CHRISTCHURCH REVIEW: Les Liaisons Dangereuses (The Court Theatre)

June 27, 2019

Best Served Cold There’s something timeless about the deceitful machinations that run through Les Liaisons Dangereuses. The French epistolary novel, originally published in 1782, and adapted by Christopher Hampton, has the Wildean wit of a sharp knife dipped in poison. The dastardly duo at the center of the play, the Marquise de Merteuil (Eilish Moran) and Vicomte de Valmont (Fergus […]

REVIEW: War Horse (The Civic)

June 24, 2019

Horseplay at its Finest The National Theatre of Great Britain’s War Horse is probably one of the most spectacular productions to be staged at The Civic to date. War Horse is mesmerising – bringing out the child in everyone as we watch the horses trot, canter and gallop in unison, without missing a beat. The life-sized puppet horses are truly a design marvel […]

REVIEW: A Fine Balance (Auckland Theatre Company)

June 21, 2019

[A Fine Partnership] A Fine Balance is a wonderful collaboration between the Auckland Theatre Company and Prayas Theatre that successfully stages diverse stories and bodies that are not heard or seen often enough on Auckland’s mainstages. With Q Rangatira configured as theatre in the round, with seating banks on four sides, the performance begins with a woman bent low, sweeping […]

REVIEW: Reuben Kaye (Auckland Live Cabaret Season)

June 16, 2019

[The Equalizer] If you are going to Reuben Kaye’s self-titled show just to fill the main slot in your cosmopolitan night out, looking for comfortable entertainment, you may be in for a shock. While the elements may be familiar – Kaye as a magnificent Master of Ceremonies, a supporting band consisting of grand piano, drums, and a moment of double […]

REVIEW: MANIAC on the Dancefloor (Basement Theatre)

June 15, 2019

[Dancing like she’s danced this dance before] Advertised as a ‘bangers-fuelled, hour long rave – making a song and dance about recovery,’ MANIAC On The Dancefloor is in fact a raw and impactful account of writer Natasha Lay’s lived experience of bipolar and emphasises the simple truth that one does not ‘recover’ from mental illness but forges an ongoing battle […]

REVIEW: Meera (Wild Dreamer Productions)

June 2, 2019

[An Underwhelming Spectacle] The story of Meera may not be well-known to an Auckland-based audience – a young woman who is betrothed in childhood to the mischievous Krishna, the cowherd incarnation of Vishnu in classical Vaishnav tradition. Meera then faces endless struggles in reconciling herself to others’ expectations as she progresses through life. Wild Dreamer Productions promise ‘a celebration of tender […]

REVIEW: Black Swan, White Swan (RNZB)

June 2, 2019

[Grand Rapids in NZ] Black Swan, White Swan was commissioned in 2012 by Artistic Director Patricia Barker for her previous company, Grand Rapids Ballet, Michigan. It is a modern, minimalist reimagining of the iconic classical ballet Swan Lake first performed by the Bolshoi Ballet, Russia in the 1870s. Slovakian choreographer Mário Radačovsky retains the characters, two act structure and score […]

REVIEW: Yes Yes Yes (Zanetti Productions)

June 1, 2019

[Consent Culture] Yes Yes Yes is an inclusive, socially conscious one-act play eighteen months in the making. Commissioned by Auckland Live, it is based on the creative team of Eleanor Bishop and Karin McCracken’s previous production Jane Doe, which examined rape culture and consent on university campuses. Yes Yes Yes is designed specifically for Year 12 and 13 students in […]