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: Orientation (Proudly Asian Theatre)

September 11, 2018

[Roots] Can love transcend race? Is it better to have loved and lost your identity then not to have loved at all? These are just two of the poignant questions asked by Orientation, intelligently written and compellingly directed by Chye-Ling Huang. Against the backdrop of the legacy of colonialism that continues to inform racial politics in contemporary Aotearoa, Orientation is […]

REVIEW: Roots (Auckland Fringe)

March 4, 2018

[Journey to the Past and Future] New Zealand is a country with a strong migratory history, but too rarely are the stories of our Asian roots given room to breathe and grow on stage, which is one of the reasons why Proudly Asian Theatre represents an integral component to both our theatrical and cultural landscape. With only four stage productions […]

REVIEW: Call of the Sparrows (Proudly Asian Theatre)

October 14, 2016

[Reasons to be Proud] From their modest beginnings with productions of David Henry Hwang’s FOB and Renee Liang’s Lantern, Proudly Asian Theatre have proven themselves as a necessary presence within the local theatre scene. Developed over the last two years using Short + Sweet as a testing ground, Call of the Sparrows is the culmination of their hard work and […]

REVIEW: The Last Man on Earth (Is Trapped in a Supermarket)

November 4, 2015

Like a movie made out of Yoga Mats and Paper Plates [by Jess Holly Bates] It’s no secret that I have a raging crush on devised theatre. It is fast, and furious, and often absurd. Providing live experiences made under pressure, the material generated in a devising room operates in a dangerous state of flux, always under threat of performative disorder. […]

REVIEW: Lantern (Pretty Asian Theatre)

February 11, 2014

Lantern truly illuminates [by Sharu Delilkan] Right from the get-go the acting is ballsy and confident – in yer face and full of pace. Chye-Ling Huang and James Roque play off each other nicely and clearly believe and/or personally identify with the key themes and characters of the play. Coming from Malaysia where Chinese New Year is a big part […]

REVIEW: Just Above the Clouds (The People Who Play with Theatre)

February 5, 2014

Cirrusly Funny [by Sharu Delilkan] As we entered the theatre we couldn’t help notice the set’s striking resemblance to Roger Waters’ legendary concert’s Berlin Wall setting, the only difference being that it was the “paper sky” version. Opening with cubist fireflies making up the cloud aspect of the show title, the a capella vocal sounds and repetition set the tone […]