 reviewed by Sian Robertson 27 Sep 2007 |
|
Likeable Kiwi characters sturdily performed with quirky humour Adapted by producer/director Tim Bray, two idiosyncratic children’s literary icons come to life in a series of alternating stories, in which Grandma McGarvey, from the books by Jenny Hessel, embarks on her wacky adventures, including springboard diving, treasure hunting and bungee jumping, while Joy Watson’s Grandpa obsesses not only about his slippers but also his cardie and a long lost pair of shorts. [more] |
 reviewed by Sian Robertson 14 Nov 2007 |
|
Camp gothic parody ... The frequent and fast costume changes (the two actors play 8 characters between them and both genders) make for hilarious entrances and exits, requiring a quick wit on the part of the actors who must not only get in and out of puffy dresses, wigs, hunting gear, etc, but also contrasting characters, without breaking (too much of) a sweat ... [more] |
 reviewed by Sian Robertson 8 Dec 2007 |
|
Very watchable, despite the devastating cringe factor Being a Thomas Sainsbury virgin, I didn’t know what to expect. Revenge of the nerds? Not quite… ‘Pleasantly’ surprised may be the wrong turn of phrase – I can’t say I left the theatre with a warm glow. But Loser is a hilarious pitch black (/raw zit pink) comedy, emotionally-charged, over-the-top, but close to the bone – which is why it’s so bloody funny. [more] |
 reviewed by Sian Robertson 10 Jan 2008 |
|
Intrepid dinosaur fans enraptured by realistic puppets The most impressive ‘puppet’ show we have ever seen! I took my five-year-old son (see his review below) and a friend’s 10-year-old daughter and both were transfixed, as was I. [more] |
 reviewed by Sian Robertson 18 Feb 2008 |
|
Superb production of facile play Design For Living is a comedy of colourful, witty banter, if somewhat lacking in substance. If you’re a fan of Noel Coward, though, it’s one of his most popular plays and you’ll probably love this production. [more] |
 reviewed by Sian Robertson 13 Mar 2008 |
|
Unpretentious and watchable ... I have seen more A Midsummer Night’s Dream productions than any other Shakespeare play, and yet it is one of my least favourite, mainly because of its self-excused ‘weak and idle theme’ which really is ‘no more yielding but a dream’. This version succeeds in that it doesn’t try to pretend to be anything else. [more] |
 reviewed by Sian Robertson 5 May 2008 |
|
Hard fast laughs from feminism Loosely based on an incident in which Germaine Greer was attacked in her holiday home by a crazed student, The Female of the Species doesn’t claim to be a biography, nor an academic exploration of feminism, but rather a scenario ripe with satirical potential, reaching riotously farcical proportions. [more] |
 reviewed by Sian Robertson 18 Jun 2008 |
|
Ruthless laughter with compassion The peeling ceiling and fluorescent tubes of the Auckland Old Folks’ Association provide an aptly drab atmosphere for a play set in a suburban Auckland petrol station struggling to meet its fiscal targets. The characters are similarly dilapidating. [more] |
|
BETRAYAL at Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, The Edge reviewed by Sian Robertson 22 Jun 2008 |
|
Frequent laughs at patent absurdities Betrayal is about Emma’s seven-year affair with Jerry, her husband’s best friend. The play begins at the end with Emma and Jerry’s awkward meeting two years after the end of the affair – the last time they saw each other. They attempt to be pleasant. They are, after all, dear friends... [more] |
 reviewed by Sian Robertson 3 Jul 2008 |
|
Classic horror/thriller also funny, a scream in fact Two brothers and a sister hit the road north to attend a funeral … Travelling without a map, they take a wrong turn … To say Thomas Sainsbury is an exciting new talent in New Zealand theatre is an understatement. He’s the most challenging, down-to-earth, funny and refreshingly unsettling playwright/ director I’ve come across in years … [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 | | Next >> |