A selection of reviews from Theatreview from the last week including: The Water Station, Public Service Announcements – Revolution!, And Then it Moved, and Kade Nightingale and Jeremy Rolston in Panic!

See more recent reviews at theatreview.org, the NZ Performing Arts Review & Directory.

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A selection of reviews from Theatreview from the last week including: The Water Station, Public Service Announcements – Revolution!, And Then it Moved, and Kade Nightingale and Jeremy Rolston in Panic!

See more recent reviews at theatreview.org, the NZ Performing Arts Review & Directory.

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BATS - Out Of Site - Cnr Cuba & Dixon, Wellington - PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS – REVOLUTION!: Long may Nokise bring it
- reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku

If I was looking to pitch a political satirical television programme – think Spitting Image (UK: 1984-1996) and Public Eye (NZ: late 80s) without the latex puppetry – I’d head straight to James Nokise and hire him immediately as a writer. He knows his stuff and how to package and deliver it in a mad paced and packed 60 minutes, proven by Public Service Announcements: Revolution.

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Te Whaea National Dance and Drama Centre, 11 Hutchison Rd, Newtown, Wellington - AND THEN IT MOVED: Stunning, beautiful, inventive, sophisticated
- reviewed by Sam Trubridge

And Then It Moved is a stunning collection of works by a brave group of new choreographers and dancers. Regardless of one’s experience with contemporary dance these are works that will speak to their audience through the beautiful compositions that have been made with physical wit, meticulous athleticism, and an inventive use of space, light, sound and materials

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Studio 77, VUW, Wellington - THE WATER STATION: Beautiful, disciplined, focused, committed
- reviewed by Phoebe Smith

Slowly, ever so slowly, characters enter the space. This tempo (according to the programme notes, “faster than Ota’s prescribed 2 metres in 5 minutes”) is at times utterly effective and hypnotic and at times mildly infuriating. The times when actors manage to seemingly move all of their muscles exactly as they would at an everyday tempo but all slowed down to some degree, are truly magical.

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Fringe Bar, Cnr Cuba & Vivian, Wellington - KADE NIGHTINGALE AND JEREMY ROLSTON IN PANIC!: Richly gratifying liveliness and fun
- reviewed by Sam Purchas

Paralleling and reminiscent of Flight of the Conchords, with the delightfully endearing chemistry between these two young men, PANIC is a bright, energetic and colourful performance. It provides hilarious entertainment and includes all genres: stories, song, mime, dance and magic delivered with an unusually charming naturalness and spontaneity.

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BATS - Out Of Site - Cnr Cuba & Dixon, Wellington - BATTLE OF THE BASTARDS: Playing the fool with tragedy refreshes a very old tale
- reviewed by John Smythe

Bringing his street-performing busker skills to deconstructing Shakespeare’s biggest bastard is a winning formula for Christchurch ‘carnie’ and well-known Loon (late of Lyttelton) David Ladderman.

Constantly on the move, like a combination of a toy monkey on a stick and a dancer on a musical box revolve, and coiffed like a punk, his friendliness and generosity as a performer of fun stuff – like formidable three-baton juggling – is a well-conceived starting point from which to descend into bastardry.

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Kitty O'Sheas, 28 Courtenay Place, Wellington - FERGUS AITKEN IN DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I ALMOST WAS?: Old school humour
- reviewed by Charlotte Simmonds

He certainly covers absurdity from his life, and much of this seems to be reliving earlier days as a younger, funnier (or funnier in his memories) performer back when he was twenty in Covent Garden, or when he was packing out the Union Hall at Vic, retellings of had-to-be-there moments in which he spontaneously responded to an unusual situation on stage in a stunningly brilliant way that had a previous audience who wasn’t us in fits.

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The Basement Studio, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland - BARNIE DUNCAN IN CALYPSO NIGHTS: Semi-cultural experience of love, politics and ‘making fun’
- reviewed by Nik Smythe

The laughter and simple joy that Calypso Nights generates makes it an excellent choice for late-night comedy punters who haven’t quite had enough yet, or even those who think they have.

