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New Zealand professional theatre & dance: reviews, news and your views
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BATS AGM, Wellington SAT 4 MAY [more]
The Golden Carnie Awards 2013 [more]
BATS Theatre Announces 2013 STAB Commissions [more]
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WELLINGTON SUMMER SHAKESPEARE CALL FOR DIRECTORS, apply by 10/5 [more]
TAKI RUA 2013 TE REO MĀORI NATIONAL TOUR AUDITIONS, apply now for 15-16/5 [more]
PLAYMARKET Asian Ink and Brown Ink SCRIPTS WANTED, deadline 31/5 [more]
CIRCA THEATRE SEEKS SUBMISSIONS for 2014, by 14/6 [more]
JOBS & OPPORTUNITIES on The Big Idea [more]
Put yourself on the PAD - join the New Zealand Performing Arts Directory - to raise your professional profile |
- The Boy With Tape On His Face … MORE TAPE at Opera House - return season (Wellington, from 10 May 2013)
- The Boy With Tape On His Face … MORE TAPE at Q Theatre. Rangatira - return season (Auckland, from 13 May 2013)
- FANFICTION COMEDY at San Francisco Bathhouse, 171 Cuba St (Wellington, from 5 May 2013)
- BATTLE OF THE BASTARDS at BATS - Out Of Site - Cnr Cuba & Dixon (Wellington, from 15 May 2013)
- JOSIE LONG in ROMANCE & ADVENTURE (UK) at San Francisco Bathhouse, 171 Cuba St (Wellington, from 5 May 2013)
- MADAME BUTTERFLY at St James Theatre (Wellington, from 11 May 2013)
- CHRIS PARKER and HAYLEY SPROULL in OUTSIDERS’ GUIDE at BATS - Out Of Site - Cnr Cuba & Dixon (Wellington, from 14 May 2013)
- MICHELE A’COURT in STUFF I FORGOT TO TELL MY DAUGHTER at San Francisco Bathhouse, 171 Cuba St (Wellington, from 13 May 2013)
- FIONA O’LOUGHLIN in DIVINE MISS O at Foxglove Queens Wharf Ballroom, 33 Queens Wharf (Wellington, from 7 May 2013)
- JAMES NOKISE in SO–SO GANGSTA at Fringe Bar, Cnr Cuba & Vivian (Wellington, from 7 May 2013)
- THE RAW COMEDY QUEST 2013 at Q Theatre, Rangatira (Auckland, from 12 May 2013)
- DAI HENWOOD in ADAPT OR DAI at Q Theatre, Rangatira (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- URZILA CARLSON: THE LONG FLIGHT TO FREEDOM at Q Theatre Loft (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- ELI MATTHEWSON in PROPOSITION: GREAT! at The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 15 May 2013)
- DANNY BHOY in DEAR EPSON … at Regent Theatre (Dunedin, from 6 May 2013)
- DANNY BHOY in DEAR EPSON … at CBS Canterbury Arena (Christchurch, from 7 May 2013)
- GORDON SOUTHERN THE KERFUFFLE at The Classic Studio (Auckland, from 6 May 2013)
- JARRED CHRISTMAS in LET’S GO MOFO at Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St (Auckland, from 14 May 2013)
- PAX in PAX's MAGIC CARPET RIDE at Brooklyn Bar - 57 Lorne St (Auckland, from 14 May 2013)
- HEDLUV + PASSMAN in 2 CORNISH RAPPERS AND A CASIOTONE at Cassette 9, 9 Vulcan Lane (Auckland, from 9 May 2013)
- NICK RADO in THE FUNNIEST JOKE IN THE WORLD at Q, The Vault (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- BARNIE DUNCAN in CALYPSO NIGHTS at The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 15 May 2013)
- GUY WILLIAMS HAS WON AN AWARD at Thistle Hall (Wellington, from 10 May 2013)
- STEPHEN K AMOS is THE SPOKESMAN at Opera House (Wellington, from 5 May 2013)
- JOSEPH HARPER in THINK:TREE (Omoutautahi) at The Wine Cellar, St Kevins Arcade (K Rd) (Auckland, from 9 May 2013)
- GERALDINE QUINN in YOU’RE THE VOICE: SONGS FOR THE ORDINARY BY AN ANTHEMANIAC at Fringe Bar, Cnr Cuba & Vivian (Wellington, from 14 May 2013)
- GERALDINE QUINN in YOU’RE THE VOICE: SONGS FOR THE ORDINARY BY AN ANTHEMANIAC at Q, The Vault (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- BRENDON GREEN in EVERYTHING IS ALRIGHT (*Citation Needed) at The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 27 May 2013)
- STAND UP FOR KIDS 2013 at Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St (Auckland, from 4 May 2013)
- ART by Funny People at Thistle Hall (Wellington, from 7 May 2013)
- GREG ELLIS in VANCE FONTAINE FOR LOVERS at The Basement, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- GREG ELLIS in VANCE FONTAINE FOR LOVERS at Foxglove Queens Wharf Ballroom, 33 Queens Wharf (Wellington, from 14 May 2013)
- JAMES ROQUE is CHICKEN! at Brooklyn Bar - 57 Lorne St (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- ROB LLOYD in WHO, ME at The Basement (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- VELA MANUSAUTE’s BIG BALLS at Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- TOM GREEN at Opera House (Wellington, from 5 May 2013)
