Suicide isn’t painless [by Sharu Delilkan] Another Dead Fag epitomises the essence of The Basement’s ethos. In this case it was not only about appreciating young playwright Sam Brooks’ uncanny ability to write insightful modern day dialogue, but it was about seeing some of the actors who also work at The Basement performing superbly on stage. Dan Veint (Seb) shines […]
[by James Wenley] PICK ONE: Another Dead Fag Who wrote it? Sam Brooks, wrapping up a strong year with his third play at The Basement this year, following And I was Like and Queen. Who’s in it? Chris Parker, Lauren Gibson, Dan Veint and Jordan Blaikie. Zinnie Selwyn directs. What’s it about? “Another Dead Fag is a story of gay teen suicide. […]
And they play guitar too [by James Wenley] They begin with a bold conviction: “Love will break your heart”. It’s an idea – and lyric –that Midsummer repeatedly returns to, as the play’s lovers wistfully sing the phrase over their own spare guitar accompaniment. At the first this seems awfully unsentimental, but there’s something awfully romanticised about this idea too, […]
The Artist’s Muse [by James Wenley] For artists Einar and Gerda Wegener, 1920s bohemian Paris represents “exciting times”. War is over, cinema is changing the world, and in these enlightened times there is the sense that you can be whoever you want. Gerda (Alex Ellis), the portrait artist, is the “modern woman in trousers”, rejecting her gender’s traditional role; Einar […]
Shallow Beauty [by James Wenley] The Basement Studio feels roomier than normal; with seating pushed into the corner, we gaze out on a backyard bordered with rows of white sheets on a washing line, images of flowers delicately projected over them. There are more flowers of various hues in buckets on the Astroturf lawn that completely envelops the ground. Lying […]
Shared Tears [by James Wenley] Tragedy hovers over low-caste Sanichari. She has lost her husband, and as her play begins, her son lies painfully weak and in an agony of coughing. She will lose much more as the play continues: the characters that surround her – her blind mother, he daughter-in-law, and her young grandson – will too depart for […]
Another Sam Brooks [by James Wenley] Another Dead Fag happens to be Sam Brooks’ third production at The Basement theatre this year. A playwright who creates juicily complex characters, his words seem to spring from both a personal and societal consciousness. His is a young voice working in the theatre worth listening to – helped by consistently booking slots at […]
My compliments to the chef [by Matt Baker] After having been selected through Red Leap Theatre’s Incubator Programme and workshopped through its Short Work Showcase, Le Petit Workshop, Refiner’s Fire Collective, and Nikki Bennett and Company have each produced a delectable piece of theatre, presented under the collective title of The Feast. Advertised as a mouth-watering feast of fresh theatre, each […]
Ri-ri-ri-diculous [by James Wenley] What does the typical kiwi bloke look like in our country today? Golden Boys offers three possibilities: of the trio of brothers in the Thompson family, one is an All Black starter, one is an entrepreneurial businessman and rich-lister, and one is a Gay Labour politician. All have been raised by matriarch Isabella (Margaret Blay), whose […]
[by James Wenley] PICK: The Feast What are we Feasting on? Not one, not two, but three very different plays all in one evening: 1. Halfatasi by Refiner’s Fire Collective 2. The Soldier’s Heart and The Feathered Girl by Le Petit Workshop 3. The Clown That Ran Away From The Circus by Nikki Bennett and Company Who’s putting it on? In the kind of collaborative enterprise […]
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