New Zealand theatre reviews, performace reviews and performing arts directory



Latest Reviews
Region   Subscribe via RSS Theatreview RSS
Festival
Reviewer
Order by date / production / venue / festival

HIS MOTHER'S SON at BATS
reviewed by Michael Wray 30 Jan 2007
Entertaining and moving with subtly delivered denouement
In a swift graduation, His Mother’s Son has moved from being a part of the Adam Play Reading Series to a professional debut at Bats in just seven months. This is not a rushed promotion; this play deserves its opportunity to be presented professionally. [more]

BACKWARDS IN HIGH HEELS at Circa Two
reviewed by Michael Wray 7 Feb 2007
Verbal sparring echoes the dance
What do you do when your relationship has reached the twenty year mark, your children have all left home and the spark has gone? That is the challenge for Jonathan and Holly. [more]

FLAGONS & FOXTROTS at Downstage Theatre
reviewed by Michael Wray 13 Feb 2007
Timeless rites of passage
From the people that brought us Mum’s Choir comes the newly renamed Flagons and Foxtrots. Where Mum’s Choir offered us a situation in which the music was the lead, here we have a compelling storyline first, with great music in support. It’s a winning combination and a rocking night out. [more]

AS YOU LIKE IT at Botanical Gardens: The Dell
reviewed by Michael Wray 14 Feb 2007
Nice light Shakers
The 2007 Summer Shakespeare season brings us a suitably appropriately seasonal comedy in As You Like It. [more]

DYING CITY at Silo Theatre
reviewed by Michael Wray 16 Feb 2007
Enthralling performances
The promotional blurb claims that Dying City is about "the scars of war, the politics of interventionism, and the close alignment between heartlessness and compassion." The war is inevitably present given that one character has been killed in Iraq in "what may - or may not - have been an accident", but the play is about relationships. Heartlessness and compassion are integral to that as they pose the question, just how well do you ever truly know someone. [more]

THE SERENA SYNDROME at Gryphon
reviewed by Michael Wray 24 Feb 2008
Fascinating conflict
Gryphon Theatre hosts the World Premiere of the new play from Danny Eastman, who takes the opportunity to direct his own work. Whether the play takes its inspiration from a specific real event is unclear, but it examines an interesting question. What would happen if you found out your identity was not your own? [more]

Photo: Stephen A'Court
FOUR FLAT WHITES IN ITALY at Circa One
reviewed by Michael Wray 22 Aug 2009
Packs emotional luggage in with the comedy
Four Flat Whites pits together two couples, who couldn’t differ in many more ways. In one corner we have intellectual, Labour-voting, budget-conscious, ex-university librarians with sensible clothes and sandals - Adrian and Alison. In the opposing corner sit plain-speaking, wealthy, National-voting, retired plumber Harry and his sensual wife Judy. [more]

CREDITORS at Musgrove Studio, Maidment Theatre
reviewed by Michael Wray 6 Sep 2009
Timeless sexual politics
Strindberg’s Creditors is a tense triangular play that explores the darker side of marital relationships: possession, jealousy, loss and ultimately, revenge. Comprising three characters and three acts, each act presents a different corner of the triangle and pairing of the protagonists. [more]

TWO DAY PLAYS (NZ) – DRAFT TWO at BATS
reviewed by Michael Wray 8 Sep 2009
Heat One Wrap-up
Six months after winning the Best of Fringe Award 2009, Two Day Plays is back with people power. Two teams progress to the Grand Final from each of the three heats and the judges’ burden has been eased by a power-sharing agreement that sees the audience vote through one team. [more]

