2024 was a good year for the theatre, the theatre in me and even me in the theatre. Just a tiny wee bit of me in the theatre It’s a garbage misquote (by me) from the wonderful Raymond Hawthorne (‘love the theatre in you, not you in the theatre) who had most probably borrowed it […]
Tag: reviews
University of Auckland IDEA Brain Study
We had a couple of young people come to our door and ask whether there were any ancient people, antiquaries almost, geriatrics, in the house. Cushla said yes, as apparently, I qualify. The two young people were academics from the University of Auckland who introduced me to a major study that was being undertaken through […]
Alex Reed. Who?
Many years ago, I met a young actor named Alexander Reed. Actually, that’s not true, I didn’t. In those days he was a handsome, youthful, acting-obsessed fellow called Aleksander Ristov and we ‘did theatre’ together. Shakespeare, all sorts of stuff. His dream was to go to New York and to become Al Pacino. Instead, he […]
The Theatre
2024 was a good year for the theatre, the theatre in me and even me in the theatre. Just a tiny wee bit of me in the theatre It’s a garbage misquote (by me) from the wonderful Raymond Hawthorne (‘love the theatre in you, not you in the theatre) who had most probably borrowed it […]
Moe Miti ~ a theatre review
I will taste the bitter separation and oil my skin with it. I will listen for all that is old and with my ear pressed to the dirt, hear those who sing my name on the wind. In September 1966, Paul Simon released the iconic album ‘Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme’ and buried in the […]
Dirty Work: Ode to Joy ~ a theatre review
Maybe this explains why I’m up at 3.30am writing this – because it’s a job. It’s not just a job of course, not many people who are driven to engage in the performing arts in Aotearoa do it simply because it’s a job. Or for the money. Ask us why we are consumed by the […]
Dirty Work: An Ode to Joy ~ a theatre review
The Cambridge Online Dictionary describes work as ‘an activity, such as a job, that a person uses physical or mental effort to do, usually for money’. Maybe this explains why I’m up at 3.30am writing this – because it’s a job. It’s not just a job of course, not many people who are driven to […]
I Want to be Happy ~ a theatre review
On the surface, I Want to be Happy is the simple story of a guinea pig and a laboratory researcher. It’s not, of course, it’s written by Carl Bland so it’s much more. Paul (Joel Tobeck) is doing ‘research’ on Binka the guinea pig (we don’t find out what this involves) while going through a difficult relationship […]
Mike and Virginia ~ a theatre review
Let’s start with a disclaimer and a comparison. Yes, comparisons are odious, and disclaimers often an excuse to hide something else but please indulge me and let’s do it anyway. Mike and Virginia, the two central characters in Mike and Virginia, are academics at an unnamed university. All good, so far. In 1998 I began work […]
We’ve Got So Much to Talk About ~ a theatre review
Titirangi Theatre was formed in 1935 by Ethelwynn Geddes and was part of the Country Women’s Institute based in the MacAndrew Hall on Titirangi Road. Called ‘The Drama Circle’, it consisted only of women until about 1951, when gradually, as productions became more ambitious, men were drawn in as well. Why does this matter? Simply […]