A selection of reviews from Theatreview from the last week including  Riverdance - The Farewell Tour 2012,  Bard Day's Night,  Rudali – The Mourner, and  Two Fish 'n' a Scoop.

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

A selection of reviews from Theatreview from the last week including  Riverdance - The Farewell Tour 2012,  Bard Day's Night,  Rudali – The Mourner, and  Two Fish 'n' a Scoop.

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

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ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland - RIVERDANCE - THE FAREWELL TOUR 2012: Farewell, Riverdance
- reviewed by Raewyn Whyte

In these recessionary times we have a slimmed down cast, with just 27 highly accomplished dancers who also sing beautifully, and a fabulous four-piece Irish band (Bodrahn and percussion, Uillean pipes and whistles, fiddle, saxophone) supplemented by backing tracks.

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ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland - RIVERDANCE - THE FAREWELL TOUR 2012: The original content minus the contagion
- reviewed by Margi Vaz

The precision, grace, and athleticism of the dancers are phenomenal. Often nothing moves except their legs and feet and those appendages are a blur of precision! As singers they are equally polished and wonderful, and ethereal harmonies abound. The highly talented musicians would be hard to match any where in the world. What am I unsatisfied about I muse?

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Q, Rangatira, Auckland - MADE IN NEW ZEALAND 2012 - FOOTNOTE DANCE COMPANY: Art - not just movement
- reviewed by Roxanne de Bruyn

For all four works, the stage is very stark and empty, so lighting and music provide the context. The lighting is striking and the music is pivotal to the understanding of the pieces. The dancing is good and solid, with lots of strength and physicality. There is a strong feeling of the inspiration behind the movement inherent in the dancers. There are similarities is the style throughout the pieces – many contortions, isolations, rhythmic repetition and the touching and entwining of the group.

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Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland - BARD DAY'S NIGHT: Hilarious Hirst hits the Bard on the Head
- reviewed by Janet McAllister

Were it to play at Elsinore, Polonius would probably announce Michael Hurst's first one-man show as "tragical-comical-historical-pastoral", for it is a giddy grab-bag of Shakespearean riffs.

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TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland - RUDALI – THE MOURNER: Petty hatred and abuse vie with humour and vitality
- reviewed by Paul Simei-Barton

Prayas has established an authentic community based theatre that offers a rare opportunity to experience the vigorous folk culture that sustains India's performance traditions.

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Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland - BARD DAY'S NIGHT: Shakespeare Nerd’s Dream
- reviewed by James Wenley

Michael Hurst looks like he’s just stepped off a poor imitation of a Shakespearean stage: black doublet, tights, a particularly foppish wig, and…. a noticeable codpiece (how did the Elizabethans takes themselves seriously?).

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Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland - BARD DAY'S NIGHT: Venom, passion, anger, lust and love
- reviewed by Lexie Matheson

There’s a point to it all, so it’s not just fun and games, though there are plenty of those. Deeply embedded in the comedy and pathos of Shakespeare’s magnificence, and animated by Hurst’s substantial genius, there lies an ominous exploration of mortality; the mortality of the characters Hurst invents of course, but the gloomy transience of the actor, alone and stripped of his guise, is in there as well.

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Great Lakes Centre, Taupo - BEAUTIFUL LOSERS: High times lead to plummeting lows
- reviewed by Lisa Laitey

"So clever" were the first two words that came to mind when describing yesterday afternoon's performance of Beautiful Losers.

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Fortune Theatre, Dunedin - TWO FISH 'N' A SCOOP: Brilliant acting, Kiwi as
- reviewed by Barbara Frame

Fish and chip shops: Kiwi as, they're often owned and run by immigrants.

When student Jason gets a job in Mr Chan's shop he wastes little time, despite an express prohibition, in falling in love with smart, brave Rhea, his co-worker and Chan's daughter.

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BATS, Wellington - GUY CAPPER IN QUANTUM SHEEP AND THE ANIMAL ORCHESTRA: Undisciplined and aimless
- reviewed by Neal Barber

Guy Capper’s latest show presents us with his trademark blend of stand-up, animation and music. The theme this time round—“What is string theory?”—is mulled over by our host and pitched to a number of animated interviewees, but never quite solved. The routine progresses like a surreal television talk show, with Capper introducing his lineup of claymation guests to address the audience from outer space via a projected “internet feed” (read: prerecorded video).