- TOM GREEN at Aurora Centre (Christchurch, from 6 May 2013)
- JOHN GLASS & JAMES ELLIOTT in THE JIM JOHN JAM at The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 7 May 2013)
- TOM GLEESON at The Classic (Auckland, from 6 May 2013)
- THRILLS & SWOON: IMPROVISED ROMANCE at BATS - Out Of Site - Cnr Cuba & Dixon (Wellington, from 7 May 2013)
- RAYBON KAN in RAYBON WITHOUT A CAUSE at Foxglove Queens Wharf Ballroom, 33 Queens Wharf (Wellington, from 7 May 2013)
- RAYBON KAN in RAYBON WITHOUT A CAUSE at Q, The Vault (Auckland, from 15 May 2013)
- TOM FURNISS in THE DIARY OF GORDON LEAF-COOPER at The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 14 May 2013)
- TOM FURNISS in THE DIARY OF GORDON LEAF-COOPER at Cavern Club, 22 Allen St (Wellington, from 7 May 2013)
- VAUGHAN KING andVAUGHAN KING & ALAN MCELROY in ONE BUCKET, TWO COMEDIANS at The Basement, Lower Greys Ave (Auckland, from 14 May 2013)
- VAUGHAN KING andVAUGHAN KING & ALAN MCELROY in ONE BUCKET, TWO COMEDIANS at BATS - Out Of Site - Cnr Cuba & Dixon (Wellington, from 7 May 2013)
- THE BACCHAE at Whitireia Performance Centre, 25-27 Vivian Street (Wellington, from 4 May 2013)
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WILSON DIXON GREATEST HITS at Opera House, Wellington
reviewed by Caoilinn Hughes 5 May 2013 |
Could give himself more freedom on stage
It’s no revolution in the realm of stand-up comedy for the comedian to adopt a stage persona, particularly when that persona lends the comedian a ready-made platform from which to have fun with a cultural stereotype. [more]
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THE 5 STAR INTERNATIONAL COMEDY SHOWCASE 2013 at Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland
reviewed by Kathryn van Beek 5 May 2013 |
Polished, high quality, very funny show
It’s after the interval that things start to get a bit weird. Gangly, ginger-haired James Acaster strides out onto stage and one person in the crowd cannot stop laughing. “There’s not a lot you can do when you’re this naturally funny to one person,” he quips, but the laugher turns heckler and calls out, “That’s not funny.” [more]
See also reviews by:
Gabrielle Beran
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LATE LAUGHS 2013 at The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
reviewed by Jan Maree 4 May 2013 |
Hot talent offers good value nightcap
This is the first Late Laughs showcase of the festival and there is a crackling excitement brewing in the audience. This is the show where you will experience the edgier material, the controversial taboos blown wide open, the seamier more adult conventions of comedy and most definitely the 'C' word. [more]
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THE 5PM PROJECT at Q Theatre. Rangatira - return season, Auckland
reviewed by Jan Maree 4 May 2013 |
Guy plus guys
Hosted by comedy darling Guy Williams, The 5pm Project is aimed at a slightly younger comedy audience, and they are out in numbers for this one-off clean* comedy showcase. A super initiative to bring the under 18 year olds into the live comedy environment, a place they would not normally be able to be, given that so many venues are restricted to 18+. [more]
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MELE KANIKAU - A PAGEANT BY JOHN KNEUBUHL at Fale Pasifika, University of Auckland, Auckland
reviewed by Aaaron Taouma 4 May 2013 |
Cultural essence thoroughly examined
The play itself is a piece of masterful writing; a play within a play, examining the theatrical process itself while weaving multiple story threads together in a seemingly simple plot, which as it progresses is not so simple, and indeed nothing is what it seems. Kneubuhl, of Samoan and American descent, a contributing writer to television shows such as The Fugitive, Gunsmoke, The Wild Wild West, Star Trek, The Invaders and Hawaii Five-O through Mele Kanikau (part of a trilogy of Plays; “Think of a Garden” and “A Play, A Play” the other two) provides an insight into the world of Hawaiians progressively being Americanised and losing the very things that make them Hawai'ian; their language, culture and belief in the mystical nature of nature. This is instead replaced by tourist pageantry, a denial of “authentic” Hawaiian-ness and ending in a half-hearted plastic portrayal of their very own culture. [more]
