Guy van Egmond When the call came in to review Shakespeare’s North’s latest production, I was keen. I found their staging of Julius Caesar—last year at two/fiftyseven—endearing; though it lacked spectacle, the company had great enthusiasm and familiarity with Shakespeare’s work. I was curious to see what they’d pull off this time, bringing The Life of Henry the Fifth to the (arguably better-suited) Dome at BATS.
Guy van Egmond  Photo credit: Josh Hopton-Stewart A good theatre adaptation is one that retains the core of the original piece; one that culminates in the same emotional revelation, leaving an audience feeling altered and not wanting. Director Josh Hopton-Stewart hit it bang-on with Stagecraft’s production of The Seagull, by Anton Chekov.
Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin Wellington Repertory Theatre’s show Apartment written by Tama Smith, co-directed by Smith and Belinda Campbell and production managed by Ewan Coleman is a play about us, two years ago. Apartment gives us a chance to come together, acknowledge the power of community, and compassionately reflect on how we have all navigated the storm over the past two years.
Sean Burnett Dugdale-Martin Wellington Repertory Theatre’s show Rope, written by Patrick Hamilton in 1929 and directed by Helen Cashin and Paul Stone, is no classic whodunnit, because we know who did it right from the start. It follows a party unfolding from the perspective of the hosts, two high-key psychopaths and low-key lovers, Wyndham Brandon (Slaine McKenzie) and Charles Granillo (Tom Foy) and the tension of the piece comes from their evasiveness of their guests sleuthing and joking instead of from a hunt for clues.
Austin Harrison It’s a rainy Wednesday night. There are only two shows on in Wellington this week, and I’m stoked to be heading to the Gryphon Theatre for one of them. The Spitfire Grill promises to be a nostalgic look at small town America in the 70s, based on the 1996 film of the same name. The production premiered in 2001 off-Broadway and has taken 21 years to make its New Zealand premiere. Tonight is that night and, being a Wellington Repertory opening night, there is free food and drink and a warm buzz that immediately leaves the wind and rain outside.
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