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 […]

REVIEW: The Secret Life of a Bellydancer

December 16, 2011

Shimmy into the Silly Season [by Sharu Delilkan] The very title The Secret of a Bellydancer conjures up multiple images. And depending on how vivid your imagination is, it can be as raunchy as you like. For that reason I decided to go with an open mind. And also having done bellydancing classes before, when I lived in Hong Kong […]

REVIEW: Silent Night

December 14, 2011

Spend the Night with Irene [by James Wenley] Irene McMunn’s Christmas cheer has been charming audiences in small venues across the country. So much so, that director Stephen Papps has lost track of how many seasons the one woman show has had. This return season at TAPAC is the first time he’s seen the show since March. Impressively, it’s the […]

REVIEW: The Waste Land (ATC Participate)

December 13, 2011

April is the cruelest month… [by James Wenley] Last week I was fortunate enough to experience a profound theatrical event. It’s been a few days now – most productions wash off soon after viewing – but in this one I keep returning to its moment in my head. I find experiences like these are all too rare, but it’s what […]

Theatre XMAS Madness!! A Criminal Christmas & A Krazy Kristmas

December 9, 2011

These shows won’t last, buy your ticket today! [by James Wenley] Turns out Xmas is a lot like the Rugby World Cup, whether you’re into it or not, you simply can’t avoid it – its everywhere. Xmas trees and tinsels have sprouted up everywhere. All I want for Christmas is you is on repeat. A GIANT Xmas Tree bauble has […]

PREVIEW: Silent Night – Yvette Parsons in the spotlight

December 6, 2011

A chat with Yvette Parsons aka Irene McMunn[by Sharu Delilkan] I have known Yvette Parsons for a number of years now. And I’ve been a big fan. In fact I would go so far as to say I consider her one of Auckland’s greatest actors. Naturally I’ve seen Silent Night during both the Auckland seasons and am hoping to go […]

REVIEW: The Twits (Auckland Theatre Company)

December 4, 2011

Nasty delights in an upside-down world [by James Wenley] Roald Dahl has a lot to answer for. His childrens stories, among them Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The BFG, and Fantastic Mr Fox are gruesome and subversive tales, in George’s Marvellous Medicine for example, 8 year old George is responsible for the death of his Grandmother (causing her to shrink […]