Review: Michael James Manaia

This solo show starts with a welcome and karakia. After a serious start it flips into a madcap story.  As the action progresses we hear a man telling us the story of his life –  what his parents were like, why he went to Vietnam, what happened there, and what happened when he came back […]

New Zealand International Arts Festival 2012

The New Zealand International Arts Festival opens tonight with a live event in conjuction with the launch of First Contact. It’s FREE, family friendly, and starts at 8:30pm outside Te Papa. There are visuals by Linechecker and music and dance from the Whitireia Performing Arts School, The Nomad, Horomona Horo, Rhombus in Dub and Rayjah45. First […]

NZ Fringe Festival 2012 into week two

The New Zealand Fringe Festival presents emerging artists in a festival of weird and wonderful performances around Wellington. The shows are are reasonably priced (or free) and are held in venues all over the city. The programme is full of shows, conveniently divided in the programme into genres –  Comedy, Dance, Music, Theatre, or Visual […]

Review: The Motor Camp

Two families take their caravans to The Windmill Motor Camp for the summer holidays. University lecturers, Frank (Tim Spite) and Jude (Danielle Mason) Redmond, along with their daughter Holly (Florence Mulheron) set up next to building contractor Mike Hislop (Phil Vaughan), his wife (?) Dawn Tairoa (Olivia Violet Robinson) and her son Jared (Antony Young). […]

Review: Wake Less

Binge Culture Collective were “attempting to create an environment that’s as fluid and responsive as a dream is.” They want to “push the boundaries of performance and explore the things that can’t be done onscreen or online.” I think they have successfully achieved these two aims. Whether the performance says anything more than ‘experimenting with […]

Review: Drowning in Veronica Lake

Veronica Lake was a film star in the 1940s. She was a tiny, sexy blonde. Her hair was styled to fall artfully over her face concealing one eye. She lived her life in a similar manner – changing her story to suit the mood she was in at the time. Drowning in Veronica Lake is […]

Review: Sex drive

 Sex drive is a new dramatic comedy from writers Lorae Parry and Pinky Agnew. It focuses on three women – Sylvie (Geraldine Brophy), Chrissy (Emman Kinane), and Dawn (Lyndee-Jane Rutherford) – and their quest to become independent women. The catalyst for their change from chicken factory workers to small business owners is a Lotto win…of […]

Review: He reo aroha

Do Tawata have a hot-line to beautiful? This is the second production I’ve seen from them in as many weeks that has opened my heart and lifted my mood. He reo aroha has been around for a few years now, touring New Zealand and the world. It keeps to a minimal aesthetic – a couple […]

Theatre: the REAL NZ Festival

The next round of theatre and performance courtesy of the REAL NZ Festival starts this week. BATS Theatre has two shows starting – Death by cheerleader on Tuesday, and The first Asian AB on Thursday. Both have a good buzz from their Auckland seasons. Until 24 September and 1 October respectively. Circa Theatre hosts He […]

Review: Te Radar’s Eating the dog

Te Radar has a passion for history. This show has developed over a number of years from an original commission by the Christchurch Arts Festival, in conjunction with Te Runanga o Ngai Tahu, in 2005. There he explored South Island history. Here, he explores some of New Zealand’s history. Explorers, highwaymen, inventors, and entertainers are […]