The latest Theatreview Weekly includes reviews of Real Fake White Dirt, Surgery in Mind, The Things We Do, and The Memory Shelf.

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

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The latest Theatreview Weekly includes reviews of Real Fake White Dirt, Surgery in Mind, The Things We Do, and The Memory Shelf.

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

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UNDER THE SAME MOON: Engaging and potent commentary on women’s relationships
Musgrove Studio, Maidment Theatre, Auckland
- reviewed by Dione Joseph

Renee Liang’s Under the Same Moon is a tale that explores the relationships between three generations of women taking us from Hong Kong all the way to Aotearoa.

Por Por (meaning grandmother in Cantonese) is our first introduction to Hweiling Ow’s talented shape-shifting as she plays ten characters within the hour’s drama.

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REAL FAKE WHITE DIRT: Special, unique, stimulating, entertaining … Shout yourself
BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
- reviewed by John Smythe

This is a new generation’s “Whaddarya?” challenge and cry from the heart. And sometimes it whispers. Obvious and readily recognisable observations and impersonations vie with secret feelings being exhumed by unnervingly clear articulation.

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THE TWO FARTING SISTERS: Worthy of deeper exploration
Musgrove Studio, Maidment Theatre, Auckland
- reviewed by Dione Joseph

A play about farts. The appeal is irresistible no matter how old you are. Add the magic of puppetry and a classic Chinese fable and suddenly the story is transported to Levin, the heart of rural New Zealand. Except the largest town in the Horowhenua district located between Palmerston North and Wellington has no distinct markings in this story and this play could literally start anywhere.

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SURGERY IN MIND: Once more into the underworld
Gryphon, Wellington
- reviewed by John Smythe

And we are at the gates of hell once more. As with Fax of Life, a young woman takes time out in the underworld and has a big rethink about her behaviours, her values systems, her life … But this time her near death experience is not self-inflicted: she is undergoing an operation to remove a small tumour from her brain, and she certainly wants to return to the land of the living.

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10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT US: “It is one of the most astonishing things I have ever seen anyone do, ever”
Gryphon, Wellington
- reviewed by James McKinnon

At the beginning of the show, the spectators are invited to volunteer a story about a date. We are then introduced to about 10 performers, who introduce their characters with a name and a single statement about why we would want to date them. The spectator who volunteers the story gets to choose one character to be half of the couple, and his or her date spins a bottle to choose the second half.

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A TALE OF 3 LONELY MEN AND THEIR QUEST FOR AN AUDIENCE WITH THE ELUSIVE MOA: Shockingly funny, vividly gross, shamefully entertaining
Studio 77, VUW, Wellington
- reviewed by Grace Hoet

Jamie McCaskill is a One Man talented band; he’s an exceptionally gifted storyteller who stands out even when he's the only one on stage.

Jamie presents character comedy at its best, inappropriate in its humour, distasteful at times in its delivery and hilarious in its outcome, but not necessarily appealing for all.

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WE'RE GOING ON A DEER HUNT: Admirable actors in need of a dramaturg and a director
Breaker Bay Hall, 150 Breaker Bay Road, Seatoun, Wellington
- reviewed by Alex Wilson

We’re Going On A Deer Hunt concerns two self-confessed blokes in James and Pat (Josh McDonald and Travis Graham) who enjoy the compulsory Kiwi trifecta of beer, rugby and the outdoors. They also suffer from depression.

Despite being close friends, they have drifted apart over the years. Each man has had to deal with his demons by himself and in an attempt to reconnect James has organised the titular deer hunt.

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THE THINGS WE DO: Theme-play needs clearer conventions
BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
- reviewed by Shannon Friday

The Things We Do is a mostly physical, distinctly comic one-performer show ... The latest outing from Pat-a-Cake Productions, Things has what are quickly becoming the hallmarks of their shows: a playful curiosity, engaging physicality and a theme-led structure.

The theme in this case is an exploration of the secret dreams and desires that awaken when our minds wander while grocery shopping.

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BUCKET’S LIST: From buckets to platters with charming, perverse innocence
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Nik Smythe

Enter ‘Buckets’ (Justin Kennedy), a tall, gangly and bald lovable dimwit in a diarrhoea-brown cardigan who got his treasured nickname through long, dedicated service – almost twenty years – to the ‘temporary liquid retention industry’, his great life’s passion. Sadly however, this is all about to end thanks to a total collapse in the bucket market due to everyone in the world now having one.

