REVIEW: I, Peaseblossom (British Council)

December 9, 2015

Ready! [by James Wenley] When I teach A Midsummer Night’s Dream to first year uni students I test their knowledge of the play in a quiz where, divided into four teams (Lovers, Nobles, Fairies, Mechanicals), they compete to win a block of Cadbury Dream chocolate (of course). When I ask them to name a fairy other than Puck, Oberon, and Titania, […]

REVIEW: Hamlet (Galatea Theatre)

October 5, 2013

The Red Tragedy [by Matt Baker] The problem with Hamlet as a play is that it treats character over plot. The success of Galatea Theatre’s production, therefore, is the casting of Calum Gittins as the titular Dane. Asides from his remarkable technique, Gittins’ performance is packed with pathos, giving full colour to the extreme range of Hamlet’s capricious nature. This […]

REVIEW: Terror Island

October 6, 2012

Terribly amusing [by Matt Baker] Devised from an eclectic range of hit pop songs from across the decades, I was pleasantly surprised with how well a narrative the collaborative team of Fingerprints & Teeth Productions and Dynamotion were able to create for the dance/theatre show Terror Island. Starring Lara Fischel-Chisholm as Lara, Jennie Robertson as Jennie, and Tom Sainsbury as Tom […]

REVIEW: Mrs Van Gogh (Galatea Theatre)

April 22, 2012

Wikipedia for the stage [by Rosabel Tan] At the beginning of Mrs Van Gogh, Johanna Gesina Bonger (Gina Timberlake) introduces herself to the audience. I see my name does not strike a chord, she says. Perhaps you will know me better as Johanna Van Gogh – wife of Theo (Brendan Lovell), sister-in-law to Vincent (John Goudge), and one of the […]

INTERVIEW: Actors Julia Croft and Chris Neels get ‘Skin Tight’

June 14, 2011

Julia and Chris chat about Skin Tight, love, bruises, manhood, our Pakeha heritage, and TV commercials… [by James Wenley] Skin Tight, by Gary Henderson, is a New Zealand play done good. Since its humble debut at BATS theatre in 1994, the play toured New Zealand, and the world, including productions in Australia, Great Britain, South Africa, Canada and the USA and […]

REVIEW: Flightless Birds (Catalyst Theatre Company)

April 15, 2011

These Kiwis can Fly! [by James Wenley] Flightless Birds – clever name. It’s a new play from Catalyst Theatre Company that follows three mates (and a female intruder) on the night before they are all meant to fly off to Europe for their big OE. Ah, the OE. The quintessential rite of passage for all self-respecting New Zealanders. As Simon (Colin […]