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HURAI at Dunedin Public Art Gallery
reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall 17 Jul 2009
Stripped back, declamatory drama
Hurai renders the Bacchantes as young, largely female followers of the charismatic Mâori prophet, Papahurihia (here called Papa). Their Apollonian critic Pentheus becomes a rigorously disciplined Protestant missionary, Thomas. Rather than having the Dionysians win over and seduce Pentheus’ daughter, in Hurai, Thomas is betrayed by his white wife, Agnes. [more]

PERFORMANCE ARTS IN OZ at Venues in Sydney, Perth & Melbourne
reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall 26 Jul 2009
Uneasy alliances between theatre, other art forms, and the aesthetics of the everyday
In the 1960s so-called Performance Artists began carrying out mundane actions as part of what is now known as “live art.” The general public was unimpressed. Nevertheless, this approach to art making, where everything one did could take on a certain theatrical tension ... [more]

SON ET LUMIèRE: HOME at First Church of Otago
reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall 24 Aug 2009
Poetry and beauty marginalises important political and religious issues
Writer/director Richard Huber’s new work [may be] described as a poetic radio play supported by coloristic painting and projected lights from designer Martyn Roberts. The physical performances of the principal actors, Simon O’Connor and Barbara Power, are restrained and at times nearly static, their vocal presence filling the space ... [more]

BHARATAM: AN INSPIRATIONAL SOLO JOURNEY THROUGH DANCE at Mary Hopewell Theatre
reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall 4 Oct 2009
Outside-in dualities
Kinra’s latest production, simply titled Bharatam, is a retrospective made up of seven short pieces choreographed by Kinra as well as by senior Indian artists from the Kalakshetra school (Krishnaveni Lakshmanan and Adyar Lakshman), where Kinra himself trained. [more]

HUBBLE at Allen Hall Theatre
reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall 5 Oct 2009
A Work to Experience Rather Than Interpret
Hubble is best described as a riff on Roberts’ previous projects Man on the Moon (2001), The Telescope (2002; 2004), The Singularity (2008), and Apollo Redux (2008). Most of the same themes recur ... [more]

BURLESQUE AS YOU LIKE IT – NOT A FAMILY SHOW at Regent Theatre
reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall 5 Apr 2010
Skilful, popular and gently thought-provoking
Since the 1990s, burlesque performance has undergone a series of revivals and reinterpretations. This has been driven by several, often competing, factors, and hence agreement over the nature of burlesque remains difficult to attain. [more]

2010 MADE IN NEW ZEALAND at Allen Hall Theatre
reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall 5 May 2010
Engaging with diversity
Cultural and racial difference is not a principal focus of performance (as is the case with Black Grace). Rather, the diversity of membership, stylistic devices, and musical references provides the main way in which the company engages with anything which might be considered to be specifically national or bicultural. [more]

LINE DANCES at Metro Cinema
reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall 11 Oct 2010
Best viewed on its intended medium: the internet
One of the things I have always liked about Belton’s work is his relative disinterest in dance per se once it is transferred to the filmic media. As he observes in his suggestive program notes, taking choreographed material into the screen space makes it both highly “artificial” and “ties it strongly to graphic art.” [more]

ENTER - POINTY DOG at Allen Hall Theatre
reviewed by Alexandra Kolb 30 Mar 2009
A glimpse of tomorrow’s professional talent
Even without its solid and cohesive programme, this Auckland-based youth company would warrant applause for its important work in the community sector and promotion of contemporary dance. [more]

FROM HERE TO THERE at Regent Theatre
reviewed by Alexandra Kolb 1 Mar 2010
Dancers’ full potential brought to the fore
Dunedin was the testing ground of the new programme From Here to There and the starting point of the company’s tour to the other centres on the South and North Islands. It wasn’t quite clear to me precisely what ‘journey’ the title of the triple bill alluded to, but I can assert that the pieces were fine, in one, and brilliant, in the other two cases. [more]
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