Auditions: The Little Tragedies - Wellington [More]
STANISLAVSKY Master-Class - Wellington [More] 

PERFORMING AOTEAROA ... edited by Marc Maufort & David O'Donnell - reviewed by Laurie Atkinson [More]

(Performing) ARTS POLICIES - Forum

CONVERSATION with SIMON FERRY - BATS, 28/7 [More] 

DOWNSTAGE Submission Process - by 1 August [More]

For more news click the 'News' link  

Latest Reviews
LAND WITHOUT SUNDAYS at Musgrove Studio, Maidment Theatre
reviewed by Hap Richardson 24 Jul 2008
The poetry of hardship
The cast of characters in Donna Banicevich Gera's play Land Without Sundays feel so authentic, so convincingly three dimensional, that you could be forgiven for thinking that you walked into West Auckland vineyard in the 1930s. The star of this play is the words ... [more]


ROMEO & JULIET at Aotea Centre at THE EDGE®
reviewed by Felicity Molloy 24 Jul 2008
Memorable dancing marred by distracting design elements
The two special guests, Australian artist Amy Hollingsworth and New Zealander Cameron McMillan, are returned dancers, with a checklist of credentials to support what can only be described as “excellent performances” in two of the lead roles. [more]

See also reviews by:
 Richard Mays
 Bernadette Rae (New Zealand Herald);

A HORSE STORY: BLINKERS AND SPURS at Basement Theatre (nee Silo)
reviewed by Nik Smythe 24 Jul 2008
Unique theatrical escapade
Two one act two handers, just shy of an hour each with an interval between, in this instance makes for a worthwhile couple of hours at the theatre. Spurs plays first, despite being billed second - a more rhythmic title, or is it intended as the first hint of conceptual displacement to lubricate our expectations for something that is reasonably unlikely for the majority of the audience to be expecting? [more]


LUV at BATS
reviewed by John Smythe 23 Jul 2008
Stand-out performances, never less than impressive
This is the same production that premiered in Auckland in March this year ... and it stands out as a brilliant display of multi-character ensemble acting in another quintessential Thomas Sainsbury black comedy, produced on a miniscule budget. [more]

See also reviews by:
 Nik Smythe
 Lillian Richards
 Laurie Atkinson (The Dominion Post);

THE MALL at BATS
reviewed by John Smythe 23 Jul 2008
Extremely compelling black comedy
The Mall premiered in Auckland last year with a different cast ... apart from Todd Emerson, who plays different roles this time round. Six actors play multiple roles to populate a stage arrayed with graffiti-covered tables, conjuring up the lives and preoccupations of a range of shopping mall employees and frequenters. [more]

See also reviews by:
 Nik Smythe
 Laurie Atkinson (The Dominion Post);

A VERY SPLENDID DINNER PARTY at Centrepoint - Dark Room
reviewed by Richard Mays 22 Jul 2008
Inventive immersion experience offers novel and surreal entertainment
The ‘elite’ gather in the refurbished foyer of The Dark Room. They comprise a ‘super 14’ (give or take) guest list for what promises to be an exclusive occasion. Hosts Alice and Nathan Muggeridge themselves arrive fashionably late, seeing as how both had just come off stage from performances as someone else in The Gods of Warm Beer next door at Centrepoint. [more]


THE GIRLS’ SHOW at Concert Chamber - Town Hall, THE EDGE
reviewed by Kate Ward-Smythe 21 Jul 2008
Attitude & identity explored with humour and respect
A warm & welcoming near capacity audience, one of the most diverse I have seen at an opening night in terms of ethnicity & age, are eager to see what this 11 strong female cast have devised. Described by Massive Company’s Sam Scott & Carla Martell as the “Matching pair” to the energetic all guys show Up Close Out Loud, The Girls Show delivers a more succinct & complex beast. [more]

See also reviews by:
 Shannon Huse (New Zealand Herald);

Chat Back
"I concur with John on some of these points - what does NZ theatre have to offer to emerging writers like Tom, ..." - Paul McLaughlin   [read full forum post]

"Hello,Our website http://www.basementspace.co.nz is currently under construction and should be up and running ..." - The Basement   [read full forum post]

"Talking about The Basement, I've been meaning to ask - is there somewhere on-line where upcoming shows are lis..." - Michael Wray   [read full forum post]

"Bravo Mr Hurst! The same applies to Wellington audiences getting to Bats for the Sainsbury plays: fresh faces,..." - Welly Watch   [read full forum post]

"What is happening at Auckland's "The Basement" is great stuff - new, energetic, and in my view reall..." - Michael Hurst   [read full forum post]

"Thomas Sainsbury is clearly blessed - or cursed? - with a compulsion to make plays from his heightened respons..." - John Smythe   [read full forum post]

"Killed another forum eh Dr Cameron?  What a shit doctor." - Jamie McCaskill   [read full forum post]

"Dane! Die Geschichte aller bisherigen Gesellschaft ist die Geschichte von Klassenkämpfen!Freier und Sklav..." - Dr Cameron   [read full forum post]

"Dane. Let me get this clear. Your East German jibe is to suggest you think John is trying to control your mind..." - Welly Watch   [read full forum post]

"Ah Edna, you make the point so well: it is the class status of a character rather the classic status of the pl..." - John Smythe   [read full forum post]

"This is quite right.  If someone takes to  the crisp sounds of received pronunciation, they are mere..." - Edna Welthorpe(Mrs)   [read full forum post]

"John, I was talking about classical theatre. And none of the actors you mentioned struck me as classical actor..." - Dane Giraud   [read full forum post]
News
24 Jul 2008 - CASTING NOTICE for The Little Tragedies Slava Stepnov will be holding auditions on Friday the 15th of August for The Little Tragedies, a theatrical adaptation of the Russian masterpiece by Alexander Pushkin.   [more]

24 Jul 2008 - STANISLAVSKY MASTER-CLASS For a first-hand immersion into the secrets of Stanislavsky’s Method, Slava Stepnov (founder and artistic director of STEPS Theatre Production Company ) will be in Wellington conducting a Stanislavsky master-class for serious acting students.   [more]

19 Jul 2008 - DIVERSITY THE KEY in authoritative survey that is never less than challenging and enlightening * PERFORMING AOTEAROA: New Zealand Theatre and Drama in an Age of Transition: Marc Maufort & David O’Donnell (eds.) P.I.E. Peter Lang, Brussels, 2007. ISBN 978-90-5201-359-6. – reviewed by Laurie Atkinson *   [more]

16 Jul 2008 - CONVERSATION with SIMON FERRY BATS Theatre, Monday 28th July 7pm CONVERSATION is a series of monthly conversations with leading theatre artists and practitioners.   [more]