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SKYCITY Theatre, Auckland - JIMEOIN IN WHAT?!: Compromised by the venue?
- reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes

Being more than a touch Irish, I had been really looking forward to an hour with Jimeoin, the Northern Irish comedian from “eastside of the west coast”. I do love a good laugh and ‘the craic’ is usually a guaranteed source of wild laughter.

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Foxglove Queens Wharf Ballroom, 33 Queens Wharf, Wellington - JEREMY ELWOOD’S NOTES: The real deal
- reviewed by Lucy O'Connor

If I were to describe him as a bowl of wedges, he would be seasoned with a bit of spice and a dash of cheese. This bowl is the real deal.

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Cavern Club, 22 Allen St, Wellington - ED CARUTHERS AND REUBEN LEE PRESENT THE BAD TASTE HOUR: Mission quite tough under the circumstances
- reviewed by Maryanne Cathro

The venue: The Cavern Bar on Allen St.
The Mission: Four comedians deliver what they consider to be their most offensive jokes.

Ed Caruthers and Reuben Lee front this noisome foursome, possibly buying time for Nick Gibb and TJ MacDonald who must have walked fairly briskly to get there after their show at the Fringe Bar.

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Fringe Bar, Cnr Cuba & Vivian, Wellington - TJ MCDONALD AND NICK GIBB IN ANGLO SEXIN’: Worth a look
- reviewed by Stewart Lund

As a whole, however, the audience seems to respond best to Nick Gibb, but for me, McDonald is the better on the night.

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The Basement, Auckland - THE ROSE MATAFEO VARIETY HOUR: Uneven
- reviewed by Kate Ward-Smythe

Rose Matafeo’s opening night audience is a friendly, youthful European bunch; there’s a positive vibe in the refurbished Basement bar and theatre. We (two mothers in their 40s) are not the target market, but my motivation for coming is to see how Rose has grown and developed as a comedian. She’s 21 now, hosts a TV show and, as a stand up, has clocked up impressive comedy mileage.

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Foxglove Queens Wharf Ballroom, 33 Queens Wharf, Wellington - GREG ELLIS IN VANCE FONTAINE FOR LOVERS: The beauty of improv …
- reviewed by Hannah Smith

Would you take love advice from a man in a sequinned shirt with glitter gel in his hair? If yes, this is the show for you.

Vance Fontaine for Lovers is a musical seminar of love advice, in the form of improvised songs based on crowd-sourced romantic situations.

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BATS - Out Of Site - Cnr Cuba & Dixon, Wellington - CHRIS PARKER AND HAYLEY SPROULL IN OUTSIDERS’ GUIDE: Whirlwind of beat poetry, rap, innermost thoughts, song, physical comedy, dance, giveaways and symbolism
- reviewed by Lori Leigh

The abridged version of this review goes something like this. It’s fantastic! Go see it. The end.

For those of you who need more, read on-- though I’ll warn here that the creators have labelled the nature of the work “indefinable”.

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Q, The Vault, Auckland - DAN NIGHTINGALE ON LOVE, ON LIFE & ON THE NORTH ISLAND: Infectious humour
- reviewed by Nik Smythe

Visually, his bald pate and thick-framed glasses remind me of Radar back in the nineties, before he got the hair and the Te. His loose manner of tangential chatter isn’t a million miles away either, albeit as distinctively Manchester as Radar is Kiwi. That is to say Nightingale doesn’t really tell jokes as such, with actual punchlines or anything.

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Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland - TOM BINNS AS IAN D MONTFORT: Pseudo-spiritual double bluff?
- reviewed by Nik Smythe

There is naturally a great deal of audience participation, lubricated by the small cards each member is handed at the door to right down personal details including a secret, and a question. Periodically through the show he randomly picks these out of a hat and has a crack at guessing the secret and/or answering the question. On this night for instance, he revealed who shot JFK!