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JOSEPH HARPER IN THINK:TREE (OMOUTAUTAHI) at Tararua Tramping Club, Mt Victoria, Wellington
reviewed by John Smythe 4 May 2013 |
Volumes in microcosms
In a show that seems like a loose ramble but is actually an astutely crafted meditation inspired by his experiences of bonsai trees, the title Think:Tree turns out to relate to a scene from the film The Karate Kid. [more]
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FAIRLY FUNNY at Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland
reviewed by Lexie Matheson 4 May 2013 |
Two of our finest: a double shot of integrity, experience and talent
The NZ Comedy Festival 2013 brochure suggests that we ‘join Fairly Funny for a lunch time of comedy about something serious.’ The serious stuff relates to the work of Fairtrade Australia New Zealand and the comedy is provided by The Fairtrade Avengers Michele A’Court and Jeremy Elwood.
Not that Michele and Jeremy call themselves The Fairtrade Avengers and Fairtrade ANZ don’t either... [more]
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SHEEP at Otago Pioneer Women's Hall, Dunedin
reviewed by Sharon Matthews 3 May 2013 |
Strong production of a boldly structured script
Given this backstory, the Otago Pioneer Women’s Hall is a nicely evocative setting for Sheep’s engaging takes on issues of women's rights (prostitution, women taking men’s job in wartime, rape as a weapon of war, contraception) and the combination of family and national history. Sheep is made up of seven short connected episodes — starting in a Canterbury whorehouse in 1862, and ending in Christchurch post-2011 earthquake — a series of quirky snapshots which depict young people trying to make sense of their lives, their families, and the scary playground that is love. [more]
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PAX IN PAX'S MAGIC CARPET RIDE at Fringe Bar, Cnr Cuba & Vivian, Wellington
reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku 3 May 2013 |
Refreshing if hesitant
The gig kicks off with a filmed clip of Pax recording on streets around central Auckland. Well I’m assuming it is because he starts in Aotea Square. It’s a bit loose and has that tv-hit-up-randoms-on-the-street-vibe so there’s nothing new there. What is new is that there is a single Asian. As anyone will tell you, in central Auckland that’s a rarity. So, either there’s selective editing or the recordings are a collage. Whatever, it’s funny. [more]
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TIM BATT IN TIM BATT'S UNIFIED THEORY at Brooklyn Bar - 57 Lorne St, Auckland
reviewed by Jan Maree 3 May 2013 |
His first will not be his last
A rangy fella with googly eyes, Tim looks like comedy. And if you hadn't noticed he points it out. His well-crafted self-deprecation leaves the audience warmed to him. Tim has an obvious simpatico, a wealth of human-ness, which in all honesty is necessary as he proceeds to tear apart the very fabric of society and all its foibles. [more]
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CLASS COMEDIANS 2012 GRADUATES ARE UNDERAGE, ENRAGED AND UNCAGED at The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
reviewed by Jan Maree 3 May 2013 |
Gotta love these young guns having a go
But what do you do if you want to keep going at comedy? Hook up with the other keen beans and put on a show. So, very simply The 2012 Graduates we are seated to meet are just that: six graduates of last year’s programme with (supposedly) more experience under their belts and some sparkling new gags to wow and entertain. [more]
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"Dean Parker's MayDay piece in The Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10..." - Editor [read full comment]
"I attended the same performance as the reviewer, and while most of this review is warranted, my experience of ..." - Disappointed. [read full comment]
"Actually what Chekhov wrote was comedies. And Downstage has staged comedy Festival shows for years - many more..." - Sam Jackson [read full comment]
"I've deleted my reply." - Dean Parker [read full comment]
"If you really want to believe that expressing an opinion on your work constitutes giving advice on how to writ..." - Paul Simei-Barton [read full comment]
"Best take down of a critic I've read in a while. Thanks Dean, it's nice to see a writer being able to defend t..." - dragqueen [read full comment]
"I’ve just read this.
