Annabella Gamboni
Stupid Bitch Wants a Puppy is one of the first theatre shows I’ve seen in a while that genuinely held my interest for every second. I’m just not quite sure what that 60 minutes was.
Ellen Morgan Butler I’ll be honest. I’ve never really been a fan of minimalist or abstract art. Sure, there’s the odd so and so that I think “hm, pretty,” but mostly it goes over my head. When I walked into the stark white of the Toi Pōneke Gallery to view Gary Peters’s colourful exhibition New Old Forms, however, I think maybe something clicked.
Sara Hirsch Like most creatives, I have a list of people I want to make a show with. Some are obvious: friends of mine from the spoken word scene, previous collaborators, talented peers. Some are farther reaching: the writer of that play I reviewed which I couldn’t find fault with, or directors I have followed for decades. But nowhere on this long and inclusive dream list have I included anyone I was ever in an actual relationship with. The closest I got was making a solo show about a particularly memorable break up. We hadn’t spoken for a year when I performed it to a room full of strangers, but even that was too close for comfort.
Comedy connoisseurs Eli Matthewson (The Male Gayz) and Brynley Stent (Funny Girls) are far braver than I. Emilie Hope I must admit that I should probably know more about New Zealand’s political climate than America’s. I must admit that I was never attracted to the ego-inflating job of running the country. I must admit that I wouldn’t have been jumping up and down to see The Surprise Party if I hadn’t been reviewing it. But should you go and see it? I was pleasantly surprised by the production (see what I did there?) and so yeah, you definitely probably should.
The Surprise Party by Dave Armstrong, and directed by Conrad Newport, is about a tiny left-wing party made up of eccentrics that manages to get itself into parliament. And not just get themselves in. They end up being the only party in the Beehive and govern the country alone. Austin Harrison A Traveller’s Guide to Turkish Dogs is a delightful true story full of Turkish legends, colourful characters and the sort of love unique between a person and their dog.
Sara Hirsch Massive Crushes (Mulled Whine in association with My Accomplice) is a tasting menu of monologues served up on a platter of sex, death and flirtatious neuroticism. Nine deliciously depraved stand-alone solo pieces effortlessly weave their way through the highs, lows and lower-stills of love, lust and the femme experience. Expert storytelling, keen direction and powerhouse performances make this a must see show. Honestly, go see it now. Whatever you had planned, this will be better.
Corey Spence UMA LAVA, written by Victor Rodger and directed by Vela Manusaute, slams three narratives of three different lives together in the same breathing space. Three unlikely opposites find themselves thrust into a dingy, inescapable room, and coexistence seems impossible between the three. UMA LAVA could be a statement about the sacrifices people of colour make to survive and the potholes on the road to success within a society that historically places them second. But its focus, and main commentary, is on why people should be less garbage and open their eyes to the decisions and choices they make.
Lizzie Murray Power, grace and creativity shine as part of this year’s New Zealand School of Dance Graduation Season. Eight professionally produced performances highlight this year’s immensely talented graduates. With minimal set for each segment, the stories told by the students’ movement take focus. Together the pieces deliver strong bonds on stage and with the audience. Graduation 2019 promises a crisp glimpse into each students' bright future in dance.
Lizzie Murray What does a bit of smoko gossip, an orphanage escape, a post-kids divorce and writer’s block all have in common?
The 2019 Long Cloud Youth Theatre presents Breaks, a worthwhile dreamlike escape from everyday life. Written by Ben Wilson and directed by Keegan Bragg, this ambitious show offers an eclectic collection of stories inspired by the concept of breaks and all its forms. It is whimsical, dark, funny and not entirely what I expected. Jenny Nimon Red Scare Theatre Company is back again—this time with Kieran Craft’s Adam NZ Play Award Shortlisted (2019) and Playwrights b4 25 Highly Commended (2018) play, Four Nights in the Green Barrow Pub, directed by Cassandra Tse. Hosted in the upstairs bar space at JJ Murphy’s on Cuba Street, this show is a warm-hearted piece of Irish theatre about a whirlwind gay romance.
by Laura Ferguson  Heading into the Random Stage at BATS the stage is lit in a red ambience, an actual stage elevated above the seating area, a rarity for BATS. The smoke machine is swirling, the band in the corner is thumping out an upbeat bass and the hairs on the nape of my neck are tingling with anticipation. Monster Songs is a supernatural pop concert filled with songs we love from pop and other from musical theatre, centred around monster-themed tunes. I love Hallowe’en, it’s my favourite time of year, so I was giddily looking forward to the show starting.
Jenny Nimon Photo credit: Katie Hill Real life newlyweds Eleanor Stankiewicz and Marcel Blanch-de Wilt invite improvisors from NZIF to join them each night for an improv-filled double date in their New Zealand debut of The Newlyweds: Double Date. For their Wellington premiere on Thursday evening, they were joined by none other than Jennifer O’Sullivan and Matt Powell.
Lizzie Murray Introducing Wellington’s most eligible bachelors! Bachelor number one: “Bogan scum” Mike (Haydn Carter) from Reefton a sheep shearer with a heart of gold. Plaid-clad, Mike looks like he’s walked off the pages of a Footrot Flat’s comic strip. Bachelor number two: ̶K̶e̶v̶i̶n̶ Cevin “with a C” (Isham Redford) an impossibly rich, sobby “jaffa” is just as love sick as his rural counterpart. Who will win Lina’s (Monica Reid’s) Ice-Queen heart?
Jenny Nimon Photo credit: Alex RabinaDunedin-based improv troupe Improsaurus take the Random Stage in the second week of New Zealand Improv Festival. Their show is a longform, character-based narrative where the story is in the hands of a coin-flipper. So improvisors, gamblers, and Westerners alike: saddle yourself up for the wild ride that is Mild West: Draw.
Corey Spence ‘Boy meets girl meets his boyfriend’ we’re told on the cover of Cock’s programme: it’s more than enough detail to tantalise, to get audiences to ponder on what could possibly cause such a circumstance. We hone in on John (Jack Buchanan), a man who deals with being attracted to M (Simon Leary), a man, and W (Karin McCracken), a woman, simultaneously. But rather than a story of infidelity, Cock is a pulsating tale that inspects the hate and pain that comes with love, the imposing labels that generate fear and anxiety in our world, and how making the ‘right’ decision can sometimes feel impossible.
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