An open letter to Theatre Scenes readers: I need your crowdfunding support
[by James Wenley]
Dear Theatre Scenes Readers,
They say that those who can’t, review.
I like to come to it from the other end: those that want to, review.
I love reviewing – which is not to say I take pleasure in knocking down other people’s work. I love having a platform to articulate my response to a work. I think theatre (and stories) helps keep us human, helps us appreciate a multiplicity of viewpoints on the world. For this reason, when I see a really, really good show, it is exciting to share it with you. And when I see one that doesn’t work out, I like to try and work out why.
I hope you have found my reviews (and indeed those of my colleagues) of value to both practitioner and audience, respectful, informed, and above all, a good lively read.
One day though (and not yet!) I know I’ll have to give up reviewing. I’d like to work full time in the industry, and you have to watch those conflicts of interests.
REVIEW: Square Eye Pair (The Basement)
Geeks' Eye for the Straight Guy [by Sharu Delilkan]
Eli Mathewson in Square Eye Pair.
If you’re not fans of The Big Bang Theory or Paul, the sci-fi geek film from Simon Pegg then you are bound to love Square Eye Pair precisely because it is the same.
Let me explain. It’s not the same. It’s use of geekiness cleverly allows us access to three characters that light-sabre through the awkwardness and pain of growing up and learning love, as well as loss and friendship.
Eli Mathewson (Max) and Hamish Parkinson (Richard) have written a fabulous show that engages the audience from the outset, with comfortingly familiar scenes of student/loser flat debris and an addiction to television and video games.
INTERVIEW: Hamish Parkinson talks Square Eye Pair
Bromance and Television [by James Wenley]
Hamish Parkinson in Square Eye Pair
During last year’s Auckland Fringe I stuffed myself with as much theatre as I could. But I was kicking myself when Square Eye Pair won the Fringe’s Best Comedy award… and I had not seen it!
Luckily for me, and for you, Square Eye Pair is returning for at Auckland’s The Basement at the end of June. But that’s not even the most exciting news. The ‘bromance’ comedy between two TV-obsessed friends (Hamish Parkinson and Eli Mathewson, with Elise Whitson) has been picked up by Rhys Darby’s Awesomeness comedy, and travelling to a little something called the Edinburgh Fringe Festival!
Hamish Parkinson, one half of the Square Eye Pair, briefly put down his remote to answer my questions about the show that is very much going places…
You wrote Square Eye Pair with Eli Mathewson. What was your initial inspiration for the show?
Eli and I wanted to do a show together for a while and we both wanted to do a fringe show. We had a few ideas that we played with but this is the one that stuck as it rings truer for both of us and this time in our life. I guess it's about what we are afraid we could become if we didn't have enough drive, or awareness. I'm pretty glad we chose this one because our other two concepts involved cults, awkward group sex and a giant eyeball.