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The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland - VAUGHAN KING & ALAN MCELROY IN ONE BUCKET, TWO COMEDIANS: Unpolished, unfocused, sloppy
- reviewed by Stephen Austin

Vaughan King and Alan Mcelroy try to seize life and set out to tick a few achievements off their respective ‘Bucket Lists’ before they die. Life is simply too short, so they’ve decided to share that with us and help us tick a few off our own by leaving a bucket in the foyer for us to throw our ideas into.

Except it seems all anyone in the audience who actually knew the bucket was there in the first place wants is to have sex with All Blacks. Or has a death wish.

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The Classic, Auckland - RO CAMPBELL: A high laugh-per-minute ratio
- reviewed by Jan Maree

He is witty and quick, warming us up with some local tales then moving out into the world like he was literally flicking through pages in his passport! He's been around: Bahrain to the Shetland Islands (look out for the pole dancers there, they sound scary!) and many places in between. Not to mention The Edinburgh Festival of which he is a seven year veteran; a festival he has a good many opinions about, nicely put though, after all we're at a comedy show.

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San Francisco Bathhouse, 171 Cuba St, Wellington - STEVE HUGHES IN BIG ISSUES: Seriously funny
- reviewed by Simon Howard

Steve Hughes is a commanding presence on the stand-up circuit. Making his entrance with no introduction, he takes us on a lengthy look at some of the big issues affecting society today.

Warming the audience up with a heady mix of jokes at the expense of his homeland of Australia, whilst describing the mythical qualities of New Zealand, Hughes hits the mark straight away, setting the scene for the bigger issues.

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The Classic, Auckland - MARKUS BIRDMAN IN LOVE LIFE AND DEATH: A shot in the arm of life
- reviewed by Jan Maree

The second half of the hour sees the pace quicken and laughs gather momentum as he begins to explain his six tips for living. I want you to go and see this show so I will refrain from explaining these, or indeed how he wraps the whole show up. If I had to give you a word, that word would be: beautiful.

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The Classic, Auckland - JAMES ACASTER: Intelligent craft and delivery appreciated
- reviewed by Kate Ward-Smythe

Looking like Tin-Tin’s nerdy brother, James’ unassuming personality, appearance, and smooth casual delivery are as inherently funny as his perspective. As James quietly performs a whimsical yet cleverly calculated hour, his humour feels natural and completely off the cuff.

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The Classic Studio, Auckland - JOSEPH MOORE IN DOPE ASS JOKES: Nerdy cool and hilarious angst
- reviewed by Stephen Austin

As a performer, Moore is a tightly-wound ball of energy, prone to infrequent bursts of physicality. He has a clear crisp voice and knows how to hit a punch-line for maximum effect and when to pull back to let laughter transition an idea. His style is cool, but nerdy (even though he will vehemently deny it.)

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SKYCITY Theatre, Auckland - LE COMIQUE 2013: Eclectic showcase goes into bonus time
- reviewed by Nik Smythe

I’m either missing something, or trying to read too much into the French title, which confuses me given there are no French acts even in the festival, let alone this show. It is none-the-less an eclectic International showcase, presented by those two foreign acts Urzila Carlson (expat South-African) and Jarred Christmas (from Christchurch). As a double act they are equally commanding, casual and crass. Quite funny too.

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Circa One, Wellington - MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW: A witty and perceptive conflation of fact and fiction
- reviewed by John Smythe

Once more – as with The Tigers of Wrath last year – Dean Parker has contained an epic sweep of socio-political history within an ingeniously crafted play that capitalises on the fact that the political is personal and the personal is political.

What with the Court Theatre premiere being cut short by the February 2011 earthquake and the Auckland Theatre Company opening being delayed by a fire in the Maidment Theatre (as it relocated to the Aotea Centre’s NZI Room), this Circa Season, dynamically directed by Susan Wilson, has been highly anticipated with a tinge of trepidation. The result is an unalloyed triumph.

