REVIEW: Soap the Show

August 24, 2011

Wet but definitely not Wild [by Sharu Delilkan] Anticipation is the only way to describe the atmosphere on opening night – anticipation for whether cabaret could translate to a big venue like The Civic, without losing the naughtiness and immediacy that’s the essence of cabaret. The crowd was willing and excited about the sexy and sensual show that the programme […]

REVIEW: The Music of Andrew Lloyd Webber

May 5, 2011

Andrew Lloyd Webber, do you think you’re what they say you are? [by James Wenley] Love him or hate him, there is no denying the massive impact that Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber has had on Musical Theatre over the last 4 decades. After all, the ‘British Invasion’ of Broadway in the 80s was almost single handedly driven by the composer. […]

REVIEW: The Manganiyar Seduction (Auckland Arts Festival)

March 11, 2011

Think inside the square [by Sharu Delilkan] In the bar prior to the performance someone said “Are you ready for ‘Indian Celebrity Squares’?”. And that was exactly the structure of the musicians we were greeted with onstage, with nine musicians across by four storeys high, revealing a whole grid of musicians who were eventually collectively lit. This was the beginning […]

REVIEW: Xerxes (Auckland Arts Festival)

March 4, 2011

Xerxes ‘Handel-ed’ at its best [by Sharu Delilkan] King Xerxes could well be likened to an 18th-century Mr Bean, with a cruel streak. Australian-born counter tenor Tobias Cole, who plays the lead has a crystal clear voice that’s juxtaposed against his ‘Mr Bean-like’ dramatic facial expressions. Before I proceed I must admit this is my first experience of Xerxes – […]