REVIEW: Play Me Deadly (Rebels and Robots)

March 2, 2012

B-Theatre Fun: So bad its good [by James Wenley] Bela Lugosi’s career was rock bottom by the time he was working with infamously bad film director Ed Wood. After gaining success as Dracula in the 1930 film, Lugosi became a regular in horror films. By the 1950s however, he was washed up and irrelevant until Ed Wood bought him out […]

REVIEW: Confessions of a Struggling Thespian

January 18, 2012

Embracing the Musical Theatre cliché [by James Wenley] The story and tribulations of the performer – whether it is singer, dancer or actor are an over-familiar cliché: Auditions, rejections, the pluck from obscurity, fame, selling out, rise and fall. Struggle. A Chorus Line, the beloved 1975 Broadway Musical is a definitive going over of these themes. Based on taped sessions […]

Theatre XMAS Madness!! A Criminal Christmas & A Krazy Kristmas

December 9, 2011

These shows won’t last, buy your ticket today! [by James Wenley] Turns out Xmas is a lot like the Rugby World Cup, whether you’re into it or not, you simply can’t avoid it – its everywhere. Xmas trees and tinsels have sprouted up everywhere. All I want for Christmas is you is on repeat. A GIANT Xmas Tree bauble has […]

PREVIEW: Glorious at The Basement

October 28, 2011

In Glorious Anticipation  [by Sharu Delilkan] When I met up with director Sam Shore at his quaint Eden Terrace home the first thing I had to ask him was why he was ‘remounting’ and not directing Richard Huber’s Glorious. He lost no time explaining that he didn’t feel comfortable taking credit for all the play’s direction, having come into the […]

The Basement Fest, and TheatreScenes’ 100th blog!

October 6, 2011

Time to Celebrate! [by James Wenley] There’s a lot of good performance on at the moment. Too much. How can one get to it all? Auckland theatre – you need an ‘on demand’ service. Anything Goes is at the Civic, I haven’t yet managed to get to any of the Tempo Dance Festival at Q, there’s a myriad of performances […]

REVIEW: Love After Dark (Basement Fest)

October 5, 2011

Triple Word Score [by Sharu Delilkan] The concept of the alternate ending has always worked a treat. Many movies, especially the infamous Sliding Doors, not only had an alternate ending but an alternate history as well. It’s therefore not surprising that The Outfit Theatre Company’s latest romp Love After Dark is a winning combination right from the get-go – three […]

REVIEW: Death by Cheerleader

September 16, 2011

Slick, sick and sexy [by James Wenley] Amy Waller, Claire Van Beek and Julia Hyde are a talented and triumphant trifecta. Starring as the Cheer Blacks in their play Death by Cheerleader, they deliver a 10/10 performance not only showcases some great acting and comedic flair, but some high energy and impressive cheerleading routines, restricted only by the height of […]

REVIEW: The First Asian AB

September 14, 2011

Try, but no conversion… [by Sharu Delilkan] Admittedly I was apprehensive about reviewing this show because rugby is definitely not my forte.  However I decided to go for it in the same spirit that the playwright of The First Asian AB (FAAB) Renee Liang chose to write the play.  But just in case I surrounded myself with the right people […]

REVIEW: The Terrific Tale of Tabatha Talmus & These are the Skeletons of Us

August 11, 2011

Labyrinth and 500 Days of Summer? Skip the films, see the plays… [by James Wenley] When I interviewed Chris Neels on Theatre Scenes for Skin Tight in June he mentioned that he was working on two shows for a double bill at the Basement theatre in August. “Last year the Basement put out a call for proposals and I thought… […]

REVIEW: The Family Wilder

July 8, 2011

Dark and Twisted [by James Wenley] After a string of collaborations and monologue directing, Thomas Sainsbury returns to The Basement with The Family Wilder, setting his style to the dark camp of the thriller genre’s twist and turns. Harry McNaughton plays the softly-spoken writer Clive, who is tasked with writing the biography of Wilder Family patriarch and ruthless businessman Bill. […]

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