Review: Big J: A New Legacy

Reviewed by Nadia Freeman Photo credit: Philip Merry Jacob Dombroski is all heart in his performance of Big J A New Legacy. It is clear that he relives the feelings of every story he shares. This vulnerability is most evident during his dance pieces. From krump to graceful, emotive sections, his actions are deliberate. He […]

Review: Homemade Takeaways

I don’t think anyone will disagree with me that it’s been one hell of a year, and Christmas is descending on us fast.  So it seemed completely appropriate to be watching a show about people who’ve had a hell of a year, too, drawn together at Christmas. Annie and Will have gravitated back to the […]

Review: The Griegol

We need more shows like this. The kind that effortlessly transports you to the same childlike sense of wonder, akin to the first time you are read what will become your favourite story. And it is no coincidence that The Griegol, written by Hannah Smith and Ralph McCubbin Howell, revolves around the power of storytelling. […]

Review: Olive Copperbottom

Leaving Circa on Wednesday after the opening night of Olive Copperbottom, one of the many things I was feeling was deep regret that it was the very first of Penny Ashton’s shows that I’d seen, and I’d missed so many others.  Ashton is a bright light.  Her energy, her wit, and her joy were incandescent […]

Review: Owls Do Cry

Owls Do Cry is not your typical theatrical retelling of a book. Instead, it is a complete reinterpretation of the work through movement, design and song.   The show starts very light-hearted with a chorus of singing, movement and audience interaction. As the show continues, however, it draws you into the real pain and fragility of […]

Review: Pudgy Mediocre White Men Solve Your Problems

A whiteboard greets us at the top of the stairs of BATS’ Dome Theatre. 10am – Dancing with Craig (R18). It reads. 1.45pm – Knitting with Craig (R18), then 8pm – Dave & Bryan Impov Thing. And that is what we’re here to see (though I am particularly taken by the concept of 12.45pm – Autopsy for Beginners.) We’re at […]

Review: Title & Deed

Reviewed by Lox Dixon. Presented as a part of TAHI Festival, 2022. I’m going to make an earnest effort to mention the writing as little as possible in this review because that’s not really the point and everyone probably knows by now that Will Eno is a phenomenal writer. That said, the beauty of this […]

Review: Effy

Reviewed by Lox Dixon. Presented as a part of the TAHI Festival, 2022.  Effy is a piece of physical theatre performed by a masked actor, and featuring no verbal communication. The show takes place in what ostensibly looks like a public park. A rubbish bin sits on one side of the stage, an old wooden […]

Review: HATCH

Reviewed by Jules Daniel. Presented by TAHI: New Zealand Festival of Solo Performance, HATCH is an opportunity for five emerging student artists from Te Auaha, Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School, and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington to showcase and develop their work further. The mahi of a program with a kaupapa to […]

Review: Krishnan’s Dairy

Review by Talia Carlisle. A wise man once told me that real loves grows, and so does my love of Indian Ink’s now legendary tale of Krishnan’s Dairy that wound up its final season in Wellington this week. The production is a well polished gem in the crown of creative team Jacob Rajan and Justin […]