And we’re back with another NZIF instalment. Impulse Theatre graced the Random Stage on Thursday evening (and will until Saturday 12 October) with their touring show Off Book: The Musical, which is exactly what it sounds like: an improvised musical. For this season, however, the cast of six is joined by Wellington’s very own Bethany Miller, who adds a dose of cheery optimism to the mix.
Jenny NimonNew Zealand Improv Fest officially opened on Wednesday night, spearheaded by Here’s a Thing: NZIF Kickoff, MC’d by Jennifer O’Sullivan. This show was jam-packed with the kind of audience anticipation that any kickoff performance should hope to earn. It felt like I was back in high school, attending my first ever theatre fest.
Sara HirschPart storytelling, part stand-up, Dancing on my Own is a jovial jive through the trials and tribulations of growing up queer and with ADD while being born for the stage. Maddy Warren, a master of physical comedy, comes into her own with the awkward punch line. Unfortunately, a lack of preparation lets her down and a sixty-minute show feels like a drawn out half hour.
Jenny NimonLonely Shakespeare Collective, the company that focuses on Shakespeare’s less popular plays, raises the stakes this year by presenting a tragicomedy that sparks debate over authorship. Double Falsehood is a play that I had only heard vague historic ramblings about—it is officially attributed to Lewis Theobald but is thought to be adapted from the lost play The History of Cardenio. It’s new territory for me, going into Shakespeare blind, but it’s satisfying to see the all too familiar plot devices crop up along the way.
Jenny NimonHaving both received a Highly Commended in Playwrights b4 25 2018 and won the teenage category of Plays for the Young in 2017, Courtney Rose Brown’s Running Late has a bit of a reputation to uphold. On top of its accolades, any show with a completely sold out season creates a buzz of its own, so I was excited to say the least. To add to the opening night hype, audience members were offered the Beth Taylor touch™ of branded Running Late sugar cookies. They tasted great—if you were wondering.
by Laura Ferguson How could I possibly resist a show that has a cute, little, orange kitteh on the poster? For me, it’s impossible, so along I go to Brendon Green’s Of Consequence. Having seen Green a couple of years ago with a very feline-themed show, I was looking forward the the comedian’s brand of storytelling humour. Sitting down, I feel that same familiarity I felt last time, Green’s presence is fun, friendly and relaxing, like a bubble bath of comedy.
Austin HarrisonMe ’n’ Ma is a wholesome and delightful addition to this year’s Comedy Festival. We are welcomed into the space by a beaming Hamish Parkinson who offers popcorn and lemonade on the way to our seats. He greets every audience member with warmth and gratitude, setting the tone for the heart-warming 55 minutes ahead.
Austin HarrisonThis week, nestled on the top floor of BATS Theatre, Ray Shipley brings us what is possibly the best little comedy show in Wellington. Within two minutes of the show beginning, Shipley has an audience member literally snorting with laughter and acknowledges it by saying, “All laughs are welcome here”. This is very much the tone of the show. Shipley is mind-bogglingly comfortable in their own anxiety and somehow cripplingly and charmingly self-aware all at the same time.
by Laura Ferguson I bought tickets to Frickin’ Dangerous Bro as soon as I saw they were for sale. I had an excited thrill in my chest to show my partner this year’s iteration of one of my absolute favourite shows of 2018. I had talked Frickin’ Dangerous Bro up a lot in the twelve months since last years Fred Award nomination for Best Show and compared every skit show since with 2018’s Humble. Now, I admit, this is a bit of a frickin’ dangerous strategy that often sets the unknowing performers to fall off a pedestal they didn’t know were they on. As I chewed my thumbnail in my seat, anticipating the start of the show with my partner jiggling excitedly beside me, I wondered if I had done them a disservice. I was so wrong. The lights go down and BAM the hilarity begins immediately. 2019’s Legacy is exactly that, carrying on the excellence the trio have already achieved and carrying it to even greater heights.
Jenny NimonThe Blair Witch Projector, a new show from 2019 Billy T Award nominee and 2018 Best Newcomer, James Mustapic, is a wry and witty reflection on his past comedy. He claims to be leaving his video-based humour behind in the pursuit of “real comedy”, only to be haunted by the ghost in his projector who is intent on making him relive his repressed memories and ruining his show.
Lizzie Murray MoodPorn is Wellington’s Before Sunset. Red Scare Theatre Company and director James Cain presents MoodPorn, a new play by Matt Loveranes. Jane (Heather O’Carroll) and Atlas (Ali Foa’i) are two long lost friends who reunite after 13 years when discovering each other on Facebook. Their catch-up turns to cathartic closure as the pair fill in the blanks of the years they’ve been apart. The script is emotionally demanding, rich with film references and surprisingly funny.
by Laura Ferguson It is a Tuesday and people at BATS are really feeling their indulgence in tonight’s libations. Spirits are high, energy is zinging, this audience is R-E-A-D-Y and I am so here for it. When I saw the 2019 Fringe programme, I knew I had to go to Glittery Clittery, I mean it has all my favourite things: sequins, hella bops, bright colours and the clitoris. Waiting for the show to begin, people are dancing in their seats, laughing, some in front of me are taking selfies with the pink and blue neon lighting that makes you look better than any filter could. We are, in a word, lit.
by Laura Ferguson Gillian English hates The Taming of the Shrew. So much she made a show about it and now I am seating myself at the aptly named 10 Things I Hate About The Taming of the Shrew. BATS theatre is packed with like-minded people like me. We all enjoyed the late 90’s early 00’s renditions of Shakespeare’s tales and 10 Things I Hate About You with the dashing Heath Ledger was a clear favourite. Once we all grew up though, we realised the messages in these films maybe weren’t great for our burgeoning puberty-ridden brains. English’s show is here to expand on why we should trust that feeling.
by Laura Ferguson Stepping into the world of The Mournmoor Murders by Alice May Connolly and Maria Williams already feels intimately familiar to me. I grew up in a small town in North Otago which is mighty close to where the fictional town of Mournmoor is set in South Canterbury. I know where Fairlie and Washdyke are. I know that despite its burgeoning rockabilly scene, the “big smoke” of Timaru can be a bit of a shithole. Yet despite that, I know “Feel, Touch, Taste, Timaru” is still the best town slogan I have ever heard. Taking inspiration from many tropes from various murder mystery pop culture institutions such as Midsomer Murders, Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple stories, and Twin Peaks amongst others, The Mournmoor Murders delivers crime mixed in with a hefty dose of hilarity.
|
Local Honest ReviewsAt Art Murmurs, our aim is to provide honest and constructive art reviews to the Wellington community. Archives
April 2024
Categories
All
|