Circa Theatre
June 9-July 14 | Reviewed by Helen Sims

“Fags, Retards, Cripples, Fat People …”

“… We’re all just one step away from being what we despise.” So says the mercilessly cynical Carter in one of his tirades in Circa’s Fat Pig. I’ve always thought that despising someone or something is very close, if not akin, to fearing it. I think this is an underlying message in Fat Pig, amongst the others LaBute liberally scatters into his script, namely, what creates fear and what happens when you feel it? LaBute restricts the story to a single blossoming relationship, but the tentacles of the play stretch far – I’ve heard more than a few people (mostly my age) accuse this play of being superficial and shallow, but I left feeling rather unsettled – there was definitely more to ‘get out’ of this play than its surface content. If we keep on allowing our socially constructed prejudices to get in the way of genuine human intimacy, could this lead to our (emotional at least) destruction? This is certainly what the play is suggesting in its excellent apocalyptic final montage (without wanting to give away too much!)

Gryphon Theatre
June 22-23 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

Six Characters in Search of an Author is Luigi Pirandello’s much touted classic, often name dropped but rarely seen. Butterfly Creek Theatre Troupe, a community theatre group based in Eastbourne, now offers an opportunity to view this searchingly existentialist piece about the nature of Pirandello’s “sprightly young helpmate”; Imagination.

Circa Theatre
May 26-June 23 | Reviewed by Simon Sweetman

SCOTTISH playwright David Harrower has, with Blackbird created a frank – intimate almost to the point of claustrophobic – look at innocence and guilt; at how the dynamics behind human relationships are never entirely what they seem; particularly when, as an outsider looking in, the truth of any situation tends to turn on itself as more is revealed. When you have two people both telling their version of the truth it is even trickier. This is what the audience is faced with when enduring Blackbird, an amazing theatrical experience that is most certainly not a light-hearted night out at the local playhouse.

Downstage Theatre
June 16-July 14 | Reviewed by Helen Sims

I HAVE ALWAYS bemoaned the fact that New Zealand’s myths of national identity are bound up to a large extent with rugby – a game that (to my mind) lacks intelligence and subtlety. Finding Murdoch, a play based around the media pursuit of a rugby legend, Keith Murdoch, suffers from the same failings. The play’s central character is in fact not Murdoch, but “Jane”, an ambitious young female journalist struggling against the old boys club to track the big man down in order to get her big break in TV production. Sounds clichéd? It is. My main gripe about the show is, that despite being a solid production, Downstage has once again this year (see my musings on The Graduate) brought us a play that, although slick, just seems largely pointless as a piece of theatre.

Circa Theatre
June 9-July 14 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

Fat Pig, by enduring funny man Neil LaBute, is a deeply satirical look at the possibly human and definitely Western drive to categorise, define and dismiss other people. This Circa production of LaBute’s script is a New Zealand premiere which successfully and clearly conveys the play’s essence. An essence that, most likely, will not incite viewers to outrage, or provoke major introspection. However, Fat Pig may help to chip away at the block of image obsession and body pressure that holds mantle over our media-shaped lives, and provide a prompt for some questioning of our values in relationships.

BATS Theatre
June 15-30 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

EARNEST and searching, The Life, Death and Afterlife of Felix Unfortunate begins this year’s Young and Hungry spread with an Orwellian look at conformity. Next in the line-up, Fitz Bunny, Lust for Glory presents a surprisingly entertaining musical about the corruptive nature of power, and bunnies. And The Henchman is a witty, action-filled boys’ play, the stage equivalent of a superhero spoof film.

Downstage Theatre
April 28-June 30 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

CHILDREN’s theatre works best when it involves the people it is aimed at – the children. Friends Forever, on at Downstage every Saturday until the end of this month, weaves storytelling and strong acting to produce a fun and lively show. It could go further however to utilise its greatest asset – the kidlets in the audience.

BATS Theatre
May 29-June 2 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

WHEN I THINK of connections to the land in Aotearoa I think, first of all, of Mãori turangawaewae and spirituality. Pakehã connections I make more tenuously with the ¼ acre block and cultural icons like holidays at the beach and puriri fence posts. Which isn’t to say Pakehã land connections aren’t spiritual; just that they’re not often explored in a spiritual way. Landlies, by Picket Fence Productions, attempts to present the ‘all kiwi’ perspective on land sale in New Zealand, and in doing so raises important points about capitalist society and individualism. To its detriment it does not present a deeply spiritual or emotional perspective on the issue however, and could strengthen its examination of responsibility.

Studio 77
May 3-June 3 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

THIRD YEAR theatre students from Victoria University set the bar high for themselves in taking on this multi-layered, zeitgeist script by Maxim Gorky. Ultimately the examination of ruling class-working class relations in pre-revolution Russia provided the students with a thorough platform to sound out and experiment with possibilities of theatrical presentation.