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Circa One, Wellington - MIDNIGHT IN MOSCOW: A Kiwi play to really sink your teeth into
- reviewed by Laurie Atkinson

While the relationships between the characters are pivotal to the play’s themes, which include unrequited love and poetry, they are not the be-all and end-all of the play. They are intertwined with questions about loyalty to one’s friends and loyalty to socialism. The play also explores the lingering repercussions of socialism today. A leitmotif throughout the play is a line from Pasternak: “Life’s not a stroll across a field.”

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Q Theatre, Rangatira, Auckland - THE RAW COMEDY QUEST 2013: High calibre acts
- reviewed by Jan Maree

If you are a new face and you reckon you have comedy in your bones then chances are you will find your way into The Raw Comedy Quest. The competition runs for seven weeks at The Classic in Auckland and San Francisco Bathhouse in Wellington, and it has seen over 80 competitors in 2013 whittled down to just eleven.

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Comedy Chamber, Town Hall, THE EDGE, Auckland - THE SECRET POLICEMAN'S BALL 2013: Liberating comedy
- reviewed by Shirin Brown

I’m not sure what to expect, but with 10-minute routines from a range of NZ comedians, and those from further afield, there is something to entertain everyone: local stories of run-ins with the cops, comments on political correctness and racism NZ-style, along with the tried and true relationship issues, mobile phone mania, and cultural observations of other nationalities.

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Raye Freedman ARTS CENTRE, Gillies Avenue (Cnr Silver Road) Epsom, Auckland - HELL ON WHEELS: Fresh, slick, well timed and endearing
- reviewed by Patrick Kelly

Medlyn has the audience in the palm of her hand from the tremendous outset of Hell on Wheels.

The genius of the performance is laid out in the design of the evening’s program, balancing opera, musical theatre and jazz repertoire with Medlyn’s exquisite execution of comedic and dramatic timing.

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St James Theatre, Wellington - MADAME BUTTERFLY: Internally passionate yet externally restrained
- reviewed by Pepe Becker

This exquisite production of Puccini’s Madame Butterfly is what one might call a full-emotion-immersion experience: all elements weave together in such a way that the impact of the story speaks directly through the music, filling the heart of the listener with empathy.

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St James Theatre, Wellington - MADAME BUTTERFLY: Sellout production ticks all the boxes
- reviewed by John Button

Based on a story by John Luther Long and a play by David Belasco, Puccini's three-act opera is the ultimate tear-jerker and one of the most popular operas in the repertoire.

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Downstage Theatre, Wellington - MOVING STATIONERY: Awe-inspiring dancer, mime artist, contortionist, gymnast, clown and artiste
- reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku

A simple white table with a red gingham tablecloth announces that the serving tonight, at Downstage, will involve a 10 minute appetiser before the 50 minute main. The laughs are fast and ready in the first Act because seriously, this guy – as a waiter setting the table – can bust a move.

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Thistle Hall, Wellington - GUY WILLIAMS HAS WON AN AWARD: Entertaining and likeable
- reviewed by Simon Howard

Starting off by interacting with his audience and making jokes about Hamilton, Williams gets the audience onside with his wit and engaging style. Wearing a Game of Thrones t-shirt gives him scope to talk about his love of the show, and how difficult it is to recommend to anyone else, given its graphic content.

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Opera House - return season, Wellington - THE BOY WITH TAPE ON HIS FACE … MORE TAPE: Clever invention, community, comedy and play
- reviewed by Lori Leigh

The real magic in the show, however, is the audience participation. There is sheer delight in watching the ways Wills can coax and manipulate his audience into doing whatever he chooses, without saying a single word. Is it his charismatic eyes or Chaplinesque physicality that’s so persuasive? I can’t tell. But he is damn persuasive

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Thistle Hall, Wellington - THE ROSE MATAFEO VARIETY HOUR: Endearing quirkiness
- reviewed by Gabrielle Beran

One thing’s for sure, Rose Matafeo certainly lives up to her word. In her blurb for this year’s Comedy Festival show she says she might do “jokes, songs, sketch, … dance, roller skating, drink some water, cats, political satire, funny faces, hat comedy, impressions,” and she definitely delivers.

