New Zealand professional theatre & dance: reviews, news and your views

	MAIDMENT update from Auckland Theatre Company [more] PLAYMARKET PLAYWRIGHTS b4 25 winners [more] The Golden Carnie Awards 2013 [more] BATS Theatre Announces 2013 STAB Commissions [more] Support options to keep THEATREVIEW alive … Join the PAD as a Company, Co-op, Individual or School, or Donate to Theatreview. Step up for THEATREVIEW – take ownership! [more]
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Puppetry of the Penis - “Live” at Opera House (Wellington, from 19 May 2013) ROMEO AND TUSI at WHITIREIA THEATRE - return season (Wellington, from 30 May 2013) BRENDON GREEN in EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT (*Citation Needed) at The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 27 May 2013) JIMEOIN in WHAT?! at Opera House (Wellington, from 19 May 2013) INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE at Gaslight Theatre (Cambridge, from 6 Jun 2013) TERROR PLANET at The Basement, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 21 May 2013) MY KITCHEN KILLS at BATS - Out Of Site - Cnr Cuba & Dixon (Wellington, from 21 May 2013) THE ILLUSIONISTS: Witness the Impossible at The Civic – THE EDGE® (Auckland, from 22 May 2013)

LAST LAUGHS 2013 at SKYCITY Theatre, Auckland
reviewed by Jan Maree 20 May 2013

Packed with quality: Awards announced
Sky City has been the home of Last Laughs for many years now and what used to be very much an inner industry event has become a public showcase, and big. 750 seats of fans and practitioners alike have gathered tonight to find out who will take the New Zealand Comedy Industry's highest accolades; The Fred Award and Billy T Award. [more]

THE GLASS MENAGERIE at Selwyn Theatre, Kohimarama, Auckland
reviewed by Kate Ward-Smythe 19 May 2013

Excellence with some anomalous elements
Jef Hall-Flavin directs his talented cast with detailed elegance and great care, as an assured team of creatives make positive use of the wider stage and setting of The Glass Menagerie’s unanticipated venue, The Selwyn Theatre. [more]

See also reviews by:
Paul Simei-Barton

ATTEMPTS ON HER LIFE (SEVENTEEN SCENARIOS FOR THE THEATRE) at Allen Hall Theatre, Dunedin
reviewed by Kimberley Buchan 19 May 2013

Multiple interpretations of a life
The audience is plunged into darkness and we hear the mysterious Anne’s voicemail. This briefly outlines the vivid characters surrounding her and we learn of the many perspectives of the never seen Anne, a woman who carries her own mortality around the world with her. [more]

AMADEUS at Court Theatre, Bernard Street, Addington, Christchurch
reviewed by Lindsay Clark 19 May 2013

Bountiful and delicious
Eighteenth century Vienna and the exquisite court of Joseph II, Emperor of Austria, provide an extravagantly rich and theatrical setting for this revenge driven plot, but it is a bold exploration of the 'furnace of art' which clinches its lasting impact. [more]

See also reviews by:
Alan Scott (The Press);

VIRTUOSI at Reading Cinemas, Wellington
reviewed by Virginia Kennard 19 May 2013

NZ dancers in their element, writ large
Sue Healey spent two days filming each dancer, household names to the dance industry in New Zealand, in their various international bases. Inviting them to dance for screen, either improvised or choreographed, we watch them talk and move and dance in places of personal importance. A sense of place, whether that be a reference to connection to the land or simply a place they enjoy being, is a central theme to this work: they climb trees, dance on (forbidden) rocks, traverse sandy beaches, dance-loiter on couches on the side of the road, shift objects in their homes. The viewer is a guest in their lives as they talk about dance or themselves or themselves as dance, with simply their face filling the frame. When else could we get to inspect a dancer’s face this intently? [more]

See also reviews by:
Jennifer Nikolai
Raewyn Whyte (NZ Herald);

NO HOLDS BARD at Downstage Theatre, Wellington
reviewed by Hannah Smith 18 May 2013

Virtuoso performance effective but not affecting
Hamlet is a Danish ponce, Othello jiggles ladies on his knee, Macbeth would like to play Horatio, and King Lear wants a sandwich. No Holds Bard, previously Frequently Asked Questions and even briefly Bard Day’s Night, is as multifaceted in form as it has been in name. [more]

PATUA at TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland
reviewed by Bronwyn Elsmore 18 May 2013

Challenge set down and taken up
“Stunning, moving, and important”, reads the advertising for this play that won a section prize at the 2013 Adam NZ Play Awards. That’s quite a build-up. And that’s not all: Patua, written and directed by Renae Maihi, sets out to be “a story, a movement” on a subject that should strike at the heart of everyone with a pulse. [more]

INSTRUCTIONS FOR LIFE at Playhouse, Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts, Hamilton
reviewed by Gail Pittaway 17 May 2013

Enriching
This play is a product of a devising process in which theatre students of the University of Waikato have explored non-narrative elements of performance. The piece is a series of episodes, all thematically based on giving ‘Instructions for Life while avoiding the suck of story, the pull of personality and character. [more]

SHE’LL BE WRITE (2013) at Te Whaea - Drama Three, 11 Hutchison Rd, Newtown, Wellington
reviewed by John Smythe 17 May 2013

An exciting and inspiring challenge
This year’s ensemble – Andrew Patterson, Ria Simmons, Carrie Green and Joe Dekkers-Reihana – directed by Emma Robinson, make manifesting 37 very different roles in excerpts from an eclectic selection of 16 plays look easy, such is their talent, skill and preparedness. The focus is therefore squarely on the characters, relationships and works in question. [more]