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BATS, Wellington - HAYLEY SPROULL IN MISS FLETCHER SINGS THE BLUES: Miss Fletcher cries
- reviewed by Ewen Coleman

Hayley Sproull’s one woman show Miss Fletcher Sings The Blues is superb. Sproull created the character of Miss Fletcher for her solo piece at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School last year and has now developed the piece further into an absorbing and highly professional one hour show.

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BATS, Wellington - PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS: THE BUDGET SHOW: Much-needed gap-filler
- reviewed by Ewen Coleman

Public Service Announcements, returns to Bats for the fifth time, this time based around the coming budget.

All the parliamentarians from before are there, played by some regulars plus new actors.

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St James Theatre, Wellington - RIGOLETTO: Vocally superb, riveting theatre
- reviewed by John Button

Like the splendid 2004 production, this production had a modern setting, but one focussed on a mafia style hierarchy living in decadent opulence and supported by all parts of society ( witness the prominent cardinal amongst the fawning courtiers), and tinged with a really sinister air.

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St James Theatre, Wellington - RIGOLETTO: Full of powerful drama, glamorous spectacle, wonderful singing and highly evocative music
- reviewed by Sharon Talbot

Let's be upfront here: Rigoletto is a nasty story – a nasty story set to great music. It is Verdi's music that transforms from scummy to tragic the age-old story of a glamorous playboy who takes women he fancies, willing or not, and gets away with it because of his wealth and position.

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Fortune Theatre, Dunedin - TWO FISH 'N' A SCOOP: Bitter sweet comedy and tough questions
- reviewed by Terry MacTavish

Two Fish ‘N’ A Scoop is exactly the sort of polished professional production we need: a New Zealand playwright giving us our own voice, delighting us with laughter, yet forcing us to confront such dark and demanding issues as racial intolerance.

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Court Theatre, Bernard Street, Addington, Christchurch - MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING: Exuberant rendering pleases much
- reviewed by Lindsay Clark

Shakespeare was only a decade into his astonishing art when he penned this play, so the dizzy delight of intricate plot lines, abundant romantic material and scintillating word play, all about 'Nothing', come before his mood darkened.

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Brooklyn Bar - 57 Lorne St, Auckland - THE NOWHERE SHOW: Discomfort and awkwardness
- reviewed by Joanna Page

“Want to belly laugh, shed some tears or even wee yourself a little bit?” read the promo blurb for this show. “Then here’s an experience you’ll never forget!”

Yes, I did want to belly laugh, perhaps shed a tear or two, and put my pelvic floor muscles to the test. Sadly none of that happened.

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Te Whaea, Wellington - ON THE OTHER HAND - NEW ZEALAND SCHOOL OF DANCE CHOREOGRAPHIC SEASON 2012: Cohesive staging a brilliant choice for student works
- reviewed by Virginia Kennard

The stage is set throughout the performance with white bedroom furniture around the edges used, or not, to various ends by each choreographer. The inspired choice to use Gareth Okan’s piece to transition, introduce and conclude the performance, was incredibly successful in execution. The same costume was worn by each performer throughout, a consistent thread that took nothing away from the stark differences between pieces.

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TAPAC Theatre, Western Springs, Auckland - RUDALI – THE MOURNER: Tragi-comic look at the roles and struggles of women in Indian society
- reviewed by Aidan-B. Howard

While men may control their society in an administrative way, women seem to be the centre of the dynamic life of the society, and Mahasweta Devi [the Bengali writer who wrote the story the play is based on] captures this very well. And like any good writer, she blends the tragic with just the right amount of the comic.

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Globe Theatre, Dunedin - LOVEPUKE: Not for easily shocked
- reviewed by Barbara Frame

Aptly named, Duncan Sarkies' play about love includes the pukey bits. It follows three, or maybe four, couples through the familiar phases of meeting, making moves, elation, fun and games, arguments, problems, lots of sex, and so on until everyone arrives at the "Obligatory happy ending."