FLINTLOCK MUSKET at Lower NZI, Level 1, Aotea Centre
reviewed by Michael Wray 18 Nov 2009
Utu drives this Macbeth-like drama
Kirk Torrance’s Flintlock Musket combines Shakespearean themes with the early colonial tensions of Maori New Zealand. This is not a simple re-setting of a text, such as the 2007 Downstage production of Othello placed within the Maori land wars, but an original work that displays significant Shakespearean influences. The most notable point of influence, as Torrance indicates in his programme notes, is Macbeth. [more]
<< Prev 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | 150 | 151 | 152 | 153 | 154 | 155 | 156 | 157 | 158 | 159 | 160 | 161 | 162 | 163 | 164 | 165 | 166 | 167 | 168 | 169 | 170 | 171 | 172 | 173 | 174 | 175 | 176 | 177 | 178 | 179 | 180 | 181 | 182 | 183 | 184 | 185 | 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 | 190 | 191 | 192 | 193 | 194 | 195 | 196 | 197 | 198 | 199 | 200 | 201 | 202 | 203 | 204 | 205 | 206 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 212 | 213 | 214 | 215 | 216 | 217 | 218 | 219 | 220 | 221 | 222 | 223 | 224 | 225 | 226 | 227 | 228 | 229 | 230 | 231 | 232 | 233 | 234 | 235 | 236 | 237 | 238 | 239 | 240 | 241 | 242 | 243 | 244 | 245 | 246 | 247 | 248 | 249 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | 254 | 255 | 256 | 257 | 258 | 259 | 260 | 261 | 262 | 263 | 264 | 265 | 266 | 267 | 268 | 269 | 270 | 271 | 272 | 273 | 274 | 275 | 276 | 277 | 278 | 279 | 280 | 281 | 282 | 283 | 284 | 285 | 286 | 287 | 288 | 289 | 290 | 291 | 292 | 293 | 294 | 295 | 296 | 297 | 298 | 299 | 300 | 301 | 302 | 303 | 304 | 305 | 306 | 307 | 308 | 309 | 310 | 311 | 312 | 313 | 314 | 315 | 316 | 317 | 318 | 319 | 320 | 321 | 322 | 323 | 324 | 325 | 326 | 327 | 328 | 329 | 330 | 331 | 332 | 333 | 334 | 335 | 336 | 337 | 338 | 339 | 340 | 341 | 342 | 343 | 344 | 345 | 346 | 347 | 348 | 349 | 350 | 351 | 352 | 353 | 354 | 355 | 356 | 357 | 358 | 359 | 360 | 361 | 362 | 363 | 364 | 365 | 366 | 367 | 368 | 369 | 370 | 371 | 372 | 373 | 374 | 375 | 376 | 377 | 378 | 379 | 380 | 381 | 382 | 383 | 384 | 385 | 386 | 387 | 388 | 389 | 390 | 391 | 392 | 393 | 394 | 395 | 396 | 397 | 398 | 399 | 400 | 401 | 402 | 403 | 404 | 405 | 406 | 407 | 408 | 409 | 410 | 411 | 412 | 413 | 414 | 415 | 416 | 417 | 418 | 419 | 420 | 421 | 422 | 423 | 424 | 425 | 426 | 427 | 428 | 429 | 430 | 431 | 432 | 433 | 434 | 435 | 436 | 437 | 438 | 439 | 440 | 441 | 442 | 443 | 444 | 445 | 446 | 447 | 448 | 449 | 450 | 451 | 452 | 453 | 454 | 455 | 456 | 457 | 458 | 459 | 460 | 461 | 462 | 463 | 464 | 465 | 466 | 467 | 468 | 469 | 470 | 471 | 472 | 473 | 474 | 475 | 476 | 477 | 478 | 479 | 480 | 481 | 482 | 483 | 484 | 485 | 486 | 487 | 488 | 489 | 490 | 491 | 492 | 493 | 494 | 495 | 496 | 497 | 498 | 499 | 500 | 501 | 502 | 503 | 504 | 505 | 506 | 507 | 508 | 509 | 510 | 511 | 512 | 513 | 514 | 515 | 516 | 517 | 518 | 519 | 520 | 521 | 522 | 523 | 524 | 525 | 526 | 527 | 528 | 529 | 530 | 531 | 532 | 533 | 534 | 535 | 536 | 537 | 538 | 539 | 540 | 541 | 542 | 543 | 544 | 545 | 546 | 547 | 548 | 549 | 550 | 551 | 552 | 553 | 554 | 555 | 556 | 557 | 558 | 559 | 560 | 561 | 562 | 563 | 564 | 565 | 566 | 567 | 568 | 569 | 570 | 571 | 572 | 573 | 574 | 575 | 576 | 577 | 578 | 579 | 580 | 581 | 582 | 583 | 584 | 585 | 586 | 587 | 588 | 589 | 590 | 591 | 592 | 593 | 594 | 595 | 596 | 597 | Next >>