John C Ross
John C Ross is a retired senior lecturer in English literature ex-Massey University, Palmerston North, and remains an honorary research fellow, writing stuff. Born in Wellington, he caught the theatre-going and amateur acting bug there, mainly while a student at Victoria University.
In 1965 he took a ship to England for one year’s OE, and came back eight years later to the Massey job. In the years in between he acquired a Ph D in English from Birkbeck College, University of London, studying Restoration comedy, and spent about four-and-a-half years as a literature tutor at the Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama, Sidcup, Kent, plus plenty of travelling-around, tramping, and theatre-going.
Since 1974, John has directed or acted in quite a few plays with Massey Drama Society and Manawatu Theatre Society, and helped front-of-house during Centrepoint Theatre’s earlier years. He has written regular theatre reviews for Act Bulletin, the Sunday Times, the Dominion, the Dominion Post, and, now, Theatreview.
John C Ross's reviews
TAKE BACK THE HOOD
Wellington, Palmerston North, Dunedin, Auckland
06/03/2013 - 23/02/2015
"Back to the Hood..
"Funny and brave..
More reviews
THE WAR ARTIST
Palmerston North
14/03/2014 - 12/04/2014
"Compelling fitting tribute..
"Surprising depths..
DARK DEEDS
Palmerston North
30/01/2014 - 01/02/2014
"Entertaining, offbeat intrigue..
"Unreal alternatives..
STOCKCARS: The Musical
Palmerston North
02/11/2013 - 14/12/2013
"A bit rough, rude, crude and raw but with plenty of roar..
"Corruption in sport and local body politics..
REWENA
Palmerston North, Tauranga
07/09/2013 - 30/10/2013
"Inspired theatre..
"Vitality, personality, expressiveness, spot-on timing..
PENINSULA
Palmerston North
20/07/2013 - 24/08/2013
"Fluent, funny, intelligent, evocative, multi-layered story-telling..
"A smooth assurance and a richness of interactions..
TWO FISH ‘N’ A SCOOP
Palmerston North
08/06/2013 - 06/07/2013
"Heroic effort in interesting, lively production..
Shop ‘Til You Drop
Palmerston North
13/04/2013 - 25/05/2013
"Murphy’s Law meets Cock-up Theory..
MANAWA
Auckland, Wellington, Palmerston North
15/09/2012 - 14/03/2013
"Vital, intelligent, fluent, funny, gutsy, hard-hitting and impressively realised..
"Striking contrasts..
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The Tempest
Palmerston North
01/03/2013 - 09/03/2013
"Attractive and captivating..
"Playful use of Steampunk..
THE MOTOR CAMP
Palmerston North
03/11/2012 - 15/12/2012
"More to these archetypical characters than first meets the eye..
"Clever psychology within high entertainment..
VIOLENT GENERATION?
Palmerston North
11/10/2012 - 13/10/2012
"Horrifyingly plausible, credible and distressing..
WELL HUNG
Palmerston North
08/09/2012 - 13/10/2012
"Still edible if a little gamey..
"Retro cop caper a joyfully reconstructed jaunt..
AT THE WAKE
Palmerston North
28/07/2012 - 25/08/2012
"A fine new play..
"Insightful, compelling and humorous piece about life, love and loss..
ENLIGHTENMENT
Palmerston North
09/06/2012 - 14/07/2012
"Damned good, skilful storytelling..
"Fluctuating emotional dynamics in high quality production of a seriously good play..
YOU CAN ALWAYS HAND THEM BACK
Palmerston North
14/04/2012 - 26/05/2012
"Left wishing for something a little more profound..
"Good value..
MICHAEL JAMES MANAIA
Wellington, Palmerston North, Auckland, Dunedin
25/02/2012 - 16/02/2013
"Play’s power unchanged..
"Takes no prisoners..
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Hits of 83
Palmerston North
05/11/2011 - 17/12/2011
"Clever concept needs more work..
"Ingenious production of thin plotlines..
The Thirty Nine Steps
Palmerston North
10/09/2011 - 08/10/2011
"Clever Dicks in melodramatic derring-do..
"Thriller comedy balance enjoyably achieved..
Le Sud
Palmerston North
16/07/2011 - 27/08/2011
"‘Sud’ missile on target as an irrepressible comic fantasy..
"Often very funny romp nearly always entertaining..
Flipside
Palmerston North
28/05/2011 - 02/07/2011
"A wealth of understanding of human nature..
"Raw and rugged, dramatic, compassionate and uplifting love song of the sea..
Conjugal Rites
Palmerston North
02/04/2011 - 14/05/2011
"An easily enjoyable production of a fine play..