REVIEW: Horror (Auckland Arts Festival)

March 23, 2017

[Here’s Johnny (and other references)] If you adore the horror genre, then Jakop Ahlbom’s masterpiece is an absolute must-see. As spectacles go Horror is as spectacular as you can get. The show is a true homage to the horror genre and begs for a cult following. The attention to detail is magnificent in both the set design and costume, and […]

REVIEW: Priscilla Queen of the Desert: The Musical (The Civic)

October 20, 2016

[And so you’re back… from overseas] When the Priscilla bus last made a stop at the Civic in 2008, it was the first time that the Aussie musical had made an international trip. We were a try-out as they continued to evolve the show, and Aucklanders certainly showed their love with a rush for tickets. Since then, the Queen of the […]

REVIEW: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (NZ Opera)

September 18, 2016

[Fleet Street Clean Sweep] While he has never stayed in one place for all that long, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, first seen in 1979, has continued to set up his establishment in production after production world-wide. Written by Hugh Wheeler with music and lyrics by the incomparable Stephen Sondheim, it has attracted headliners like Angela Lansbury, Kelsey […]

REVIEW: Lennon: Through a Glass Onion (The Civic)

August 11, 2016

[Come Together] Lennon: Through A Glass Onion is a unique experience at The Civic which epitomises a live concert combined with the most entertaining chronological tapestry of commentary.  For children of the 60s likes us it gives you a nostalgic trip down memory lane or, for the punter born after the Lennon/Beatle years, a great historic snapshot of the iconic band […]

REVIEW: Nederlands Dans Theatre (The Civic)

July 1, 2016

[Towards Perfection] Let’s get one thing out of the way, even as someone who can’t claim to know much about dance, I can confidently say Nederlands Dans Theatre have created some of the best pieces of theatre you’ll see all year. The evening is made up of four distinctly different works of varying lengths (from 15 to 34 minutes): Safe […]

REVIEW: Blue Man Group (The Civic)

May 31, 2016

[Blue my Mind] Described as a comical musical & artistic show featuring lots of audience interaction with a blue-painted cast, Blue Man Group definitely do what they say on the tin. Besides seeing a very short YouTube clip about the show I made a big effort not to watch anything in advance so as not to raise expectations.  But in retrospect I […]

REVIEW: Flashdance the Musical (The Civic)

April 22, 2016

Leg-Warming It would seem like a no brainer to turn Flashdance into a stage musical. Nostalgia is a powerful seller, and many an 80’s kid rewound their VHS copies to oblivion. The 1983 film is told with the logic of a musical, with just enough dialogue to get us to the next MTV-like dance montage. The film, for all its […]

REVIEW: The Phantom of the Opera (The Civic)

February 12, 2016

[Far too many notes for my taste] I should declare my Phandom up-front: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s masterpiece – yes, masterpiece – is a long-standing favourite. The moment Rob Guest’s mask was ripped from his face to reveal the Phantom’s awful disfigurement is a childhood memory burned into my mind. Amici’s pro-amateur production is the third version of the show I’ve […]

REVIEW: Le Noir: The Dark Side of Cirque (The Civic)

October 30, 2015

Le Blanc [by James Wenley] If you want to crack the Auckland market, sex and cirque sells. Already we’ve had the Spiegeltent adult-circus double-hit of Empire at Wynyard Quarter and Limbo for Auckland Festival. Le Noir comes from the bankable team behind The Illusionists phenomenon. If you are someone who knows their Cirques, you’ve probably seen most of these acts before here in […]

REVIEW: Singin’ in the Rain (The Civic)

May 3, 2015

Cloudy, with a chance of Glorious Feeling [by James Wenley] “Raining live onstage!” shouts the poster. Play back Singin’ in the Rain’s most famous scene for a moment, Gene Kelly tap-splashing as only a man possessed by love (and a real life raging fever) can do.  If there ever was a good argument for adapting the MGM film musical for the […]

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