The latest Theatreview Weekly with reviews on Battle of the Bastards,  Rumpelstiltskin, Kings of the Gym, and Hi’iaka: Our Pacific Heroine Emerges.

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

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The latest Theatreview Weekly with reviews on Battle of the Bastards,  Rumpelstiltskin, Kings of the Gym, and Hi’iaka: Our Pacific Heroine Emerges.

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

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Court Theatre, Bernard Street, Addington, Christchurch - RUMPELSTILTSKIN: Good cheerful fun
- reviewed by Lindsay Clark

Fairy tales are almost the essential ingredient it seems for children's holiday shows, but often they are so 'contemporised' and reworked that the original is all but lost. Greg Cooper has a lighter touch than many however, and his version of what happens, when a boastful miller brags about his daughter's ability to spin gold from straw, is mercifully recognisable.

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Circa One (return season), Wellington - KINGS OF THE GYM: ‘Kings’ still hilarious
- reviewed by Laurie Atkinson

Kings of the Gym makes a welcome return almost a year to the day after its premiere. On both occasions it was received with cheers and loud applause as the excellent cast of Paul McLaughlin, Richard Dey, Ginette McDonald and Acushla-Tara Sutton took their curtain calls.

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TAPAC - The Auckland Performing Arts Centre, Auckland - HI’IAKA: OUR PACIFIC HEROINE EMERGES: Haka and hula come together in Hi'iaka
- reviewed by Margi Vaz Martin

Although in development, this short piece (25 minutes) stands cohesively on its own, with linked scenes that trace a clear narrative. A deeper reading of the work might deliver understanding of an acknowledgement of spiritual forces that at times war against us.

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Playmarket Online Bookshop, - PLAYMARKET 40: Essential reading
- reviewed by John Smythe

A splendidly compiled and presented book, it can be read a number of ways, depending on your perspective and purpose. Whichever way you look at it, it is an essential addition to the bookshelves of all theatres, educational institutions, critics, commentators, funding bodies, theatre practitioners and theatre-goers.

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Circa One (return season), Wellington - KINGS OF THE GYM: Light comedy raises pertinent social questions
- reviewed by Fiona McNamara

It is certainly character rather than plot that drives this play. Each of the four actors gives a strong performance that has us both sympathising with and criticising their characters, while never missing an opportunity for comedy.

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THE BIG TOP, BUSKER PARK, North Hagley Park, Christchurch - BUSKERS BURLESQUE: Ribald, energetic, adults-only
- reviewed by Erin Harrington

Performing to a sold out crowd, the Buskers Burlesque is showcase of song, burlesque, striptease and clowning by a group of award-winning artists who turn taking their clothes off into an art form.

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Tea Cup Tent, BUSKER PARK, North Hagley Park, Christchurch - BATTLE OF THE BASTARDS: Clever and engaging bastards
- reviewed by Elizabeth O’Connor

David Ladderman is a brave and bold performer. He has created a solo Shakespeare piece, played to acclaim elsewhere, and now finds himself tailoring it to fit a laugh-hungry Christchurch audience.

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The Press CLUB at Christ’s College, Christchurch - SONGS TO MAKE YOU SMILE: A thoroughly satisfying magical hour
- reviewed by Erin Harrington

Lili la Scala – rocking a magnificently glamorous electric blue evening gown and some killer heels – describes herself as a “vintage singer of vintage songs” but this isn’t the whole story: she is a commanding figure with a startlingly lovely voice.

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Civic Theatre, Auckland - 360 - A THEATRE OF RECOLLECTIONS: Coming full circle
- reviewed by James Wenley

I’ll begin in a round-about way. If you’ve heard anything about 360, you’ve likely heard about the unusual stage and seating: we are enclosed in a pit bordered by a circular stage, seated on swivel chairs bolted to the ground. We 80 privileged few are on the stage of The Civic itself, but we could be anywhere, so enclosed are we by the globe of 360.

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Civic Theatre, Auckland - 360 - A THEATRE OF RECOLLECTIONS: Theatre in the round from a whimsically surreal perspective
- reviewed by Paul Simei-Barton

Auckland's 2014 theatre season kicks off with a revival of a startlingly original show that premiered at the 2010 International Arts Festival in Wellington.

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

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