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Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, The Edge, Auckland - RICHARD MEROS SALUTES THE SOUTHERN MAN: Politically Aware and Intelligent Humour, now with Bonus FlyBuy Points!
- reviewed by Rosabel Tan

These are tough times. There’s the global financial crisis. Climate change. John Key. And Richard Meros, once a leading academic specialising in Helen Clark’s specific niche – can no longer earn a living. And so he turns to the world for a solution, and finds it in that lone figure staring across the plains: the Southern Man.

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Regent Theatre, Dunedin - DICKENS' WOMEN: Sublime character acting and acerbic commentary
- reviewed by Terry MacTavish

Margolyes has created this remarkable solo show, which for years has toured the world, to spotlight the women both in the novels and the real life of Charles Dickens. “The greatest man who ever wrote English prose,” she has called him. “I love him and I hate him.” It is this passionate, conflicted response to the man and his work that fires her performance, still fresh and vivid after all this time.

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Globe Theatre, Dunedin - LOVEPUKE: A rollercoaster ride through relationship dynamics
- reviewed by Kimberley Buchan

Director Emma Feather Shaw brings us Duncan Sarkies' romp through Kiwi attitudes to relationships and sex in the surprisingly warm Globe Theatre. Lovepuke begins with myriad entrances and exits summing up the characters and relationship dynamics. The stage is littered with chairs which are stumbled over, thrown, built up and entwined with.

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BATS, Wellington - PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENTS: THE BUDGET SHOW: See Winston save the world!
- reviewed by John Smythe

Nokise's astute observations and jibes allow the politically literate – of which there are many on opening night – to have a ball while there is plenty of broad comedy to keep the 'average person in the street' happy.

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Cashmere High School, Christchurch - IN SPITE OF HIMSELF: Much to enjoy and ponder
- reviewed by Lindsay Clark

They know how to claim attention, this group, and they know how to sustain it. Set cleverly in transverse fashion across the body of a school hall, with the audience facing each other across the playing space, this series of issues-based pieces keeps ideas flowing and the adolescent audience – who could not all have wanted to be there – nicely attentive.

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Cavern Club, 22 Allen St, Wellington - PAREKOTUKU MOORE IN WHO DAT SHEILA?: A class act
- reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku

This is a woman who knows her audience but better yet, and refreshingly, knows herself. We are observing Parekotuku Moore. Period. It’s very comforting and familiar. It’s like hanging out with a diva in the airport lounge, the wh?nau at the Pa or the bros leaning on a shovel.

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Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland - NGAIRE & NAUREEN’S PRISONTIME SPECIAL: We laugh like silly school kids
- reviewed by Adey Ramsel

Hmmm, not sure where this one’s going. Or where it came from.

I’m reminded of Blackadders line: “It started off badly, it tailed off a little in the middle and the less said about the end the better – but apart from that it was excellent.”

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The Classic Studio, Auckland - GISH: GISH-TAKES: Billy T meets Weird Al
- reviewed by Nik Smythe

easoning it’s in his cultural make-up to appropriate anything he sees fit, Gish happily mines (as in, that’s mine now) the canons of musical artists as diverse as Supergroove, Joey Scarbury, Bananarama, Harry Belafonte, the Swingers, Billy Joel, Edwin Starr, the Cranberries, the Bangles, Elton John, Dave Dobbyn, the Prentenders… the list goes on.

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Comedy Chamber, Town Hall, THE EDGE, Auckland - REVOLVER: SEXY CIRCUS CABARET CLUB: Remarkably raunchy and risibly rude
- reviewed by Nik Smythe

The first act proper is scruffy ragdoll mascot girl Maria Blacklips, flinging her limbs about with dynamic flair, again engaging the frequently utilised revolving stage. She is follow by one of the waistcoat fellows, the bearded one, ‘Beau Champagne’, who takes us through a round of deft and nimble, if wholly perfunctory, trapeze manoeuvres to a pumping dubstep soundtrack.

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Downstage Theatre, Wellington - RAYBON KAN IS COMPLETELY UNCALLED FOR: Saved by genuine intelligence and warmth
- reviewed by Maryanne Cathro

It was a dark and chilly night as a few brave souls huddled together in Downstage to witness Raybon Kan be Completely Uncalled For. And indeed most of his humour is just that. Wherein lies its appeal.

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

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