Theatreview Weekly: 18/08/11

A selection of reviews from Theatreview from the last week including Glorious, Calendar Girls, The Factory, and The Gruffalo.

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

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BATS, Wellington - GLORIOUS: “More matter with less art”

- reviewed by John Smythe

“Love,” Jimmy the waiter tells Gloria, the glamorous daughter of the rich lawyer who has hired him to serve at his party, “is over-rated.” And marriage is "meaningless.” The lives of her and her kind, he opines, are "pointless". And so is this play.

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Civic Theatre, Auckland - CALENDAR GIRLS: One to mark on your calendar

- reviewed by Paul Simei-Barton

Superb cast have great fun breathing life into their sharply drawn characters

The Auckland Theatre Company should be fairly confident it has hit on a winner with a production that might be described as Coronation Street meets The Girls of the Playboy Mansion.

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Mangere Arts Centre, Auckland - THE FACTORY – A PACIFIC MUSICAL: Emotional Journey hits high notes

- reviewed by Paul Simei-Barton

It was a big night in South Auckland – while David Tua was seeking redemption in his battle with Monte Barrett, the Kila Kokonut Krew delivered a knockout blow with the opening of a musical celebrating the joys and disappointments of the Pacific Island immigrant experience.

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Mangere Arts Centre, Auckland - THE FACTORY – A PACIFIC MUSICAL: The Great Niu Sila Musical ?

- reviewed by Nik Smythe

Some time ago an industry friend pointed out to me that the definitive Great Kiwi Musical was yet to be written (despite numerous attempts) and that whoever manages it will have a goldmine on their hands. Since then I’ve kept my eye out for it. Of course it largely depends on what the agreed criteria to earn such a title might be ...

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Bruce Mason Centre, Auckland - THE GRUFFALO: Your kids will have a blast

- reviewed by Lexie Matheson

The dilemma for anyone staging such a well-known story, particularly one with such evocative illustrations, is to fulfil the expectations of an audience deeply entrenched in the lyricism of the text and the extraordinary imagery of the book. Either that or they must enable us to suspend our disbelief and simply accept what is being presented for what it is.

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Civic Theatre, Auckland - CALENDAR GIRLS: A nice play with a soothing effect

- reviewed by Candice Lewis

The audience are lapping it up, and the couple on my right are laughing in all the right places. A subject that could have been milked for misery is treated with a light yet respectful touch, and there are moments when my mum and I do get tears in our eyes ...

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Victoria Theatre (The Vic), 93 Victoria Rd, Devonport, Auckland - INTIMACIES: SWEET THING & I’D RATHER BE THE POPE: Sinclair boldly pushes the limits

- reviewed by Paul Simei-Barton

A premiere of work by Stephen Sinclair is always eagerly anticipated and the two short plays presented at Devonport's Victoria Theatre reveal an intriguing new direction while confirming Sinclair's reputation for provocative writing that is finely attuned to the quirkiness of the Kiwi psyche.

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Fletcher Building Dome, Hagley Park, Christchurch - RAISING THE TITANICS: An irresistible charmer

- reviewed by Lindsay Clark

It was shiver down the spine time when the opening ‘Haere Mai’ number announced two hours of one of ‘our stories’ – the rise, fall and afterglow of a Maori showband beginning with the glorious romp that was 1960s and 70s entertainment.

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Opera House, Wellington - MACHOMER: Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once

- reviewed by John Smythe

Was this (just) one actor we saw before us – in 50 different personae? By the upping of my thumb, something ‘wicked’ here has come. What a show! And he makes it all look so easy.

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

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