REVIEW: Suits (Auckland Live International Cabaret Season)

September 29, 2016

[HellzaBoppin’] Going into Suits, I realised a) I know nothing about cabaret and b) this was not going to be a musical based on the US TV series. It turned it it didn’t matter — if you are in the mood for some deeply personal revelations with great tunes (and Iggy Izalea), this show is the one for you. A […]

REVIEW: Sandy Edmonds: Sure to Rise (Dionysos)

August 7, 2016

[Add Baking Powder] Written and performed by Jessie Cassin, Sandy Edmonds: Sure to Rise is a show stuck somewhere between a night with Sandy Edmonds and a jukebox musical theatre piece. A star of the New Zealand 60’s music scene, publicity raises the question of “what happened to Sandy and where did she go?” This is a ruse (and a […]

REVIEW: Dreams (Blackbird Ensemble)

April 17, 2015

Dangerous Dreaming [by Lucy Noonan] This week Blackbird Ensemble have transformed The Basement into a magical boudoir complete with three beds, clouds, a glittery ladder and nine fabulous musicians for their latest show, Dreams. As the audience finishes arriving, seven of the musicians gradually wake from their slumbers and begin to play their respective instruments. Almost instantly the audience is lulled […]

REVIEW: If I only had a Heart (Dionysos)

October 22, 2014

Affairs of the Heart [by James Wenley] Glancing down the program for If I Only Had a Heart, you might think that director Aaron Tindell compiled this cabaret show’s song list by typing “heart” in his iTunes search bar. Each song has “heart” somewhere in the title, helpfully bolded in red. It’s a mix of Broadway tuners that only the most […]

REVIEW: Opera Risque (Auckland Fringe)

March 2, 2011

Rocky Horror Opera Show [by Sharu Delilkan] The poster of Opéra Risqué, definitely promised naughtily attired girls singing opera in Moulin Rouge style lingerie.  And the diverse crowd waiting outside at 5.30 pm were obviously anticipating a mischievous evening. The trepidation was heightened by the sight of scantily clad women appearing and disappearing at the box office like fleeting flights […]