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THE BUTLER at Baycourt Theatre
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 28 Oct 2009
Do I dare to eat a peach (and more besides)?
Our Everyman guide in this eccentric yet strangely familiar scenario of a dinner party is a Butler, perfectly attired and astutely played, who pays attention to every detail in the canvas that comes to life before our eyes. He lights the candles, slowly but surely sets the scene, and off we go. [more]

See also reviews by:
 Melissa Miles
 Matt Richens (Waikato Times);
 Jonathan W. Marshall

HOTEL at The Sebel Trinity Wharf
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 28 Oct 2009
Real privacy at work
The first rule of improvising, according to the American approach, is to decide ‘Where am I?’ This determines much about who I am, what I want, how I get it, etc. This excellent little show uses that site-specific rule of location as its spine and then gently, gingerly, and beguilingly lets the flesh of four story lines grow on it and around it. [more]

THE GURU OF CHAI at Meteor Theatre
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 7 Oct 2010
You’ll laugh, you’ll wonder, you might cry
What do we go to the theatre for? Ease? Entertainment? Enlightenment? Well on a Wednesday night in Hamilton, The Guru of Chai delivered on all fronts to a full house. [more]

CHOPPER’S HARDEN THE F#CK UP, NEW ZEALAND! at Baycourt Theatre
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 27 Oct 2010
His eye for detail and lateral thinking makes him very funny
“Go South, young man, there’s money in them there audiences!” could well be the catchcry for Heath Franklin’s show currently touring NZ. Baycourt Theatre (over 500 seats) was packed to the gunnels in Tauranga on a Wednesday night. [more]

Photo: Michael Smith
IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY) at Maidment
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 18 Mar 2012
Dense, witty, sharp, insightful and pushes the boundaries
It’s always been true that opposites, like magnets, attract and repel just as violently, and the drama brought about by the juxtaposition of two different forces always makes for great drama; reason and emotion, science and art, private and public, male and female, birth and death. [more]

THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS at The Pumphouse / Lake Pupuke
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 1 Apr 2012
Inventive, light and beautifully performed
Lake Pupuke is the ideal environment for this peripatetic production which goes from outdoor amphitheatre to lakeside to the Pumphouse Theatre itself. Live guitar and clarinet (sensitively played by Kristie Addison) complement the English idyll concept very well. [more]

Photo: Jason Larraman
HANUSSEN – THE PALACE OF BURLESQUE at Q Theatre, Rangatira
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 14 Apr 2012
A great value show
After a false start due to technical difficulties on opening night in Auckland – which was handled extremely well with 15 minutes of work being shown as a taster - returned 2 nights later to see the latest offering to Auckland from Christchurch-based company The Loons. [more]

JERSEY BOYS – THE STORY OF FRANKIE VALLI & THE FOUR SEASONS at Civic Theatre
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 15 Apr 2012
Four Seasons in One Night: musical, visual, aural and emotional
Jersey Boys comes to NZ shores with a lot of hype, and for once it’s worth believing. Over a million people have seen the Australian production alone; with military precision and well-crafted moments its cast and crew deliver a slick, uplifting, beautifully designed and fast-moving night out that will not disappoint. [more]

MARY POPPINS at Civic Theatre
reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes 19 Oct 2012
There really is something about Mary
It’s ironic that a story about overcoming the odds in an economic (banking crisis) is about to rake in big bucks here in Auckland. Or perhaps not so ironic, but rather a true reflection of how successful show business works. A hit is a hit is a hit in any language or economic climate. [more]

STRANGE RESTING PLACES at Downstage Theatre
reviewed by John Smythe (2) 17 Mar 2009
Truly a taonga
Monte Cassino is indeed a strange resting place for an East Coast boy. And how he – Anaru (Ngati Porou; 28th Maori Battalion) – comes to be shot is even stranger: tragically unnecessary, like so many deaths in so many wars. When will we ever learn? [more]
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