PUPPETRY OF THE PENIS - “LIVE” at SKY CITY-return season, Auckland
reviewed by Cherie Moore 17 May 2013

The balls to go public with privates
Onto stage, in capes and converse shoes, bound Sammy and Willow. Sammy is handsome and vivacious and Willow has a boy next door cheek to him. After an energetic introduction, the capes are off and the boys are fully nude – apart from their shoes and socks, which looks quite funny. The woman next to me (not my friend) shrieks "I can't stop looking!" Yes, I'm in for a good night. [more]

See also reviews by:
Candice Lewis

MICHELE A’COURT IN STUFF I FORGOT TO TELL MY DAUGHTER at San Francisco Bathhouse, 171 Cuba St, Wellington
reviewed by Maryanne Cathro 17 May 2013

Hitting all the flavour notes from bright tangs to rich depths
The audience obviously appreciates their humour served well-seasoned with intelligence, and this is truly in good taste. And with absolutely no aftertaste of earnestness either. We could lick the bowl afterwards and asked for seconds. [more]

See also reviews by:
Lexie Matheson

I WISH I LEARNED at Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, The Edge, Auckland
reviewed by Samantha Chardin 16 May 2013

Lots of humour and heart
I Wish I Learned is a charming original musical about four adults returning to their primary school classroom for a jubilee re-union and finding that the nostalgia is making them question some of their life choices. The main story centres on the characters of Daveena (Shaan Antunovich) and Cody (Michael Murphy) possibly giving their failed relationship another chance, whilst Abigail (Alexandra McKellar) and Bryce (Nathaniel Ta’ase) form a different sort of life couple by cheering each other on. [more]

"I should add that in the past couple of days friends and colleagues in Auckland and Christchurch have told me,..." - John Smythe   [read full comment]

"I would not and could not have written this review unless I perceived the play as described, so I stand by it ..." - John Smythe   [read full comment]

"This reviewer must have some filtering device fitted which translates the events before him onstage into a fan..." - Alex   [read full comment]

"As a member of this audience I felt the need to rebut this review. In my mind, Charlotte Simmonds was ext..." - Sabrinna Valisce   [read full comment]

"LOL" - Rose Matafeo   [read full comment]

"Abject apology! The second half of Kate's review of Rose's show was inadvertently omitted. Renistated now." - Editor   [read full comment]

"Well if she’s happy to be niche and esoteric she can write the review off as irrelevant. On the other ha..." - Sam Jackson   [read full comment]

"Man, this review seems real bitter. Sorry you didn't get the references! Maybe a good thing to do in this case..." - Joseph Moore   [read full comment]

""Personally, put-downs are not a style of comedy I enjoy. It relies on cheap, easy, obvious laughs. At ti..." - christopher   [read full comment]

"Apologies John, my fault, I meant to say Stephen Austin, have changed it now." - JennyD   [read full comment]

"Cheers Tammy - Steve Austin reviewed the Auckland show. My review is here: http://www.theatreview.org.nz..." - John Smythe   [read full comment]

"Hi, I just wanted to say that I completly agree with this review. Joseph is a hard working and charming comedi..." - Hamish Parkinson   [read full comment]

16 May 2013 - MAIDMENT UPDATE (and other matters) FROM THE AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY We have been advised by the University of Auckland that they are driving their contractors to have the Maidment Theatre repaired by the end of June. If this time frame is achieved, which we have every reason to believe it will be, the season of The Heretic and The Lion Foundation season of Lord of the Flies will go ahead as scheduled.   [more]

9 May 2013 - The annual PLAYMARKET PLAYWRIGHTS b4 25 competition challenges young playwrights (ages 24 and under)to write aboutanything that matters to them in any way they like, for any kind of audience they like.   [more]

7 May 2013 - EIGHT WEEK COURSE & THEATRE PRODUCTION ACTING CLASSES & FILM PROJECT When: Monday and Wednesdays; 6.30pm – 9.30pm. Term Two: Monday 27th May – Monday 22nd July. Where: Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls Grammar, Auckland. Fee: $825 (Payment options available and Early Bird Discount of $775).   [more]

6 May 2013 - NEW ZEALAND SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETED SHOW AT CENTREPOINT FOR SHOP ’TIL YOU DROP During New Zealand Sign Language Week (13-19 May) Centrepoint Theatre will be offering the Deaf community a NZSL signed performance of our current show, Shop ’Til You Drop.   [more]

30 Apr 2013 - TAKI RUA 2013 Te Reo Māori National Tour Written by: Chris Molloy Directed by: Te Kohe Tuhaka AUDITION NOTICE Taki Rua invites anyone who is:  Interested in creating, performing and touring a Te Reo Māori theatre work  Fluent in Te Reo Māori  16 years and over  Available for the dates below to take part in our upcoming auditions.   [more]

23 Apr 2013 - BATS SHOW SEEKS STAGE MANAGER This from Paul McLaughlin (Director): I'm looking for a Stage Manager for an upcoming show at BATS. No money up front but co-op share, great play, excellent cast; good times promised ...   [more]

23 Apr 2013 - THE GOLDEN CARNIE AWARDS 2013 The New Zealand National Circus Awards – aka The Golden Carnies – is a celebration of the finest in creativity, skill and performance from our very own national circus industry. The leading circus entertainers competed at a black tie gala performance at the prestigious Opera House in Wellington on the 20th of April 2013.   [more]

19 Apr 2013 - BATS THEATRE LIMITED: NOTICE OF 19TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice is hereby given that the 19th Annual General Meeting of BATS Theatre Limited will be held at BATS Theatre, Corner of Cuba and Dixon Streets, Wellington, on Saturday 4th May 2013 commencing at 2.00pm.   [more]