 reviewed by Kate Blackhurst (The Lumiere Reader) 14 Sep 2008 |
|
A great piece of theatre If Chekhov had been a Kiwi he might have written The Pohutukawa Tree. All the great themes are present – connection to the land; personal relationships; the dichotomy between preservation and progress; struggles against history and ancestry – but Bruce Mason’s play is regarded as a New Zealand classic and this production by Stagecraft Theatre proves the label is justified. [more] |
 reviewed by Richard Mays 14 Sep 2008 |
|
Enriching, invigorating premiere Outstanding! Gobsmacking! Fantastic! As unpromising as something called Destination: Death sounds, this is a rare piece of theatre that hooks right from the dynamics of the opening scene, and refuses to let go – even after the performance ends. [more] |
 reviewed by Nik Smythe 14 Sep 2008 |
|
Layered whanau comedy-drama According to their ‘Massive Way’ programme note, Massive Company has big aspirations. With cast of seven very strong and capable actors in a play scripted by one of the leading young Maori playwrights, Albert Belz, featuring adaptations from one of the classic short story collections of celebrated Maori author Witi Ihimaera, they’re not doing too badly. [more] |
 reviewed by John Smythe (2) 13 Sep 2008 |
|
Perfect timing The serendipitous synchronicity that saw the long-programmed On The Conditions and Possibilities of Helen Clark Taking Me as Her Young Lover return to Wellington on the very day Helen Clark announced the election date must auger well for the aspirations of the redoubtable Richard Meros. [more] |
 reviewed by Melody Nixon (The Lumiere Reader) 13 Sep 2008 |
|
Flashy and ‘youth’ orientated Neil LaBute has a reputation for ‘seeing the truth’ in our modern world. In Some Girl(s) I’m not sure I buy his interpretation of the modern values-crisis, or see it as particularly revealing. The characters he presents centre stage are often so borderline in the choices they make that what we are shown ends up more as a representation of LaBute’s own values than an ‘objective’ critique of modern Man (and indeed, despite the presence of female characters, these plays are very much focused on the male psyche). [more] |
|
reviewed by John Smythe 11 Sep 2008 |
|
Great play and playwright still to be given his due Fifty-plus years on, far from seeing The Pohutukawa Tree as dated, we have the opportunity to engage with its observations and insights from a position of much greater historical, social and political awareness. Even more so, the spiritual dimension which fuels the final debate that literally brings Aroha Mataira to her life and death choice between pride or sacrifice, leaves us with much to chew on ... [more] |
 EYE OF A DANCER at BATS reviewed by Sera Henare 11 Sep 2008 |
|
Shining talents Most young girls train to be a ballerina or a contemporary dancer and after years of practice abandon it to focus on study and get real jobs in the real world. With the huge following and popularity in music, film and culture, not many take that extra step to devise, produce and direct their own Hip Hop show. [more] |
 reviewed by John Ross (The Dominion Post) 10 Sep 2008 |
|
Clever comedy full of sadness Summoned by letter by a long-lost aunt, Kemp has rushed by train umpteen miles across Canada to be at her bedside as she is dying. Except that the old lady doesn't die, at least not for quite a long time. Despite sundry attempts to encourage her to do so, she just won't. Exasperating. [more] |
 THE EIFFEL TOWER WEDDING PARTY at BATS reviewed by Lynn Freeman (Capital Times) 10 Sep 2008 |
|
Imagination runs riot The Three Spoons Theatre Company and Jean Cocteau are a perfect match, both esoteric, charmingly offbeat and entirely original. [more] |
 FOOTNOTE FORTE SEASON 2008 at Opera House reviewed by Shruti Navathe (The Lumiere Reader) 10 Sep 2008 |
|
A pleasure to watch The Footnote Forte season for 2008 consisted of three dance pieces: The False Waltz, Nest and Mtyland. [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 | | Next >> |