Having first of all accused me (rightly) of failing to write a spy caper and then ..." - Dean Parker [read full comment]
"I can’t see the point of getting into this debate as all we are talking about is my personal response to..." - Paul Simei-Barton [read full comment]
">> The way the political material was presented seemed to me to be polemical rather than dialectical. Th..." - Dean Parker [read full comment]
"I guess reviews can be misinterpreted like any other piece of writing but for the record I did not intend to s..." - Paul Simei-Barton [read full comment]
"The Herald reviewer seems to suggest we (the audience) can only cope with a single theme. The 'who's the spy' ..." - Michael Smythe [read full comment]
"I do wonder if a perception of what to expect of theatre in New Zealand has shifted over the years away f..." - Dean Parker [read full comment]
30 Apr 2013 - TAKI RUA 2013 Te Reo Māori National Tour
Written by: Chris Molloy
Directed by: Te Kohe Tuhaka
AUDITION NOTICE
Taki Rua invites anyone who is:
Interested in creating, performing and touring a Te Reo Māori theatre work
Fluent in Te Reo Māori
16 years and over
Available for the dates below
to take part in our upcoming auditions. [more]
23 Apr 2013 - BATS SHOW SEEKS STAGE MANAGER
This from Paul McLaughlin (Director):
I'm looking for a Stage Manager for an upcoming show at BATS. No money up front but co-op share, great play, excellent cast; good times promised ... [more]
23 Apr 2013 - THE GOLDEN CARNIE AWARDS 2013
The New Zealand National Circus Awards – aka The Golden Carnies – is a celebration of the finest in creativity, skill and performance from our very own national circus industry.
The leading circus entertainers competed at a black tie gala performance at the prestigious Opera House in Wellington on the 20th of April 2013. [more]
19 Apr 2013 - BATS THEATRE LIMITED: NOTICE OF 19TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Notice is hereby given that the 19th Annual General Meeting of BATS Theatre Limited will be held at BATS Theatre, Corner of Cuba and Dixon Streets, Wellington, on Saturday 4th May 2013 commencing at 2.00pm. [more]
18 Apr 2013 - SUMMER SHAKESPEARE CALL FOR DIRECTORS
The Summer Shakespeare Trust (Wellington) is seeking a director for the 2014 Summer Shakespeare Production
Directors will be asked to choose from one of the following plays:
Macbeth | Henry VIII | Julius Caesar | Romeo and Juliet | The Comedy of Errors | A Midsummer Night’s Dream [more]
16 Apr 2013 - PLAYMARKET Asian Ink and Brown Ink SCRIPTS WANTED
Asian, Maori and Pasifika Playwrights
Do you have a complete draft of a new play ready and waiting for some attention? [more]
15 Apr 2013 - TRIBES INTERPRETED
Circa Theatre is excited to offer a New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) interpreted performance of the current Circa One play, Tribes, for Deaf audience members. This will be the first time that Circa will present a performance of this type. [more]
11 Apr 2013 - BATS Theatre Announces 2013 STAB Commissions
BATS Theatre is thrilled to announce The 24/7 Project and Trick of the Light Theatre as the recipients of its annual STAB commission, worth a total of $80,000. Both companies will premiere their innovative new works Pandemic and Broken River in November 2013. [more]
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