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EAT THE YOUNG FRESH: A black comedy-musical roller coaster
Q Theatre, The Vault, Auckland
- reviewed by Raewyn Whyte

The pressures builds relentlessly as they work their way through a failed advertising pitch, devastating social media failure, the impact of redundancy coupled with a mounting overdraft, unresolved grief from the recent death of a parent, marital disharmony, unplanned pregnancy and miscarriage, substance abuse, mental illness, a love triangle, one night stands, post-natal depression and negotiated parenting duties, culminating in a particularly wonderfully shocking ending.

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WAKE UP TOMORROW: Generosity and heart create a good time
Circa One, Wellington
- reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku

In a world where photoshopped images and manufactured everything is the norm, it is heart-warmingly refreshing to encounter a production that is fun, a little bit loose and real. Ok, so maybe that reality is exaggerated aided by impressive production values and heightened by the energy of the cast but it would take a hard-hearted character not to get carried along with the momentum of Wake up Tomorrow.

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WHENUA - LAND: Haunting, powerful, poignant
The Beach, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
- reviewed by Brenda Rae Kidd

Whenua is a political work, about women and our roles as advocates for the environment. Choreographer Karen Barbour uses her womb as a metaphor for Mother Earth; the dancers gasp for breath while treading lightly upon papatuanuku. The dance is interspersed with fragments of speeches made by strong women (wahine toa), activist Eva Rickard and politicians, Nanaia Mahuta, Helen Clark and Marilyn Waring.

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FAX OF LIFE: Intriguing exploration
BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
- reviewed by John Smythe

To even begin putting Fax of Life into context may require a spoiler alert but being the third NZ play to explore this idea, it does seem a genre has emerged. Slow reveals are essential to their dramatic structures but I’d argue the values that make them worth seeing are not so much where they are set as why each young person finds themselves there, how they deal with it and what happens next.

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STATE HIGHWAY 48: Beautifully real and moving – until the end
Hamilton Gardens Lakeside Stage, Hamilton
- reviewed by Jan Maree

There are tears and laughter and as the first half ends both of us have to admit to the powerful nature of the piece. As I wipe my eyes I reflect that this show is so real and uncontrived, it’s got me right in my soft old heart, because my soft old heart has been there, you know?

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I WANNA BE NA NAH NA NAH NAH: A memorable tour of sadly incomplete histories
Meet at The Basement Theatre, bus to Ponsonby, Auckland
- reviewed by Dione Joseph

Getting on a bus armed with colour-coded wireless headset and a troupe of actors almost guarantees a good time. It’s even better, when you’re promised a meander down memory lane to Ponsonby way before it was ‘hip and gay’.

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MOTHY AND OTHER STORIES: Browsing intriguing lives
BATS Theatre, Studio, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
- reviewed by John Smythe

It starts and ends with a Moth hovering over a naked lightbulb. He seems to think he can get into a chrysalis and metamorphose into a butterfly but … Suffice to say that promise is never fulfilled (no surprises there) but he does end up in a reflective relationship, shall we say (to avoid a spoiler). And somehow he seems fulfilled by that.

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FOR YOUR FUTURE GUIDANCE: Remarkably refreshing
Victorian Garden Conservatory, Hamilton gardens, Hamilton
- reviewed by Gail Pittaway

Even though it’s billed as a theatre show it’s hard not to be drawn in to the seminar context and become part of it all, with stick-on name badges, the small shiny card with Velcro on which we are to write our predictions for the future, and the post-its and packet of mini coloured pens – all essential props for any such event.

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THE DUMMY: Negative Comment
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Tim George

The line between provocation and exploitation is blurred in this multi-media examination of young woman's spiral from depression to suicide. The Dummy combines live actors and back-projections of Facebook profiles and news footage and crams a lot of big ideas into its short running time.

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BRIEFCASE - LIFE IN A BRIEFCASE: This massive, massive SHOW is – boom, boom, boom
Te Whaea - Drama One, 11 Hutchison Rd, Newtown, Wellington
- reviewed by Lyne Pringle

The work has a huge and generous heartbeat. A very large cast of dancers – my guess 30 or 40 – are allowed to find a place upon the stage to express themselves freely and fully; no mean feat to pull this off. There is room for everyone as they relish their moments in the light; consequently the theatre palpably vibrates, energy exudes from the stage and this group of young dancers and aspiring professionals impress with their commitment and verve. There are numerous tight sequences, requiring many hours of rehearsal and extreme skill.

