Review: The Sensemaker

Produced by ‘Woman’s Move’ from Switzerland and co-directed by choreographers Elsa Couvreur and Iona D’Annunzio. The Sensemaker starts as a clever and understated comedy that uses dance, movement and sound as its main devices. Theatre like this is at its best when minimal and perfectly timed, which is a key strength of The Sensemaker. The […]

Review: Wonderful

A Laugh for Literary Lovers  Reviewed by Nadia Freeman Richard Huber’s Wonderful opens with Lady Hermione and her butler Roberts staring straight past the audience.  We can not tell immediately what their relationship is, if they are fond of each other, if there is tension, or how long they have known each other.  The set […]

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: Poprox Improv

  Poprox Improv is the brainchild of a bunch of Wellington theatre stalwarts: Pippa Drakeford-Croad, Dylan Hutton, Austin Harrison, Nina Hogg, Jonny Paul & Nino Raphael, and it is a show absolutely worthy of their talent. Performed for the first time this night at Miramar’s gorgeous new performance venue – Roxy Live (a glorious new space […]

Review: Maximum Benefit

I’m out of commission at the moment brain-wise, and couldn’t get to this show, but the work got lovely comments from those there in my steed. The show season is completely sold out, but I’m certain these two will be about town performing at a later date – they’re a talented pair and deserve your […]

Review: A Slightly Isolated Dog’s Santa Claus

Santa Claus brings A Slightly Isolated Dog’s usual charm, wit and innuendo to BATS’ Random Stage for the telling of a tale about a Santa Claus who is rather tired of putting up with naughty people’s bullshit. I shall not go too far into the plot of this sixty-minute show – to save you all from […]

Review: Puss in Boots

Circa Theatre’s Christmas pantomime this year is Puss in Boots. It’s a tale as old as time, if that tale were set in the wilds of Te Aro and Karori and featured many dick jokes, jabs at Gareth Morgan and fantastical dance numbers. It’s 2018. Or there abouts. Camilla Miller – a grieving widow woman – […]

Review: The Don

Lust, Murder and Revenge.  The Don is a bastardization of Don Giovanni, and I mean that in a very good way. One man, accompanied by a musician, several films, and a puppet, aims to recreate the entirety of Mozart’s Don Giovanni in just under an hour and thoroughly succeeds. This show is an hour of glorious manicism, of many, many accents, and of […]

Preview: The Loneliest Whale in the World

This isn’t a break up show. It’s about marine science. So begins the blurb for this production coming up at Bats Theatre from July 10-14. A play about whales seems to be very very timely for Wellington right now, but this one has been in the making for a long time. “Four years ago, my friend […]

Review: The Elixir of Love

Friends, ploughmen and countrymen, you’re invited to the Elixir of Love, NZ Opera’s utterly madcap new creation. Though my companion and I were likely the youngest and the poorest in the audience (opera continues to be an art form seemingly granted to those above a certain age), it was a show that could be enjoyed […]