 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 29 May 2008 |
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Gibson a riveting Blanche in faithful production Memo to self: Hard to be dispassionate about play that is part of our collective consciousness. Fortunately may rely on the kindness of possibly strange but surely gentle readers... This is however a production to sweep away preconceptions and carry all with it, thanks largely to a virtuoso performance by Jude Gibson in one of the most demanding roles in the theatrical canon. [more] |
 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 7 Jul 2008 |
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Celebrating the gutsy charm of older women Three cleaning ladies in their 70s, about to be made redundant, decide to compensate themselves by setting up a sex phone line from the office they are meant to be cleaning...This is certainly not a play that demands thoughtful analysis; a lick and a promise should do (which is pretty much the way Gladys cleans the office phones – take your own Wet Ones on Monday). [more] |
 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 11 Aug 2008 |
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Fantastical magic and charm “Set young imaginations alight with the magic of theatre!” the Fortune promises, and indeed delivers, with this, its third Roald Dahl adaptation. On opening night it was snowing outside, but nothing could be warmer than the atmosphere inside the theatre, the auditorium humming with excited children clambering across the seats to make new friends, and the stage bubbling with marvellous fantasy characters in gorgeous costumes, while the fabulous giant peach positively glows. [more] |
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THE WINTER’S TALE at Globe Theatre reviewed by Terry MacTavish 30 Aug 2008 |
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A less-performed Shakespeare play tackled courageously and imaginatively A sad tale is best for winter, the doomed young prince tells his mother, the falsely accused Queen Hermione, but Shakespeare’s tragedy has confused critics by transforming itself midway into a springtime comedy. The mostly very young cast of the Globe production of The Winter’s Tale does not seem bothered. The theme is probably their experience anyway: the older generation is unjust and corrupt and has defied the gods and nature. It’s up to the next generation to put things right. [more] |
 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 7 Nov 2008 |
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Perfectly pitched at the staff Christmas party This engagingly cheery show is the Broadway musical version of the hit British film, which in its turn bore a strong resemblance to NZ’s own Ladies’ Night. The plot, true to an age-old winning formula, is straightforward: six desperate out-of-work blokes, each with his own personal sob story, band together and succeed against the odds in transforming themselves into strippers. [more] |
 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 10 Dec 2008 |
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Universal themes in culturally specific play ... Engaging with the characters forces us to reflect on the great pioneering tradition, and its mainstay, the tough larrikin hero, and of course, the worth of ‘mateship’, which was nearly written into the Australian constitution. Close enough to NZ values to be relevant, you might assume, and you would be right. [more] |
 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 22 Feb 2009 |
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Our perpetual hunt for someone who will understand us Duets, the Fortune’s first offering for the year, is a good-humoured and polished production: a series of five comic vignettes, taking a light-hearted look at relationships between the sexes. With cheery lines like ‘his belly is his own, but his hair is not’, it is unashamedly aimed at baby-boomers. [more] |
 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 2 Apr 2009 |
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Surprises to stimulate and delight Nothing like a bare bottom for provoking a police response, and some well-deserved publicity. Yesterday in Dunedin, Free Theatre’s fine actor, George Parker, was marched along to the police station, for his courageous attempt to hand out a few leaflets, while sporting his costume for Ella. [more] |
 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 19 Apr 2009 |
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A charmingly playful experience It is a given, that a rabid Jane Austen fan like myself, whose reading-life always has one of her novels on the go, will hate or love any interpretation of Emma. This is one to love. The consistently brilliant Lisa Warrington has united her cast in a controlled yet sparkling production that enhances Fry’s script. [more] |
 reviewed by Terry MacTavish 2 Jun 2009 |
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Farcical social commentary with pathos Mankind, and I use the word advisedly, never seems to get enough of the tale of the physically and financially privileged sex maniac … Is Don Juan anything special anymore? This raunchy Fortune production of Don Juan in Soho is sure to stir controversy. [more] |
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