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THE DUMMY: Questions that blur between illusion and truth
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Dione Joseph

The beauty of Fringe Festivals is that amongst the wealth of different performances there may be one or even two shows that do more than just ‘speak’ to the audiences – they reverberate with the intensity of a domino effect. The Dummy: Positivity as a Pacifier definitely is one of those must-see shows.

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CALL MR ROBESON: A LIFE, WITH SONGS: Deepens our understandings
The Moorings, 31 Glenbervie Tce, Wellington
- reviewed by Maraea Rakuraku

I am literally awestruck when I enter the house that is The Moorings, the venue of Call Mr Robeson: A life with Songs. This whare is seriously kick-arse with peeling wallpaper, scrim and ambience so thick it’s verging on suffocating. And. And there’s a ballroom that you step into from a sash window on a landing, down staircases sprinkled in glitter.

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13: THE SOAP: Wonderfully bumpy ride
Gryphon, Wellington
- reviewed by Patrick Davies

It’s 1995 and back to school as Kickin’ Rad Productions ropes together a mix of Wellington improvisers to play out the school year through shows through the day, as regular as periods at school. There’s the staff, the children. the parents and the various locales all provided by the casts doubling left right and centre to bring us the highs and lows of school life.

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THE MEMORY SHELF: Tearoom Reflections
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Amanda Leo

Sitting at just 45 minutes, The Memory Shelf has all the potential for a great, short fringe piece whose message goes a little deeper than for just pure entertainment. Written and performed by duo Amelia Reynolds and Saraid Cameron with direction by Renee Lyons, it focuses on the happenings in a tearoom in small-town Arohanui that is famous for its delicious lamingtons.

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TAKE BACK THE HOOD: Back to the Hood
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Tim George

At its core, a good story, whatever the medium, gives its audience a question that it will hopefully provide an answer for by the resolution. Take The Godfather. Can a man separate himself from his past and his family, or is he destined to fail? The journey from question to answer is what provides the drama, the anticipation of what the potential answer could be.

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TAKE BACK THE HOOD: Funny and brave
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Dione Joseph

It’s a courageous message and it’s shared through a medley of music, comedy, dates with Death (she had a crush on him but he lacked the commitment so it didn’t work out), spoken word poetry, digitalised musical accompaniment and a giant wolf mask that comes complete with a deep canine drawl. It’s funny and brave, and the combo together with a bit of Kiwi sass, creates a remarkable show.

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THE BROCCOLI BROTHERS: Effervescent chemistry
Fringe Bar, 26 Allen St, Wellington
- reviewed by Lena Fransham

Then this motley bunch of red-nosed odd-bods comes onstage looking something like a large butcher, a lanky skydiver and Thing One from The Cat in the Hat with a mullet. The blue tracksuit! The full body leotard! The mullet! Oh my god it’s a glory of eighties pubescent embarrassments and they have my sympathy straight away.

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THE DANCE OF (NOT) DEATH: Drawing power despite flaws
17 Tory St, Wellington
- reviewed by Charlotte Simmonds

Jordana Dagg plays the most convincing adult-doing-a-child I’ve ever seen on stage, (and in Wellington I’ve seen a lot), so convincing that I am confused for a good five minutes at least about whether she is a boy, a girl, an adult or a genuine child. The androgyny and agelessness is so complete that she is almost only given away by the tattoos on her legs.

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A ONE NIGHT STAND 2015: An OK night
Kitty O'Sheas, 28 Courtenay Place, Wellington
- reviewed by Patrick Davies

Upstairs at Kitty O’Shea’s is a great room for comedy: intimate, a bar and away from the usual bar noises most performers have to combat. Its central location makes it the perfect place to pop into and be entertained. Ben Caldwell has organized a season of stand up, improv and spoken word where “you’ll never see the same thing twice!”.

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BOXED: Excellent unpacking of personal experience
Whitireia Performance Centre, 25-27 Vivian Street, Wellington
- reviewed by Patrick Davies

This is not a simple show. Duignan’s Narrator/Waiter performs the task of a Playback Conductor – choosing characters for the rest of the cast to play, each handed a cardboard clipboard of character information. These actors take on, uneasily, the characters recognising the various stereotypes and their apparent shallowness. The dialogue directly makes it clear that these stereotypes are skin deep only, but the actors play along, creating a café ensemble like a family at Christmas.

