News
TAPAC 2012
Taken from the TAPAC website.
Theatre / dance / film / cabaret / showcase an album or product launch and studio space for hire. We invite your expressions of interest...
TAPAC sustains a professionally managed centre that inclusively serves the needs and interests of diverse performing arts communities by welcoming people of all ages and backgrounds, providing space for creative activities, supporting excellence, and celebrating the diversity of our place in the Pacific.
TAPAC provides a secure professionally managed, equipped, purpose built fully flexible theatre with a capacity of up to 144 seated, two sprung floor dance studios and two drama studios and free car parking - check out the plans on our website.
In 2012 TAPAC will programme a breadth of works that celebrate New Zealand's diversity and talent. In our programming we will consider works in dance, theatre and music that:
- are engaging
- challenging
- innovative
- a new, New Zealand work
- a re-imagined classic
- quality in design and presentation
- have a strong idea of audience demographic and market reach
For an expression of interest form to be sent to you please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or (09) 845 0295
NZ Herald: The top ten shows of 2011
Taken from NZ Herald, by Paul Casserly.
Here's my top 10 shows of 2011. You need to watch them, buy the box set, or tell me I'm wrong.
10. Super City, TV3. Madeleine Sami's multiple personalities rampaging through Auckland in a comedy of the uncomfortable. That's my kind of TV. The good news is that there's already a DVD of the first series and a second is due in 2012.
9. My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, TV1. We were invited to snigger perhaps at the deluded young travellers in gigantic wedding dresses who were about to sign up to a life of servitude, so morally it's probably wrong, but it was riveting for at least three episodes. It also introduced us to the ritual known as 'grabbing'.
Read the full article here.
Red Leap Theatre Incubator workshop
Red Leap INCUBATOR is a week long workshop designed to mentor artists interested in making devised physical theatre, and to support the seeding of new work.
This is an opportunity to work alongside Kate Parker, Julie Nolan and your peers to physically challenge and develop your ideas.
We will be inventing new work through strengthening the physical connection and play within the performers, and generating a quantity of material from which quality can be distilled. INCUBATOR allows the artist to let go of the preciousness of making without analysing too hard.
INCUBATOR is designed for actors who like being physical but you don't have to move like an actor to be part of this!
INCUBATOR takes place on Mon 13 - Fri 17 Feb 2012, 10am - 4pm daily at Corban's Arts Estate, 426 Great North Rdm Henderson. $225 per person (two scholarships available).
Three productions seeded at INCUBATOR 2010 have since progressed to full productions at TAPAC and The Basement. All attracted strong reviews.
"I walk away from the workshop with stronger, more enriched vision for the work; a clearer sense of the methods of its making and, of most value, a sense of vindication and excitement about actually making it work" - Robin Kerr, INCUBATOR 2010
"After working with Julie and Kate for the week I have a new confidence in my work and I can see that it is not only achievable but also to a high standard. The workshop was challenging and confronting but also created some of the more impressive work that I have seen in such a short space of time. They provided me with the tools with which I can now continue" - Chris Neels, INCUBATOR 2010
For more information or an application form contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 021 222 5682
Super City series 1 now on DVD
TV3's award-winning comedy series Super City starring Madeleine Sami and directed by Taika Waititi arrives on DVD.
Sami hilariously transforms into five very different characters all living in New Zealand's super city. There's Pasha, an aging cheerleader clinging to her partying lifestyle; Azeem, an immigrant taxi driver embracing Maori culture; Jo, a closeted gym instructor in love with her best friend; Linda, the runt of her "old girls" clique fostering impoverished artists and Georgie, a homeless girl whose freedom is unexpectedly interrupted when she finds a baby.
Pre-order your copy with JB Hi-Fi here.
Silo Theatre 2012 Season
Silo are changing it up in 2012, performing in a number of different venues across Auckland. The narrative strands of Silo's story are many and varied - and we want to keep you engaged with our work, long after you've left the theatre.
SILO THEATRE programme 2012
24 Feb - 17 March: TOP GIRLS. Cast includes Bronwyn Bradley, Danielle Cormack and Sophie Hambleton. Direction by Shane Bosher.
