New Zealand Improv Festival 6–10 October 2015
Improv shows are always different depending on the energy of the performers, the prompts they are given, and the energy of the audience. Most of the ones I’ve seen in Wellington have been entertaining. Some are sublime and contain moments of pure theatrical genius. The kind where the whole audience holds its breathe then exhales […]
Review: The travelling squirrel by Robert Lord
Bart (Paul Waggot) is a writer who is married to Jane, (Acushla-Tara Sutton). Jane is an actress who is nervous about her job security and therefore is keen to cultivate a working relationship with Wallace (Gavin Rutherford) a gossip columnist. Wallace throws a party where Jane and Bart meet Terry (Andrew Paterson) who can help […]
Black Dog Relief – A Cabaret for Robbie Tripe
On Sunday 6th September at San Fran, in a one night only performance to raise money and awareness for the Mental Health Foundation, Wellington’s performing arts fraternity band together to honour a beloved friend and colleague. This tribute is their way of honouring a talented member of the performing community, who left us after losing his battle with the Black Dog. Actor Robbie Tripe, […]
Review: Stutterpop: the Queen’s speech
Stutterpop written and performed by Sam Brooks is entertaining mixture of lipsyncing and storytelling which explores Brooks’ love life, and his love for life. He walks onto the stage looking fabulous in a long hooded cape. It’s whipped off to reveal a glittery top and sparkling heels leaving him looking a little like classic Eddie Izzard. […]
Lord of the Dance – Dangerous Games
My son’s friend John, who is Irish, said that there’s always something sexual in Irish dancing (he probably just calls it “dancing”). Malo explained this to me when I expressed surprise that all the women Irish dancers in Lord of the Dance – Dangerous Games had stripped off their pretty traditional outfits to bras and […]
Review: Krishnan’s Dairy
One of New Zealand’s most-loved plays has returned for a short season at the Hannah Playhouse. Having not seen it before (despite it coming around every couple of years for almost the last twenty!) we took the chance to finally go see it. Gobi Krishnan (“a small man”, as the McGlashan-esque song/narrator would have […]
Review: Young & Hungry 2015 season
The Young & Hungry festival of new theatre provides young people with the opportunity to gain practical experience working in a theatre under pressured timeframes. Actors, technicians, designers, & directors have all been mentored through the programme. The three shows in the 2015 season are quite different in style but uniformly entertaining. How to catch a […]
Review: the beautiful ones
Hana (Awhimai Fraser) was sent away from the club in disgrace by owner Mr Sir (Tanemahuta Gray). She promises boyfriend, Ihia (Manuel Solomon), that she will return on a particular night if he dances from dawn to dusk. But she is frightened by his father Sir Sir, (Nathan Gray) and unsure as to how she […]
Review : Long ago, long ago
Ella (Susie Berry) has a new job working on a psychic hotline. Audrey (Isobel MacKinnon), her sister, is a postgraduate student investigating the links between fairytales from different countries. Their brother Ben (Jack Buchanan) is interested in making machines; in tangible objects rather than computers. Audrey comes to live with Ella while her flat is […]
Two shows in Wellington
Reviews of Second afterlife by Ralph McCubbin Howell, and Not in our neighbourhood by Jamie McCaskill.