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KEEP OUT OF MY BOX (AND OTHER USEFUL ADVICE): Here's some free advice for you
The Basement Theatre’s Foyer, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Matt Baker

Spend enough time at The Basement and you'll get to know the staff there. Spend even more time and you'll find that some of them have talents beyond your expectations. Such is the case with box office manager and actress Torum Heng. I've seen Heng on stage before, but it wasn't until she wrote and performed her own solo show that she had the opportunity shamelessly indulge in and truly beguile me with her talents, and I'm almost embarrassed that I didn't recognise them earlier.

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CATERPILLARS: Comedy Metamorphosis
Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland
- reviewed by Tim George

Caterpillars is a story with two tales. On one level, it is meant to be an imaginative, artistic, and yes, somewhat pretentious art piece evoking the life cycle of a butterfly through a combination of puppetry and music. On another level it is the story of how two hapless puppeteers can completely screw it up.

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28 DAYS: A PERIOD PIECE: Rap, tap and flap delivers the message
BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
- reviewed by John Smythe

Abbey Howells’ script is predicated on the idea that Discharge is being paid by ‘The Board of Directors’ to present a theatre-in-education show about periods which perpetuates many myths, assumes it’s the same for everyone and takes an overall “it happens, get over it” position – but hey, “the people with the money always make the right creative decisions!” Oh yes: that gets a big laugh from the opening night audience at Bats Theatre.

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I AM A CAT: Smart, vulnerable and satisfying
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Dione Joseph

It’s late in the evening. To be exact ten past ten at night and after a long day sometimes it seems that what you want is a theatrical nightcap to stimulate a few laughs and soothe the days’ worries away with a rather comforting impersonation of a cat.

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BILL MASSEY’S TOURISTS: Giving voice to the incommunicable
Museum of Wellington City & Sea, Wellington
- reviewed by Lena Fransham

With an unpretentious delivery that packs a surprising emotive punch, and a bevy of jolly soldier’s songs composed by Laughton Pattrick, the story crosses complex emotional territory. The framing narrative offers a poignant interplay of naivety and cynicism between the schoolgirl Jan and her reluctant granddad, whom she badgers for help with her school project on WWI.

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THIN: Upbeat exploration of a serious issue
The Moorings, 31 Glenbervie Tce, Wellington
- reviewed by John Smythe

Thin explores the phenomenon of eating disorders through the experience of one character, Bri (Sylvie McCreanor), who “didn’t do it on purpose … just wanted to be …” Her words recur like themes in a symphony. Other elements are repeated too, emphasising the cyclic and persistent nature of the affliction.

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THE MEMORY SHELF: Inspired writing, skillful direction, flawless performances
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Bronwyn Elsmore

Remember those tins that Edmond’s Baking Powder used to come in – you know, with the trademark slogan ‘sure to rise’ and the yellow and orange sunbeam effect? The Memory Shelf opens with the intriguing sight of a giant can (think in terms of enough Baking Powder to produce a fluffy sponge for every person in New Zealand) being lowered by rope onto the stage. We find out a bit later what that’s about. Meanwhile, the can comes in handy as one of the few props used in this memorable story.

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CATERPILLARS: Slightly absurd, totally creative and finally uplifting
Q Theatre, 305 Queen St, Auckland
- reviewed by Vanessa Byrnes

Created by Thomas Monckton and Kallo Collective, this charming and clever show is a gem.

Not one verbal word is spoken, but throughout its 50 minutes the two performers – Thomas LaHood and Victoria Abbott – leave us entranced with their ingenious way of telling the supposedly simple story of a caterpillar’s life cycle. It’s beautifully produced (by Show Pony) and would be a standout for kids and adults alike.

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MY CELEBRITY HUSBANDS AND MAYBE SOME WIVES: Nutty, good-value fun
Old Folks Association Hall, 8 Gundry St, Newton, Auckland
- reviewed by Kathryn van Beek

For the price of $12 you will experience at least eighteen dollars’ worth of originality, hilarity and downright weirdness. On top of that, you will also acquire around five dollars’ worth of knowledge about celebrities and evolutionary theory.

