The following reviews have been added to theatreview.org.nz in the last week.

Theatreview is the New Zealand Performing Arts Review & Directory.

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Mayfair Theatre, Dunedin - L'ORFEO: The more powerful for being unforced
 - reviewed by Helen Watson White

Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi's 1607 opera of the classical myth of Orpheus and Eurydice was a notable first, in a climate of innovation crystallised in the term 'New Music'. In an exciting new development, chord progressions were replacing the contrapuntal weaving of musical lines familiar in the great church masses of composers like Palestrina.

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Adam Concert Room, VUW, Wellington - PASSIONATE CHOICES: LOVE AND DUTY: NZ Opera take note: New stars rising at NZSM
 - reviewed by Sharon Talbot

Two vulnerable women trapped in a haunted, incest-poisoned house sounds like the plot for a horror movie. But Benjamin Britten's opera The Turn of the Screw can out-spook Hollywood when done well.

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Basement Theatre, Auckland - FIND ME: Lost, adrift and unsure
 - reviewed by Lillian Richards

Human animals; we're a strange breed. So overly complicated that even we, the most dynamic and intelligent organisms on our planet, cannot figure ourselves out.

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Regent Theatre Foyer, Dunedin - BACK OF THE BUS: Innovative choreography, high energy dance and emotional connection
 - reviewed by Kasey Dewar

Three main characters played by Sacha Copland, Rosanne Christine and Natalie Hona take turns to portray their individual stories throughout the bus journey and at specially selected locations. Each character is perhaps an over-exaggerated version of the everyday bus passenger

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St James Theatre, Wellington - MACBETH: Great theatre: a must-see
 - reviewed by Sharon Talbot

[Corrections made 13/10/10]  
Like superb singing? Go see Macbeth. Enjoy intelligent directing? Go see Macbeth. Love dramatic music? Go see Macbeth. Appreciate atmospheric theatre design? Go... you've got the idea.

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Museum of City & Sea + The Boatshed + The Museum Hotel, Wellington - FOOTNOTE FORTE 2010: Full of surprises and fanciful conceits
 - reviewed by Jenny Stevenson

Following on from last year's Forte Solo Season, Footnote Dance Company has once again commissioned a series of short new dance works for the 2010 Forte Series from a number of choreographers, in order to push the parameters of what constitutes the Footnote style of dance.

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TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland - Y CHROMOZONE: Definitely a winner
 - reviewed by Sue Cheesman

Y CHROMOSOME packed a punch with its vitality, variety and powerful male performances, closing the two week tempo dance season at TAPAC on a real high. It is inspiring to see young men at the beginning of dance careers share the stage with very seasoned performers.

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St Paul's Cathedral Crypt, Dunedin - ONE DAY [2010]: Chance encounters in uniquely Dunedin settings
 - reviewed by Sharon Matthews

RBS Productions is a Dunedin based theatre company that specialises in the production and development of devised theatre. One Day, directed by Richard Huber and featuring Barbara Power and Simon O'Connor, comprises two separate pieces, both exploring the idea of chance encounters between strangers.

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Metro Cinema, Dunedin - LINE DANCES: Best viewed on its intended medium: the internet
 - reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall

One of the things I have always liked about Belton's work is his relative disinterest in dance per se once it is transferred to the filmic media. As he observes in his suggestive program notes, taking choreographed material into the screen space makes it both highly "artificial" and "ties it strongly to graphic art."

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Settlers Festival Theatre, Dunedin - LE SUD: A comedy of manners, not politics
 - reviewed by Jonathan W. Marshall

To describe Le Sud as a French farce is perhaps too easy, and in any case, the rapid fire exchanges, dense dialogue, endless quips, and elements of sexual comedy are hardly unique to French theatre.

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Circa One, Wellington - THE BIRTHDAY BOY: Entertainingly provocative play needs to be trusted
 - reviewed by John Smythe

The publicity image (above) and the way the actors play up the first two scenes - loud and large - leads us to believe we are in for a light comic romp. Or maybe they are over-compensating for having to play well below their actual ages ...

