Month: April 2016

Pigs on the Run Co-directed by Troy Tu’ua and Alison Quigan Musical Direction by Nastassia Wolfgramm, Lighting Design by Andrew Potvin, Costumes by Sarah Burren Set designed by Christine Urquhart At Mangere Arts Centre Nga Tohu o Uenuku, , Corner Orly Avenue & Bader Drive, Auckland Friday 22 April, 2016 until Saturday 30 April, 2016 (various […]

Re: The Shakespeare Enigma conspiracy theories I watched ‘The Shakespeare Enigma’ and it was easy to be drawn into the conjecture that Marlowe’s death was a stunt and that he went to live in Italy, wrote plays that he sent to the talentless Shakespeare who had them staged under his own name. No evidence beyond a […]

I love Paul Moon but, seriously, this is utter nonsense. He wants us to ponder this: ‘The three questions I have slipped into conversations amongst a wide range of people have been revealing. Whenever someone has lauded Shakespeare as the greatest literary force in the English language, or words to that effect, I ask them: […]

So, it’s ANZAC Day again. Last evening I looked at my father’s medals. They acknowledge five years of frontline service from 1939 to 1944. He returned to Aotearoa wrecked both physically and mentally and neither the RSA nor the government did much to support him or his disabled mates. After a few years his medals […]

And David Seymour replies ‘The arts, for all their value, are disproportionately patronised by the middle and upper class.’ First, ‘upper class’? I didn’t know we had one. As long as you define ‘arts’ around a certain narrow type of product – opera, NZSO, Royal NZ Ballet, Auckland Theatre Company – this elitist view might […]

This morning was to be a morning at Cornwall Park and club archery for Finn. He opted not to go because it’s been pouring with rain and he didn’t want to shoot outdoors and risk damaging his bow. I was disappointed. I realised I’ve come to enjoy the tiny amount of camaraderie I have with […]

From the article: ‘Responsibility means we trust you to do your best. Accountability means we don’t trust you at all and we’ll be checking up on you every 5 minutes. The result is teachers bogged down in paperwork instead of teaching and the over-testing of students that gets in the way of the joy of […]

Occupy: The Road to Joy By Andrew Parker Produced by Don’t Blink Theatre Company by Rachael Longshaw-Park In Association with Te Pou Theatre as part of the Rangitahi Series Directed by Rachael Longshaw-Park and Andrew Parker Lighting and Sound Design by Amber Molloy and Sam Mence Lighting and Sound Operation by Ariana Shipman At Te […]

You Can Always Hand Them Back By Roger Hall Produced by Auckland Theatre Company Directed by Janice Finn Musical Direction by Jason Te Mete Choreography by Jeremy Birchall Set Design by Rachel Walker Costume Design by Lisa Holmes Lighting Design by Philip Dexter MSc AV Designed by Simon Barker Sound Design by Jason Smith At […]