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Cavern Club, 22 Allen St, Wellington - ADAM WRIGHT AND RICK THRELFO IN GLORIOUSLY AVERAGE: Like a sour-sweet lemon cake?
- reviewed by Shannon Friday

The show actually starts with the host, Rob Harris, doing 5 minutes of warm-up comedy. He does his job well, jumping between a couple of topics to find what gets us all laughing. A bit about cigarette packet warnings gets us nice and toasty.

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Cassette 9, 9 Vulcan Lane, Auckland - HEDLUV + PASSMAN IN 2 CORNISH RAPPERS AND A CASIOTONE: A slice of Cornish Pasty
- reviewed by Sharu Delilkan

We thought safety in numbers would be appropriate so we invited a few workmates along to check out this ‘experimental’ experience. The result was shock horror, a great deal of hysterical laughter and general light-heartedness all round in response to this “quirky” and “irreverent” duo.

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The Wine Cellar, St Kevins Arcade (K Rd), Auckland - JOSEPH HARPER IN THINK:TREE (OMOUTAUTAHI): Endearing, quirky, spontaneous, touching
- reviewed by Stephen Lunt

As Joseph begins to speak, he has an awkwardness about him; we're not sure where he's going to go with this, or indeed if he knows. But soon we realise this quirk is part of why he's funny. I find myself (as most of the other audience seem to) drawn into Joseph's piece, as if he is speaking to me personally. I have to catch myself occasionally, before answering my friend back.

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The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland - GREG ELLIS IN VANCE FONTAINE FOR LOVERS: Legend
- reviewed by James Wenley

Vance Fontaine is one of the best kept secrets of the Comedy Festival in Auckland. But it is a secret that needs to be let out.

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Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland - VELA MANUSAUTE’S BIG BALLS: A kick in the balls
- reviewed by Sharu Delilkan

The tone of a show riddled with silly ball puns very quickly turned serious, making us realise that it was a different ball game altogether.

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The Pumphouse, Takapuna, Auckland - DRIVING MISS DAISY: Insight, truth and lightness
- reviewed by Johnny Givins

A rare privileged for theatre audiences is at the Pumphouse. Witness three superb actors as they display their power, skill and craft in this Pulitzer Prize winning play Driving Miss Daisy. It’s a delicate and fragile play of race relation and growing old against a backdrop of the emergence of the Black Liberation in the 1950s and 60s.

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The Classic, Auckland - CHRIS MARTIN IN SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Close but no cigar
- reviewed by Sharu Delilkan

The foyer of The Classic was buzzing as would be expected on the first official night of the 2013 NZ International Comedy Festival.

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Cassette 9, 9 Vulcan Lane, Auckland - HEDLUV + PASSMAN IN 2 CORNISH RAPPERS AND A CASIOTONE: Doin’ it dreckly
- reviewed by Stephen Austin

Musical comedy would seem to be sewn up in New Zealand by Flight of the Conchords, but if you head down to Cassette Number 9 this week, I’m sure you’ll find that there are sounds from elsewhere in the world worth listening to. Especially if you like pasty British white guy 90s-style rap.

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San Francisco Bathhouse, 171 Cuba St, Wellington - CHRIS MARTIN IN SPOT THE DIFFERENCE: Personal stories and opinionated rants
- reviewed by Stewart Lund

Even after embarrassingly mistaking a couple of friends for a mother and daughter, he is happy to make fun of his own mistake and point out that perhaps he is slowly, "losing members of the audience" with the errors he does make.

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See more recent reviews at theatreview.org.nz, the NZ Performing Arts Review & Directory

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