)

September 15, 2013

A fish worth kissing [by Sharu Delilkan] The foyer of Q Theatre was like a Who’s Who of Auckland’s theatre industry last night – alive with anticipation of Indian Ink Theatre Company’s opening night of Kiss the Fish. Just like the masks that are used in the majority of Indian Ink’s shows, where no two are alike, we knew we […]

REVIEW: Titus (Q Presents)

May 30, 2013

We’re all going to hell [by Matt Baker] Presented as the telling of the Titus myth through the perspective of a pack of post-apocalyptic lost boys, director Ben Henson has once again created a visual feast of a production. Titus Andronicus is one of Shakespeare’s most highly criticised works, written by a young playwright in an attempt to keep up with […]

REVIEW: James Roque is Chicken (Comedy Festival)

May 16, 2013

Clucking good fun [by Matt Baker] “What do I really wanna say that I’m afraid to say?” In his eulogy for George Carlin, Louis CK noted that what made the late comedian better every year was his constant digging deeper for new material; from jokes about airplanes and dogs, to feelings and who you are, to fears and nightmares. With […]