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AWAY FROM HOME: A charismatic storyteller
Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland LIVE, Auckland
- reviewed by Janet McAllister

This excellent one-man show from Britain is an intriguing tale, well told. Listening to Kyle – a male escort hired by a gay footballer – is like listening to juicy tabloid gossip from one who has really, delightedly, lived it.

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GROUNDED: Target Locked
Q Theatre, The Vault, Auckland
- reviewed by Rose Archer

George Brant’s script of Grounded is so extraordinary that if nothing else it is absolutely worth going to see such a wonderful piece of writing come to life. Grounded is a complex and moving portrayal of one female pilots struggle with motherhood, marriage, and being ‘grounded’ as a drone-pilot. Essentially an hour-long monologue, the pacing and variation in the writing are thoughtful and rich enough to create a highly compelling piece of theatre.

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PUZZLE: For Ages 8 to 80
Q Theatre Loft, 305 Queen St, Auckland
- reviewed by Andrew Parker

Everyone wants to belong. But, of course, “belonging” often means that you have to belong to something or someone, which doesn’t sound so desirable. This unfortunate paradox is the central thread of Ben Anderson’s Puzzle (directed by him and Seamus Ford), a play which looks at the question of whether it is better to be part of the bigger picture... or to focus on your own development at the risk of leaving a hole where you once were.

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AWAY FROM HOME: Fever Pitch
Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland LIVE, Auckland
- reviewed by Sharu Delilkan and Tim Booth

Kyle: Who're ya? Who're ya? Who're ya? So goes the football terrace chant setting Away from Home's pace and rhythms – a crisp production featuring Rob Ward's striking performance; fast-paced writing – tackling acceptance, isolation, love, rejection and poignantly unexpected acceptance. Delivered by Ward with co-writer/ designer/director Martin Jameson.

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AWAY FROM HOME: Thought provoking, hilarious, sweet and flawlessly performed
Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland LIVE, Auckland
- reviewed by Jacqui Stanford

Actor Rob Ward’s whirlwind depiction of a whole host of characters, from a rent boy to his lover, his from a camp manager to straight best mates, is one thing you need to see for yourself this Auckland Pride Festival.

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REAL FAKE WHITE DIRT: Brave and intelligent
English Flower Garden, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
- reviewed by Brenda Rae Kidd

Bates cleverly melds many characters into her 45 minutes of ‘Pakeh? Identity’ poetry about how squeamishly embarrassing it can be to identify as Pakeh? in Aotearoa today. As she admits, “We were not invited.”

This is true, we weren’t.

Bates explore issues around arrival, ownership and identity with such cadence and humour that it comes as a surprise when she’s done. Gosh that was quick, I think. Always a good sign.

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THE BRAVE: Extravaganza of heighted reality profoundly grounded in truth
Hannah Playhouse (previously Downstage), Wellington
- reviewed by John Smythe

Go. Men: go to discover you are not alone in your quest to work out what it is to be a man, yourself, an OK person. Women: go to discover there is more to men than might readily meet your eyes. Whatever your cultural identity or sexual orientation, go to discover what truths may lie beyond your current understanding. Go to be moved, surprised, entertained, have your heart warmed and discover what true bravery is.

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THR3E: Adventurous but loses its way
BATS Theatre, 1 Kent Tce, Wellington
- reviewed by Lena Fransham

The dark and urgent initial scene inducts us into the digital world of an online X-box game. It’s a punchy start – literally; lots of well-choreographed fighting and gunplay, neatly evocative of game-style combat, along with effective use of video as a lead-in to the game.

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THE BOOKBINDER: An enthralling, tightly told tale for all ages
Japanese Garden of Contemplation, Hamilton Gardens, Hamilton
- reviewed by Ross MacLeod

With a commanding presence he draws us in, shifting between accents ancient and colloquial, and between characters, colourful and cryptic. The tale in question is both new and familiar, the archetypes falling into place swiftly. We know that the youth will transgress the rules, that he will be forced on an odyssey, that he will return wiser.

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THE SHITTIEST THEATRE YOU WILL EVER SEE: The shittiest review I will ever write*
The Basement, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland
- reviewed by Nik Smythe

An empty stage is oh, such a powerful canvas for potential theatrical genius, and this visceral allegedly CreativeNZ-presented work is potentially the most genius visceral theatre there is playing this particular timeslot in this precise venue at this actual Fringe Festival.

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

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