8 June - 30 June: TRIBES. Cast includes Peter Elliot, Fern Sutherland and Matt Whelan. Direction by Shane Bosher.
10 Aug - 1 Sept: THE PRIDE. Cast includes Kip Chapman. Direction by Sophie Roberts.
7 Sept - 29 Sept: PRIVATE LIVES. Cast includes Mia Blake. Direction by Shane Bosher.
2 Nov - 24 Nov: BREL. Cast includes Tama Waipara and Jennifer Ward-Lealand. Direction by Kip Chapman.
For further information visit the Silo Theatre website.
ATC 2012 Season
"Theatre exists in the here and now. It is what happens in that precise moment... when the world of actors and the world of the audience meet." - Peter Brook
That sense of anticipation, the almost electrical charge in the air when actors and audience encounter each other, is what all of us at Auckland Theatre Company aspire to achieve in every production. And the act of encounter is at the heart of the stories and drama and great comedy we have in store for you in our 2012 seasons of plays.
AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY programme 2012
9 Feb - 3 Mar: THE MOTOR CAMP. Cast includes Lisa Chappell, Greg Johnson and Nicola Kawana. Direction by Roy Ward.
15 Mar - 7 April: IN THE NEXT ROOM. Cast includes Richard Knowles and Hera Dunleavy. Direction by Colin McColl.
3 May - 26 May: A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. Cast includes Brooke Williams, Laurel Devenie, Stuart Devenie and Andrew Grainger. Direction by Colin McColl and Ben Crowder.
7 June - 7 July: A SHORTCUT TO HAPPINESS. Cast includes Stuart Devenie, Laura Hill and Jennifer Ludlam. Direction by Alison Quigan.
28 June - 22 July: BLACK CONFETTI.
19 July - 11 Aug: AWATEA. Cast includes George Henare, Rima Te Wiata and Te Kohe Tuhaka. Direction by Colin McColl.
13 Sept - 6 Oct: THE GIFT. Cast includes Sarah Peirse and Simon London. Direction by Colin McColl.
1 Nov - 25 Nov: LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Cast includes George Henare and Andrew Grainger. Direction by Simon Coleman.
For further information visit the Auckland Theatre Company website.
Hackman Theatre Awards 2011
Full list of award nominations & winners listed below. Winners in bold.
HACKMAN THEATRE AWARDS 2011
The Shortland Street Award for Best Break up of the Year
Nic Sampson & Chelsea Ewan McGregor - These are the Skeletons of Us
Elizabeth Hawthorne & Robyn Malcolm - Mary Stuart
Andrew Munro & Delaney Tabron - Reasons to be Pretty
The Kathryn Rawlings Award for Best Entrance of the Year
Johnny Moffat & Toby Leach - The Chatham's
Eve Gordon - Venus Is
Jennifer Ward-Lealand - Rita & Douglas
The Elephant Publicity Award for Best Poster of the Year
Death by Cheerleader
Constantinople
The Keepers
The Auckland Actors Award for Smallest Part of the Year
Devlin Bishop - Boys Life
Morgan Albrecht - Disorder
The TAPAC Award for Best Cross Gender Acting of the Year
Tom Sainsbury - Joseph & Mahina
Josephine Stewart-Tewhiu - Space Race
Cameron Rhodes - Tartuffe
The Oryza Award for Best Accent of the Year
Michael Hurst - Red
Natalie Medlock - Dan is Dead / I am Yeti
Anya Tate-Manning - Glorious
The Armstrong Creative Award for Best Technical ***k up of the Year
The Wizard of Oz - The Hot Air Balloon taking off without the Wiz
Speeddaters - Starting the show while Grae Burton was still flirting at the bar next door
Disorder - Graham Candy getting hit in the face by a falling wheelchair that fell through Basement's trap door
The Basement Award for Best Dry of the Year
The cast of any Tom Sainsbury play
Benjamin Teh - The First Asian All Black