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Glenroy Auditorium, Dunedin - THE KRANSKY SISTERS: Brilliant comediennes also excellent musicians
 - reviewed by Clare Thomson

Like a lot of the best comedy, to fully appreciate the Kransky Sisters you really had to be there. Try to imagine if you will a medley of Thriller, Beat It, and Billy Jean, sung by your old speech teacher in two-part harmony accompanied by tuba, saw, and tambourine, and you might catch a glimpse of the virtuosity of the Sisters.

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Fringe Bar, Cnr Cuba & Vivian, Wellington - MICHELE A'COURT AND JEREMY ELWOOD - LIVE!: A lively 80-odd minutes of laughter
 - reviewed by John Smythe

What I've always liked about both Michele A'Court and Jeremy Elwood is they use comedy to make us think twice about stuff that matters rather than just using stuff that matters to get a laugh. Without ever being preachy or earnest - far from it! - they have tended to use comedy as a means to a greater end ...

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TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland - PINA BAUSCH-FILM: Tepid eulogy falls short of its subject's brilliance
 - reviewed by Jennifer Nikolai

I have to start this review by declaring that I have been obsessed by the work of Pina Bausch for my entire performance career and so I am not unbiased in my approach to Anne Linsel's Pina Bausch (2006).

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TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland - RHYTHM IS IT - FILM: The necessity of dance
 - reviewed by Jennifer Nikolai

Rhythm is It is one of the most inspirational films I've seen all year.

The film opens cinematically with shots of Berlin. We see images of freshly falling snow landing gently on tree branches, row houses, apartment blocks framed by train tracks and commercial signage. It is 2003 ...

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TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland - THE TEEN SHOW 2010: Enthusiasm, elegance and energy
 - reviewed by Miriam Marler

What is abundantly clear throughout the show is that the dancers own their performance. This is evident through their vibrant stage presence and engagement with and within the work.

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BATS, Wellington - HOLMES ALONE! (NZ): Much laughter at lots of entertaining twaddle
 - reviewed by Maryanne Cathro

We are so lucky that Greg Ellis has reprised his one man show for the Improv Festival. A solo show bobbing alone in a sea of collaborative performances, Ellis really is Holmes Alone. Or Watson, as it transpires ...

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Drama Christi Studio, Wellington - WELLINGTON PLAYBACK THEATRE: HOPE & DESIRE: The humanity of improv
 - reviewed by Maryanne Cathro

Quite coincidentally, Wellington Playback Theatre scheduled a performance during the Wellington Improv Festival. Playback is a form of improvisational theatre that we rarely see, and before discussing the most recent performance, I want to say a bit about what I see is different about Playback and the other improv shows on offer.

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Allen Hall Theatre, Dunedin - COMMUNITAS: A treat of 8
 - reviewed by Kilda Northcote

The University of Otago Dance Studies Community Dancers proudly present original expressive, modern, ballet and contemporary dances in a delightful evening of 8 works.

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Auckland Grammar Centennial Theatre, Auckland - WE'RE BACK: If all the boys and men in NZ danced, just imagine!
 - reviewed by Jennifer De Leon

Fifty young men. boyz-to-men, actually, who can all keep time, is a wondrous thing to see. These same fifty boyz-to-men furthermore have both the courage and intention to put themselves 'out there' on stage, sans props, sans special effects ...

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TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland - HI JINX: What nonsense!
 - reviewed by Briar Wilson

The show is about the life of the famous and amazing early choreographer and contemporary dancer, Heidi Dzinkowska. We see her first angst laden film (made in 1902 no less) where her "boat of skin" swims in blood. Such pain!

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Auckland Museum, Auckland - FOOTNOTE FORTE 2010: Fresh and stimulating
 - reviewed by Linda Ashley

It is late, and high on the hill overlooking Auckland in what is seemingly a still, silent and rather idyllic evening, the museum is buzzing ...

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BATS, Wellington - CRUMBS COMEDY: Confident and charismatic improvisers
 - reviewed by Hannah Smith

BATS is full to bursting for the first appearance (Ever! In the Southern Hemisphere!) of Canadian improv duo Crumbs Comedy, and the audience of improvisers and aficionados are not disappointed by an hour of loose-goose laugh-inducing improv.

