Review: Awkward Threesome
The frame for this improvised show is: experienced improvisors Jennifer O’Sullivan and Matt Powell are joined on stage by a mystery guest. (They really have no idea who the guest is.) Once the guest arrives (on opening night it was Jonny Paul) the audience will provide a word which will be the inspiration for the […]
Review: The Travelling Sisters and The Nose
Lucy Fox, Laura Trenerry and Ell Sachs are The Travelling Sisters. 2017 winners of Best Comedy and New Zealand Tour Ready Award at Melbourne Fringe they’re at BATS Theatre to make us snort laugh. (They don’t exactly put it like that but it’s definitely what I heard (and maybe did) at their opening night show.) […]
Review: Beau and Aero and Poet vs Pageant
Portland physical theatre company A Little Bit Off make their New Zealand debut at Te Auaha with Beau & Aero: Crash Landing. They were the San Diego Fringe Outstanding Physical Theatre award winners in 2017 and I can see why. Pilot Beau (David Cantor) is brash, overconfident and prone to getting a little too involved […]
Review: FA’AAFA and Big J Stylez
These were possibly my most anticipated shows of this year’s Fringe. FA’AAFA is presented by FAFSWAG, an Auckland based collective of artists who celebrate LGBTQ Pacific Islander culture. I’ve seen the photos, watched the interactive documentary, and read about their work so I was excited to see them in this year’s Fringe. Big J Stylez […]
Review: My Best Dead Friend
This is a story from a summer in Dunedin in 1998 when the possibilities were endless for Anya and her best friends. They have jobs at a cafe. They have their own space to share. The Backstreet Boys are at their peak. Enriched with exquisite details about Dunedin and intercut with asides about the state […]
Review: Future Playground
Future Playground is a series of booths in Shed 6 which explore digital artistry. There are VR videos, games and experiences along with augmented art*, light sculptures, and even a musical meditation to try. (Sadly I didn’t have time to try SUBPAC Sound Meditation. Everyone trying it looked very peaceful.) There are a limited number […]
Preview: Fringe shows to 11 March 2018
The Fringe Festival has officially started (YAY) and here is some publicity for shows that sent us their publicity. (Also check out the following – u can heal my life, Big J stylez, FA’AAFA , Sound and Fury: Live Art party. ) Pardon me Alan Turing on at BATS Theatre to 4 March 2018 Thousands of gay […]
Review: Rushes
Circa Theatre has been transformed into a series of performances areas featuring music, video, and contemporary dance. The audience follows the performers as they move through different spaces until we all end up at the same stage. Rushes is a fascinating and contradictory experience. It’s exciting to see Circa opened up even though it’s hidden […]
It’s Festivals time!
It’s almost that glorious point in Wellington’s calendar when the New Zealand Festival (23 February – 18 March), the Performance Arcade (23-25 Feb, 1-4 March) the Pride Festival (24 February – 10 March) and the NZ Fringe Festival Wellington (2-24 March) are all on at the same time. I love it for the exciting mix […]
Review: Aunty
AUNTY is billed as a family BBQ, and it certainly delivers. Half the opening night crowd was clearly back again after the first season, which adds to the ‘new partner at family Christmas’ vibe for first timers. Who hasn’t met a boisterous relation and silently wondered, ‘can I laugh? Am I going to be next?’ […]