REVIEW: Astroman (Auckland Arts Festival)

March 21, 2019

[Aotearoa Arcade] Astroman by Albert Belz cleverly teleports us back to the ‘80s, referencing (to name a few) the Karate Kid, rubik cubes and walkmans. Belz astutely weaves themes around racism, depression, loss and bullying, while keeping the story light and heartwarming.  Astroman is fresh, fun, and written for high quality entertainment which offers an unapologetically nostalgic escape from the […]

SCENE BY JAMES: Stars, Sex, Scares and Sisters: Auckland does NZ Theatre Month

September 14, 2018

[What’s Good Auckland?] Already in the first fortnight of the inaugural New Zealand Theatre Month, Auckland has had a glut of good theatre. Consider, that in the professional theatre alone we have had: Two return seasons of shows that debuted last year in Auckland: Indian Ink’s Mrs Krishnan’s Party and Red Leap’s Kororāreka: The Ballad of Maggie Flynn. Two Auckland […]

REVIEW: Cradle Song (Te Rēhia Theatre)

September 12, 2018

[The Woman in White] Albert Belz’s Cradle Song adheres closely to the tried and true tropes of the horror genre: vengeful spirits, religion, a creepy setting, stranded youngsters making bad decisions. While offering little subversion for any diehard horror aficionados, there is great pleasure in watching a difficult genre handled expertly on stage. This is not the first time Belz […]

REVIEW: Morningstar (The Pumphouse)

June 8, 2018

[Dramatic Archangels] For the next eight nights, The Pumphouse stage is heaven – one year since the creation of Eden. In this first production of Albert Belz’s Morningstar, directed by Romy Hooper, a passionate host of archangels battle it out in a family feud of epic proportions. The gang are all there, though perhaps not quite as we know them […]

PREVIEW: Yours Truly (Basement Fest)

September 27, 2011

Jack the Ripper finally comes to Auckland, and he’s got a knife… [by James Wenley] When I met Anders Falstie-Jensen during his lunch break from rehearsals at the Basement, he was beaming and full of enthusiasm for his latest project. The play he is directing, Yours Truly sounds like a ripper. Jack the Ripper to be precise. Written by Albert Belz, […]

REVIEW: Raising the Titanics at Q Theatre

September 8, 2011

Raising the Titanics, Raising a Theatre  [by James Wenley] The Maori Volcanics show band in their 60s heyday were arguably our most famous exports. With members included bonafide legends Prince Tui Teka and Billy T James, they took their unique mix of song, comedy, and Maori culture around the world to the USA, Vietnam, Israel, Europe, playing to royalty and appearing […]

PREVIEW: Raising the Titanics

August 22, 2011

Big shoes to fill, right on Q [by Sharu Delilkan] Roimata Fox admits that the prospect of filling actor Miriama McDowell’s shoes, as Marea Reka in Raising the Titanics, was extremely daunting. “It’s amazing what she does.  I’ve been watching her since I was 15 and have always looked up to her,” she says. The 23-year-old actor has since gotten […]