I’m old enough to remember when the Arts Festival was known archly as The New Zealand International Festival of the Arts. In recent years the name has been tidied up but the goal has remained the same – bring really cool, really great, international artists to Wellington and showcase their work alongside the best of […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
There’s no doubt that Circa puts on a great Roger Hall and this iteration of Four flat whites in Italy is no exception. It crackles with energy and fair zips through the action. Here’s the story – Adrian (Stuart Devenie) and Alison (Darien Takle) – art gallery attending, book reading, Labour voters – are about […]
I, George Nepia is a beautifully written, beautifully realised play. The script by Hone Kouka draws inspiration from many sources including Nepia’s autobiography. You don’t have to have read the book to appreciate the play. (I’m not even sure you have to appreciate rugby.) The narrative is about a man finding his place in a […]
Despite Hadyn’s earlier post we know there’s a reasonable proportion of you out there (just as among the Wellingtonista itself) that are relatively meh about this whole World Cup thing. But whatever your opinions about the event, it has to be acknowledged that a lot of effort has gone into the associated off-field activities, many […]
#RWC11 is prompting an abundance of New Zealand theatre. The plays cover NZ history, politics, and travel. On at Downstage is On the Upside-Down of the World by Arthur Meek. It’s based on ‘Our Maoris’ by Ann Martin. She came to New Zealand from England with the first Chief Justice. The play follows her as […]
Cavalleria rusticana by Mascagni, and Pagliacci, by Leoncavallo, are apparently opera’s most famous double bill. Both operas cover betrayed love and jealousy. Both end with a death. They are satisfyingly epic in this production by New Zealand Opera, supported by the Vector Wellington Orchestra. The curtain rises on an enormous rocky outcrop. It’s a barren […]