The Johnson Laird Mangement Award for Best Weapon of the Year
The Dildo - Tartuffe
Lara Fischel-Chisholm's wooden spoon - In Flagrante
The Cardboard Robot - Barnaby Fredric / Stitch in Time
The Play Press Award for an Actress / Actor playing a character with a disability / medical condition of the Year
Sophie Henderson - Lobotomy - Yours Truly
Kura Forrester - Awhi Tapu
Chris Molloy - Cancer - Heroes
The Playmarket Award for Best Line in a Kiwi Play
"Homebrand, that's a good brand!" - Silent Night
"No Midgets! Midgets steal Lucy!" - Death by Cheerleader
"Ah, no, Dingus. Life modelling is when you're doing modelling alive. Durr" - Crims
The Q Theatre Award for Best Special Effect of the Year
The Lamp Dance - Faux Real
Sychronised Swimming - Sirens
Blood Splatter - Disorder, Young & Hungry
The Auckland Festival Award for Best Pash of the Year
Dena Kennedy & Andi Crown - Yours Truly
Sophie & Nathan - Tartuffe
Dwayne Cameron & Nicola Valeta - Reasons to be Pretty
The Auckland Theatre Company Award for best Nudity of the Year
Sam Snedden - The Only Child
Gypsy Katua - The Sex Show
Yvette Parsons - I am Yeti
The Silo Award for Best Ensemble Acting of the Year
Isla Adamson & Josephine Stewart-Tewhiu - Chalk
The cast of Bare
The cast of The End of the Golden Weather
The APRA Award for Best Singing in a Play
The Factory - Killa Kokonut Krew
The Laramie Project - PIPA
Man Bits - Mark Scott & his Penis song
The DANZ Award for Best Dancing in a Play
Olivia Tennet - The Wiard of Oz
Mia Blake - Tartuffe
Devlin Bishop & Cathy Rood - The Sex Show
The Karen Kay Award for Best Performance of "A Hooped Skirt wearing Racially Naive 19th Century character"
Laurel Devenie - On the Upside Down of the World
Laurel Devenie - On the Upside Down of the World
Laurel Devenie - On the Upside Down of the World
The Elizabeth Whiting Award for Best Costume of the Year
The Cape - Stranger Things 4 - Edward Clendon
The White Gown - Drowning in Veronica Lake - Sara Taylor
The Monkeys - The Twits - Tracey Collins
The Theatreview Award for Best Review Quote of the Year
Lexie Matherson - "The Pumphouse Theatre was immaculate as always which is no mean feat considering that most of their current audience is made up of under fives and the age gap between the kids & their accompanying family members could mostly be counted in decades rather than years".
James Wenley on Death by Cheerleader - "More satisfying than all 5 of the Bring It On films put together, Death by Cheerleader has the spirit & much, much more."
Matt Baker on Othello - "Needed Moor"
The NZ Actors Equity Award for Best Death
Todd Emerson - The Family Wilder
Andi Crown - Yours Truly
Ben Van Lier - Making a Killing
The Robert Bruce Award for Best Stage Manager
Josh Hyman
Ruby Reihana-Wilson
Stacey Donaldson
The Stamp at The Edge Award for Best Newcomer(s) of the Year
ALL ARE WINNERS!!
Tim Carlsen - The Showcast prize for Acting
Andrew Ford - The Basement prize for Acting
Abigail Greenwood - The Q Theatre prize for Direction
Jessica Verryt - The ATC prize for Set Design
Ruby Reihana-Wilson - The First Scene prize for Stage Management
Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards 2011
Taken from Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards website.
Master of Ceremonies - Emma Kinane
Aristic Producer & Director - Tim Gordon, assisted by Sophie Hambleton & Kate McGill
Critics - Laurie Atkinson (The Dominion Post), Uther Dean (Salient), lynn Freeman (Capital Times), Elspeth Sandys (New Zealand Listener), John Smythe (Theatreview)
Full list of award winners listed below.
