Posts Tagged Theatre Review
Archive
August 5, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Burn Her: Theatre
Burn Her Direction: Katherine McRae (written by Sam Brooks) Circa Theatre; Circa One (August 3 – 31) Burn Her is the kind of must-see, thrill-ride, brilliantly written, acted, directed theatre we can now pretty much expect down at Circa. Every aspect of this production sizzles. Debbie Fish’s set-design is magnificent, standing there as if about to deliver a monologue of its own as we enter […]Archive
July 8, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Aliens: Theatre
The Aliens Direction: Cassandra Tse (written by Annie Baker) Te Whaea Basement Theatre (July 4 – 13) An Annie Baker play changed my life – and I’ve yet to see a production of it…you see, I was so blown away by hearing her interviewed, reading about her, seeing the works available that I took a chance on the script for The Flick. […]Archive
May 8, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Waiting For Godot: Theatre
Waiting For Godot Direction: Ross Jolly (written by Samuel Beckett) Circa Theatre; Circa One (May 4 – June 1) Samuel Beckett’s Waiting For Godot is as close to his existential novels as it is to his other theatre pieces – and when it first arrived on the stage post WWII, pre-The Beatles, it was a revelation. Remarkably, it still is. “Nothing to be done?” We are told/asked early on […]Archive
April 26, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
MoodPorn: Theatre
MoodPorn Direction: James Cain (written by Matthew Loveranes) BATS Theatre, The Heyday Dome (April 23 – May 4) Ali Foa’i (Atlas) and Heather O’Carroll (Jane) are the stars of this two-hander – and though James Cain’s direction is assured and Matthew Loveranes’ script is a delight it is because of the two actors and the chemistry between them that MoodPorn succeeds at […]Archive
March 31, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
The Children: Theatre
The Children Direction: Susan Wilson (written by Lucy Kirkwood) Circa Theatre; Circa One (March 30-April 27) In Lucy Kirkwood’s script and in Susan Wilson’s staging and pacing The Children is a triumph. This is an example of every part of the puzzle fitting, of every piece needing to be there – for this production is elegantly and […]Archive
February 11, 2019 by Simon Sweetman
Rants In The Dark: Theatre
Rants In The Dark Directed by Lyndee-Jane Rutherford (based on the book by Emily Writes adapted for the stage by Mel Dodge, Lyndee-Jane Rutherford and Bevin Linkhorn) Circa Theatre; Circa One (January 19 – February 16) [Good Times Company] Yes, due to bad holiday-planning I am very late to Rants In The Dark – but I saw the opening night […]Archive
July 12, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Songs For Nobodies: Theatre
Songs For Nobodies Direction: Ross Gumbley (written by Joanna Murray-Smith) Circa Theatre; Circa One (July 7 – August 4) [Ali-Cat Productions Ltd] Ali Harper here performs ten roles, a dozen voices, as – variously – the famous singers Judy Garland, Patsy Cline, Edith Piaf, Billie Holiday and Maria Callas. But she is also the “nobodies”, […]Archive
May 16, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Problems: Theatre
Problems Direction: Gavin Rutherford (written by Joe Musaphia) Circa Theatre; Circa One (May 11 – 26) We walk in past the murals of The Great Leader and Madame Great Leader and we’re sat in front of two huge doors. Behind them…The Great Leader. He’s having his nap. With a loaded gun. Two guards (Stephan, played […]Archive
April 11, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
The Lie: Theatre
The Lie Direction: Ross Jolly (written by Florian Zeller; translated by Christopher Hampton) Circa Theatre; Circa One (April 7 – May 5) The Lie is the latest by the brilliant French novelist and playwright Florian Zeller. Here, again, translated by Christopher Hampton and directed for Circa by Ross Jolly – as was the case, last […]Archive
April 4, 2018 by Simon Sweetman
Switzerland: Theatre
Switzerland Direction: Susan Wilson (written by Joanna Murray-Smith) Circa Theatre; Circa Two (March 17 – April 14) Written by Australian playwright Joanna Murray-Smith, Switzerland imagines the crime writer Patricia Highsmith in her final days at home – hiding – in the Swiss Alps. She’s a grump, worse than that she’s racist, she’s a misanthrope; trusting […]Archive
March 27, 2018 by Simon Sweetman