Julz Burgisser He’s cool calm and collected and he really doesn’t want kids. Painting the scene for us and warning us of an upcoming fictional murder, Daniel John Smith Winner of Best Comedian at the 2015 Wellington Comedy Awards, guides us through his stream of reasons why not having kids is the right choice for him.
Julz Burgisser As we enter the room for a show entitled Guy MontgoMERRY Christmas we are greeted with a cheery Christmas image. There is a table set for dinner, a festively lit Christmas Tree and a leaping Reindeer holding a piece of Mistletoe trying to kiss everyone into moving up the front. In fact, if you’re planning to go see this show, my recommendation is to just go down the front to avoid the kisses (no offense Guy).
Aimee Smith Were I to take my pick of Shakespeare’s canon to enjoy on an already gloomy April evening, Titus Andronicus would not be my first choice. It’s far more likely to find itself somewhere near the bottom of my list, because with the gruesome subject matter at the heart of Titus, I find it hard to stomach that the play could ever sit anywhere within the realms of enjoyable.
Julz Burgisser The Internet has grown to be such an essential part of our lives that it's hard to imagine life without it anymore. Of course, some parts of it are less essential to daily life than others. Eli Matthewson’s show ‘Wow! You Won't Believe This Disney Prince Reimagined as an Absolute Comedy Legend.’ is a clickbait title if ever you heard one and that’s the point!
Dell Mitchell & Oliver Probert Young Guns is a showcase of emerging talent in Wellington. Every person on the line up made at least the semis in the recent Raw Comedy Quest.
Eleanor Merton Firstly, it seems to me that Uther Dean is really really good at naming his shows; and secondly that he has an unflinchingly cohesive artistic brand. However, it also seems that I have only attended Uther Dean's two other shows that most closely resemble this one (along with his segment about Field Notes notebooks last year in Eamonn Marra's excellently curated What We Talk About). Seeing Everything is Surrounded by Water and Tiny Deaths left me prepared both for the presence of marine animals, and for rhythmic storytelling that would make me feel smart and cynical. A Public Airing of Grievances fails to deliver on the former (instead offering us the recurring motifs of admin and yoghurt) but absolutely delivers on the latter.
Catherine Hart I cannot think of a better way to start Comedy Fest than by watching Raw Meat Monday. Fringe bar is quiet, but supportive and caring as new and experimental acts take to the stage, and I love being a part of that. Zoe Joblin Shu’s Song is a children’s show created by Rachael Callinan, Laura Gaudin and Gina Moss. The show has been produced by Capital E and is only open to the public in Wellington this school holidays before setting out on a Nationwide Schools' tour. The show is aimed at audiences aged two and up so I brought along my 4 year old friend Molly to give me an expert opinion.
Matt LoveranesIt’s a peculiar experience reviewing the opening night for A Trial because it is very clearly a part of a serial and its merit hinges on how the production unfolds as a whole. But for the purpose of this review, I will address my thoughts on this particular night’s show as objectively as I can. I’ve also chosen to review the second night, which I think is far more indicative of the show’s aims. As you would infer from the title, the show satirizes the proceedings of a trial. In this case, TVNZ takes an unnamed defendant to court for purporting that their infamous Kiwimeter survey is racist and that TVNZ themselves are propagandists serving the government agenda.
Eleanor MertonDisclaimer: I have existing relationships with members of the cast but I won't pull punches because I respect those relationships and am writing this review from a place of honesty and a desire to offer useful feedback for the creators of this work.
This is a show that knows it's being staged in a bar and uses that to its advantage. It wants you to have a few drinks. Which is a smart way for a show to be when it's also a show that hinges so much on audience participation. Catherine Hart Duck, Death and the Tulip is a children’s story filled with beautiful, heart-warming honesty. It doesn’t speak down to youth, and yet it doesn’t romanticize death. As the play says, ‘That’s life’.
As we enter the Propellor Stage I am overwhelmed by the audience. I have never seen a BATS show so filled with children, and I love it. Jonathan Hobman Though the performance did not quite live up to it’s title, in that I remained firmly convinced that this play was not scripted, it was not without it’s charm, and it was clear that the cast had an aptitude for comedy that occasionally glinted throughout the performance.
Courtney Rose Brown If There’s Not Dancing at the Revolution, I’m not Coming is a one-woman show, performed and created by Julia Croft and directed by Virginia Frankovich. Using projection and audio clips from popular films and through Croft’s performance, the show highlights the male gaze and then undercuts it. Through Croft showing how a female body can be put on display, but also remaining empowered throughout these presentations by bringing forth grotesque imagery underneath constructed fantasies.
Zoe Joblin Titled is an interactive, devised theatre show, which is on in Wellington this week as part of the Town Centre Season at Bats Theatre.
Zoe Joblin
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