Art Murmurs - Reviews

Where the Wild Woman Is

28/6/2016

Aimee Smith

Inverlochy House makes for a quaint location for the one woman show, Where the Wild Woman Is. A warm orange glow emanating from the old house is a welcoming sight of an evening, and Pat-A-Cake Productions makes the most of this congenial vibe. Our opening night audience mills in the hallway, sharing mulled wine and tea with the production team, consisting of Bop Murdoch (Director), Sarah Tuck (Lighting design), Finn Johansson (Sound design), Alana Inglis and Ashleigh Jenner (Set design). Not least of all stands (or should I say squats) deviser/performer Ingrid Saker. A cheeky presence roaming around our ankles, the monkey-ish Saker welcomes us into the space and the world of her show. Acting as one of several iterations of her Wild Woman, Saker starts our night with an outburst of energy that is only going to build as our hour together progresses. The Wild Woman is stirring within Saker, and what follows is a frantic hour of pulling, pushing and exploding, as she inevitably finds a way to let herself roar beyond the confines of decorum.

Mambo Italiano.

27/6/2016

Jessie Cooper

Mambo Italiano is an evening filled with cultural goodies, laughs and tender moments which caps off almost two years’ hard work and care by the Victoria University Wellington Italian Society.

The Politician's Wife Review

26/6/2016

by Laura Ferguson

“When you look at me, what do you see?” This is the most important line in The Politician’s Wife. This play, which was shortlisted for the 2016 Adam NZ Play Award, causes us to think about this question not only in terms of the characters in the play, but also of ourselves. This brings a state of that, while melancholic, provides an intellectual stimulus that the audience of the opening night appreciated, judging from the applause we gave at the show’s conclusion.

Power Plays

26/6/2016

Courtney Rose Brown

Power Plays, directed by Leo Gene Peters, is part of the Ensemble Impacts 2016 school tour. The team of four performers: Katrina Wesseling, Calvin Petersen, Johanna Cosgrove and Shane Murphy have helped devised a structure around five of Arthur Meek’s plays to give bite sized servings of The Cottage, Charles Darwin: Collapsing Creation, On the Upside Down of the World, Mando the Goatherd, and Sheep. The cast present a satirical spin on the works, framing the extracts within the familiar form of a self improvement seminar as the audience is cast as students studying NCEA standards.

Mana Wahine

25/6/2016

Courtney Rose Brown

Mana Wahine concludes 2016’s Kia Mau Festival, performing a sold out season at Circa Theatre. Presented by Okareka Dance Company, the production is directed and choreographed by the talents of Taane Mete, Malia Johnston and Taiaroa Royal. Drawing inspiration from Te Aokapurangi’s story of courage, the productions chronology is threaded through the stories of the performers and inspiration from the choreographers.

Late Night Knife Fight

21/6/2016

Reviewed by George Fenn

The BATS Studio is alive with a new energy this Saturday. I ascend the stairs to an arena in a teacup. A crowd rises to the challenge of the thrashing pre-show playlist bantering amidst the radical lighting state. Being handed a knife as I enter, albeit a plastic one, I could not help but get the feeling that this was going to be a more hardcore night of improv than I had experienced in a while. Our host Jennifer O’Sullivan excitedly announces the commencement of the first ever Late Night Knife Fight, revealing a chopping block of a trophy.

“We’re even gonna but their names on it. It’s gonna be awesome”

SolOTHELLO

18/6/2016

Courtney Rose Brown

SolOTHELLO is part of the 2016 Kia Mau Festival that is taking Wellington by storm this Matariki. Presented by Te Rēhia Theatre Company alongside the British Council, SolOTHELLO is a one man show performed by Regan Taylor and directed by Craig Geenty. As the name suggests, the show is William Shakespeare’s Othello, performed as a solo. However, Geenty and Taylor transform what could have easily been an ego trip, (tackling one of Shakespeare’s most ambitious plays solo) into something that is beautiful in the simplicity of deft storytelling. With the use of Te Mata Kokako o Rehia (traditional Maori mask) Taylor reclaims the story of Othello into the lands of Aotearoa, in telling the audience that William Shakespeare is a thief. SolOTHELLO is one man’s retelling of the jealousies and manipulation from Othello in a new and innovative way which brings an exhilarating life force to the text.

The Vultures

11/6/2016

Swati Bhatt

The Vultures
Written and directed by Mīria George
Presented by Tawata Productions as part of Kia Mau Festival 2016

The Vultures presented by Tawata Productions is the second show of the Kia Mau Festival that opened last night. The development season of the play was presented as part of the Pūtahi Festival 2015 at Studio 77, written and directed by playwright Mīria George. The premiere season of the show, now at Bats Theatre, revolves around the human desire of wealth, the connection of the whānau (family/community) to the whenua (land) and the status quo within a wealthy Māori family.

De Sade

5/6/2016

Julz Burgisser

With expectations of Sex Dungeons, and stories of lust and sadism; I attended De Sade with great excitement and trepidation. I wasn’t disappointed. The start of the show full of imagery of decadence and pleasure despite his imprisonment. De Sade is written by, directed by and performed by Alexander Sparrow, who appears in full nakedness with riding crop in hand, beginning the show with a visceral introduction to what awaits.

My Shout: Another Round at the Thistle Inn

2/6/2016

Matt Loveranes

Presented by InSite (THEA 311 students of Victoria University)
Directed by Kerryn Palmer

As we take shelter from the erratic Wellington weather on Sunday evening, we are greeted with a warmth that reverberates within the walls of the famed Thistle Inn, New Zealand’s oldest surviving tavern. This warmth comes not only from the lights and heaters but from the friendly faces of the THEA 311 students who welcome us with smiles, drinks, song and laughter. The Cheers theme is playing on the piano and a distinct feeling overcomes me: comfort. It is a feeling that would only grow stronger as the show progressed, with the company taking us on a journey of how this historic establishment has provided hope, solace and comfort over many a strife in the course of its one hundred seventy-six-year history.