REVIEW: Heart Go…Boom! (Massive Theatre Company)

July 30, 2023

Heart Go…Boom! is an entertaining and affecting devised piece which explores and critiques the relationships we have with ourselves, and with others.  The play consists of five performers sharing semi-autobiographical solo pieces and wider ensemble work. The stories depicted are a great mix of universal and personal – from self-service checkout woes to having a twin, or from fitting-in to […]

REVIEW: Half of the Sky (Massive Company)

October 20, 2019

Thicker than Water The third work written for Massive Theatre Company by English writer Lennie James and directed by Sam Scott, Half of the Sky explores themes of sisterhood, love and loss over a weekend of birthday celebrations.  Known as the Rose triplets due to their birthdays being three days apart from one another, middle sister Ru (Awhina-Rose Henare Ashby), […]

REVIEW: Sightings (Massive Company)

July 27, 2018

[Unclear Sightings] Morphing through different movements and times, Sightings is a non-linear story centred around one night out. Five young actors deliver a number of twist and turns, essentially through the eyes of Nora (Akinehi Munroe) and Chilli (Ebony Andrew). A product of a writing team comprising Miriama McDowell, Fiona Graham and Denyce Su’a, this new script is a reflection of its various […]

REVIEW: The Wholehearted (Massive Company)

September 11, 2017

[So Many Soapboxes, So Little Time] The Wholehearted is a meditation on emotional vulnerability. Devised by its cast (Bree Peters, Milo Cawthorne, Villa Lemanu, Denyce Su’a, Pat Tafa, Kura Forrester and Scotty Cotter), and directed by the team of Sam Scott and Scotty Cotter, the show mixes stories, music and pop culture to examine our hangups about baring our souls to other […]

REVIEW: The Wholehearted (Massive Company)

April 5, 2016

[Big-Hearted] I absolutely loved the joyous, poignant, hilarious and expressive storytelling from Massive Company’s The Wholehearted.  The hugely talented ensemble cast displayed absolute heart and soul through their committed revelation of numerous stories that were immediate, relevant and easily accessible to the enthusiastic audience. Despite running for a quarter of a century, Massive  Company have definitely not rested on their […]

REVIEW: My Bed, My Universe (Massive Company)

April 3, 2014

Bed Bound [by James Wenley] With the prospect of NZ Trio, composer Chris O’Connor, graphic artists Cut Collective and playwright Gary Henderson collaborating with Director Sam Scott and her cast on a new Massive Company show, the last thing I expected to come away from My Bed, My Universe was a feeling of underwhelming flatness. Its starts beautifully – the 6 […]

Looking Back: 2012 – A Theatrical year in Review

January 10, 2013

Taking the Risk [by James Wenley] “…It was this lack of “weight” (a not too easily defined term which an actor, if not a member of the audience, would understand) that Mr George Henare needs to work on if he wishes to pursue the acting profession. His is a good, powerful voice, he has strong features… yet a lot of […]

REVIEW: The Brave (Massive Company)

April 20, 2012

Bravery the Massive Way [by James Wenley] I see a lot of theatre, and I enjoy a lot of theatre, but it’s a rare show that’s able to cut through and grab you on a deeply personal level. That show is Massive Company’s The Brave. Eight men, embodying bravery in body and souls, share their personal stories and experiences of […]

PREVIEW: The Brave (Massive Company)

April 10, 2012

Play favours The Brave [by Sharu Delilkan] Massive Company’s latest production The Brave marks a number of firsts for the cast’s oldest actor, Jonny Moffatt. The show is a milestone in the 30-year-old’s acting career as he will not only be debuting with Massive Company but also at Q and the Mangere Arts Centre. Moffatt says “Although I have never worked […]

Looking Back: 2011 – A Theatrical year in Review

December 29, 2011

Q opens in triumph, Fringe overshadows Festival, Outfit Rise, Rugby, Rugby, Rugby, and the Death of the Theatre. [by James Wenley] Attending the recent Hackman Theatre awards, Auckland Theatre circa 2011 would appear to be in rude health. Rude being the word, hosts Nic Sampson and Joseph Moore proudly observing it was a record year of nudity on stage, from […]

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