REVIEW: Grounded (Auckland Fringe)

February 19, 2015

Target Locked [by Guest Reviewer Rose Archer] George Brant’s script of Grounded is so extraordinary that if nothing else it is absolutely worth going to see such a wonderful piece of writing come to life. Grounded is a complex and moving portrayal of one female pilots struggle with motherhood, marriage, and being ‘grounded’ as a drone-pilot. Essentially an hour-long monologue, the […]

REVIEW: Puzzle (Auckland Fringe)

February 19, 2015

For Ages 8 to 80 [by Guest Reviewer Andrew Parker] Everyone wants to belong. But, of course, “belonging” often means that you have to belong to something or someone, which doesn’t sound so desirable. This unfortunate paradox is the central thread of Ben Anderson’s Puzzle (directed by him and Seamus Ford), a play which looks at the question of whether it […]

REVIEW: Away from Home (Auckland Fringe and Auckland Pride Festival)

February 18, 2015

Fever Pitch [by Tim Booth and Sharu Delilkan] Kyle: Who’re ya? Who’re ya? Who’re ya? So goes the football terrace chant setting Away from Home‘s pace and rhythms – a crisp production featuring Rob Ward‘s striking performance; fast-paced writing – tackling acceptance, isolation, love, rejection and poignantly unexpected acceptance. Delivered by Ward with co-writer/ designer/director Martin Jameson. The initial similarity […]

REVIEW: Thriller Live (Lunchbox Theatrical Productions)

February 17, 2015

Dazzling, dramatic [by Sharu Delilkan] Putting on a production that truly pays homage to Michael Jackson a.k.a. the King of Pop is a daunting task, to say the least. Bearing that in mind I decided to go to the show with low expectations, to ensure that I wasn’t disappointed. However I was pleasantly surprised by the entire production, including the […]

REVIEW: The Ladykillers (Auckland Theatre Company)

February 17, 2015

Actus reus [by Matt Baker] “To be frivolous about frivolous matters, that’s merely boring. To be frivolous about something that’s in some way deadly serious, that’s true comedy.” So said Alexander Mackendrick, who directed the 1955 film upon which Graham Linehan’s 2011 stage adaptation is based. Farce requires dangerIt requires an expertly balanced combination of drama and comedy played at both extremes. While […]

REVIEW: Beast (Auckland Fringe)

February 16, 2015

The Mark of the Talented Performer [by Matt Baker] While the rise of clowning in the Auckland theatre scene is gaining momentum, Taylor Hall’s solo show is nonetheless a unique theatrical experience. An Auckland season of a Toi Whakaari monologue-derived solo-show  is a common one, but what Hall has created is a show that is a true culmination of all his training, […]

Auckland Fringe 2015: Week Two Schedule and Daily Picks

February 16, 2015

Living Life on the Fringe [by James Wenley] Here’s Theatre Scenes day by day break down for Week Two of the Fringe, with everything nicely in one place (and way less annoying to scan then the Fringe website’s calendar!) Monday 16 Feb City: 5:30pm The Basement – Gift of the Gab 7pm The Basement – Beast 8:30pm The Basement – Robin Goblin Suburbs: 7pm Portland Public House […]

REVIEW: Break Up (We Need To Talk) (Binge Culture and Auckland Fringe)

February 16, 2015

Come back here [by Matt Baker] Walking out of the theatre is the strongest statement an audience member can make, and I have never regretted it until I walked out of Break Up. To clarify, the six-hour show allows its audience to come and go as they please, and it was only due to personal commitments that I left after the […]

REVIEW: Gift of the Gab (Auckland Fringe)

February 14, 2015

Mouthful [by Matt Baker] When a friend asked me what Gift of the Gab was about, it took more than a few run-on sentences and backtracking to explain. If you can’t describe a show in one or two sentences at the least, something is wrong with the plot. That’s not to say that the show doesn’t make sense, simply that the […]

REVIEW: Stutterpop (Auckland Fringe)

February 14, 2015

Time for a Bang [by Matt Baker] Sam Brooks is a playwright with a stutter, but his most autobiographical play is not about stuttering, it’s about love for others and one’s self. Stuttering is instead a subplot in this unique fringe performance by one of Auckland’s top young playwrights. Sharing the space with a multitude of shows (The Basement’s Sophie Henderson’s […]

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