REVIEW: Once On Chunuk Bair (Auckland Theatre Company)

June 17, 2014

Once was Enough  [by Matt Baker] The fact that the temporary capture of Chunuk Bair was the only success for the Allies in the Gallipoli Campaign at the expense of hundreds of men’s lives is a perfect example of the futility of war. It is a landmark in New Zealand history and requires little reminding: lest we forget, indeed. The […]

REVIEW: Chicago (Auckland Theatre Company)

November 4, 2013

Give ‘em the old tit-ill-ation [by James Wenley] If you think you know Chicago, leave your expectations at the theatre door. The stockings haven’t just been rolled down, they’ve been ripped completely off in this down and dirty, hyper-sexualised re-imagining of the Kander and Ebb musical from the warped mind of virtuoso Michael Hurst. There’s jazz, and a whole lot […]

REVIEW: The Heretic (Auckland Theatre Company)

July 23, 2013

Pleasantly controversial [by Matt Baker] Regardless of whether one believes in it or not, climate change is undoubtedly a hot topic, and British playwright Richard Bean has clearly done his homework on the subject. While The Heretic could easily be a vehicle for playwright pontification, there is nothing terribly dogmatic in Bean’s writing, nor is the character of Dr. Diane Cassell by […]

REVIEW: Anne Boleyn (Auckland Theatre Company)

June 16, 2013

The Other Woman [by James Wenley] Boleyn comes encumbered by reputation. She’s called a great deal many things through the course of the play: “the harlot queen”, “intolerable woman”, “witch”, “the whore”. She’s arguably subject to one of history’s great hatchet jobs, the dangerous female who bewitched a King and tore England asunder. For his 2010 drama, Howard Brenton recasts […]

REVIEW: Awatea (Auckland Theatre Company)

July 22, 2012

Awatea Shines Brightly [by Sharu Delilkan] You knew the writing was on the wall the minute you walked into the theatre. I’m of course referring to the beautifully chalked letters that ‘panoramically’ filled the backdrop of the entire stage. So dramatic, intriguing and utterly effective was this device that you could not help reading some of the letters while the […]

REVIEW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Auckland Theatre Company)

May 7, 2012

Fancy a Puck? [by James Wenley] At the end of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, hobgoblin Puck famously excuses all that has gone before as a “weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream”. If so, it was a fantastic and crazy dream that the audience collectively dreamed in the theatre. While Puck undersells the thematic depths of […]

PREVIEW: A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Auckland Theatre Company)

April 30, 2012

In Love with Shakespeare [by Sharu Delilkan] It has been a journey of self-discovery for Xavier Horan, particularly since he has gone from being a ‘Shakespeare-phobe’ to acting in two of his plays within a matter of months. Horan, who has recently performed at The Globe Theatre London in the ground breaking Maori production of Troilus and Cressida, is extremely […]

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 […]

REVIEW: A Thousand Hills (STAMP at THE EDGE)

October 23, 2011

1,000 Reasons to see 1,000 Hills [by Sharu Delilkan] It is always a privilege and an honour to witness the premier of an original piece of theatre. But to be among the first to experience the personal sharing of a true story is even more significant. Naturally the foyer of the Herald Theatre was buzzing with eager anticipation when I […]

REVIEW: Calendar Girls (Auckland Theatre Company)

August 14, 2011

Tastefully titillating theatre [by Sharu Delilkan] Leaving home yesterday evening on the way to the city to watch Auckland Theatre Company’s stage production of the infamous Calendar Girls brought its own set of surprises. I innocently said to my mate who was giving me a ride to the city  “I’m going to Calendar Girls today”.  To which I got this […]

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