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BATS, Wellington - SINCERELY, YOURS: AN IMPROVISED LOVE STORY: Strong performances admirably lit
 - reviewed by Hannah Smith

In Sincerely, Yours Derek Flores joins forces with Rebecca De Unamuno in a two person improvised love story that is one part funny, one part bitter and two parts sweet.

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BATS, Wellington - WITSIDE STORY: AN IMPROVISED MUSICAL: Comic combustion eludes improv jam
 - reviewed by Laurie Atkinson

In a busy week I decided to take a chance with our own Wellington Improvisation Troupe's first attempt at a spontaneous musical. After a very brief warm-up and a warning to lower one's expectations the already enthusiastic audience at Bats was asked for a setting for a musical. Someone shouted out 'a ski chalet' ...

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Globe Theatre, Dunedin - SHALL WE GATHER AT THE RIVER: Two more memorable women added to Renee's crowd
 - reviewed by Helen Watson White

This new play by Renee, although different from her work of the 1980s and 90s, shows the same passion for human truth and the same commitment to craft. It is a lovely piece, the writing by turns lyrical and hard-edged, sometimes funny, but just as often bitter, angry and sad.

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Fringe Bar, Cnr Cuba & Vivian, Wellington - THE END OF THE LINE: Disjointed, illogical
 - reviewed by Maryanne Cathro

It was clear that Wilbur and Scott are accustomed to working together and so I Googled them to see what I could find. Not surprisingly I found an entry in this year's 48 hour film festival, and it was really good, funny and with great production values for a 48 hour film.

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Downstage - return season, Wellington - DEADLY: Richly textured physical theatre
 - reviewed by John Smythe

They start back-to-back: Rodrigo Osis and Virginia Molina. Their movements are minimal, as is their awareness of each other. Is this repose or Sloth? Fascinatingly their two bodies throw just one large shadow on the wall ,,,,

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TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland - PRIME CUTS 2010: Gorgeous moments | More essence and kaupapa required | Beautifully danced | Vividly avant-garde | Hard hitting, brave and in your face
 - reviewed by Jack Gray

Prime Cuts is marketed as a showcase of a new wave of New Zealand's next choreographers approaching their 'prime'. While this may arguably be the case, the programme was a mixed bag of ideas, with varying degrees of potential and growth.

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Wellington Performing Arts Centre, Wellington - THE SEAGULL: Vibrant, fast-paced and very funny
 - reviewed by Phoebe Smith

What play could be more ideal for a group of talented youth than this that brims with love and art? All of the actors demonstrate an understanding of human nature beyond their years as they tackle Chekhov's play without missing any of its philosophy or emotion ...

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Meteor Theatre, Hamilton - THE GURU OF CHAI: You'll laugh, you'll wonder, you might cry
 - reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes

What do we go to the theatre for? Ease? Entertainment? Enlightenment? Well on a Wednesday night in Hamilton, The Guru of Chai delivered on all fronts to a full house.

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BATS, Wellington - THE HOTEL: Promising new format
 - reviewed by Hannah Smith

Show three of night two of the New Zealand Improv Festival featured Auckland Improv Troupe the ConArtists debuting a new format with their show Hotel.

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BATS, Wellington - DEATH AT MURDER MANOR: A SCRIPT-FREE AGATHA CHRISTIE MYSTERY: Stylish costumes and imaginatively devious
 - reviewed by Hannah Smith

Christchurch Improv troupe The Court Jesters are a professional bunch. They are seasoned improvisers who got the skills to pay the bills and this is apparent in their offering for the NZ Improv Fest: Death at Murder Manor.

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BATS, Wellington - WITSIDE STORY: AN IMPROVISED MUSICAL: Satisfyingly musicalesque
 - reviewed by Maryanne Cathro

The challenges of making up rhyming lyrics to a tune which is coming directly out of Robbie Ellis' head is the improv equivalent of bungy jumping. Do people really do this for kicks?!