CHAPMAN TRIPP THEATRE AWARDS 2011
Critic's Wild Card Award
Johann Nortje for his body of works as an AV Designer on Hear to See, When the Rain Stops Falling and Wake Less
Downstage Theatre Award for the Most Promising Male Newcomer of the Year
Lauren Gibson - August: Osage County
Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School & Victoria University Award for Most Promising Director of the Year
Jason Te Kare - I, George Nepia
Peter Harcourt Award for the Outstanding New Playwright of the year sponsored by BATS & Taki Rua Productions
Ralph McCubbin Howell - The Engine Room
Grouse Lighting Award for Lighting Designer of the Year
Marcus McShane - When the Rain Stops Falling
Weta Workshop Award for Set Designer of the Year
Andrew Foster - The Lead Wait
Brancott Estate Award for Costume Designer of the Year
Gillie Coxill - The Spy Who Wouldn't Die Again
Park Road Post Production Sound Designer of the Year
Chris Ward - The Lead Wait
The Mayor's Award for Excellence
Jim Moriarty
Constance Scott Kirkcakdie Award for Outstanding Composer of Music
Richard Nunns - Hear to See
Absolutely Positive Award for Most Original Production of the Year
Hear to See - Capital E National Theatre for Children
The Playmarket / Capital E Outsanding Play of the Year
Slouching Toward Bethlehem - Dean Parker
Whitierea Performing Arts & Chapman Tripp Award for Supporting Actor of the Year
Christopher Brougham - When the Rain Stops Falling
The Orbit Corporate Travel Award for Supporting Actress of the Year
Erin Banks - The Engine Room
Emerging Arts Trust Wellington Accolade for Outstanding Performance
Michelle Amas - August: Osage County
eCaster Accolade for Outstanding Performance
Phil Grieve - Slouching Toward Bethlehem
Chapman Tripp Award for Actress of the Year
Jennifer Ludlam - August: Osage County
The Museum Hotel Award for Director of the Year
Jason Te Kare - I, George Nepia
Chapman Tripp Award for Production of the Year
I, George Nepia - Tawata Productions
Q Interview: Todd Emerson
Taken from Q Theatre.
Todd works in Q's box office which means he's the first port of call for all customer enquiries and, of course, ticket sales.
We talk to him about tickets, acting and dressing as meat...
Hi Todd
Hi
So tell us about your job.
I work in the box office. I sell tickets. I'm also kind of a general secretary for the building. Is there a more manly word for secretary?
No there isn't.
Personal assistant? No it's not really a personal assistant.
Personal to Q, assistant to the building?
Yeah.
How's it going?
Pretty good. There are quiet times and busy times, overall good.
So in your non-Q life you're an actor and were in Albert Belz' Yours Truly as part of Basement Fest. How was that?
Good, we got good houses and great reviews and people enjoyed it so, it went really well.
You're about to start rehearsals for Massive Company's Close & Loud which is playing at Q in April. Is physical theatre a new thing for you?
Yes!! We just had our first day where we did nothing but talk and my body is already sore (ok we did play 4 square for a while). This is a really different way of working for me and I'm definitely getting out of my comfort zone but that's what I love about being an actor and I think the show is going to be great!
And you'll get to leave the box office and tread the boards - are you looking forward to it?
I'm really looking forward to working in Rangatira, it's really fantastic going from working down at the Basement and seeing the construction of Q to actually being here and knowing you're going to be performing in it. I feel very lucky to be in this space so early on.
Would you like to do more at Q in the future?
Yes, definitely.
Loft or Rangatira?
Both. At the same time. Maybe do something in rep. Go straight from Rangatira up to Loft and then back maybe. Three shows a day. And then I could come and sell tickets at night, just to keep busy. Maybe it's a festival, like a festival of Todd Emerson.
We could call it Todd Fest.
Yeah!
So what is your favourite thing about Auckland?
The fact that it's a big city, but you can go to Mission Bay and sit on a beach or drive half an hour and be at Piha or out in the Waitakeres.
What's the best performance you've ever seen?
I saw the Melbourne Theatre Company production of August Osage County and that was the most excited I'd been in a theatre for a long time. Yeah that's definitely the best experience I've had in a theatre in the last few years.
What is your favourite song or album?
It sort of changes doesn't it? I'm a geek. I really like jazz piano stuff 'cause I'm a pianist. Any Keith Jerrett.
What's your fancy dress costume of choice?
I always thought a meat party would be quite good, like in summer for a barbecue and everyone comes as their favourite cut of meat.
That would be good. Vegetarians not welcome?
Vegetarian sausages. Come a tofu, that's basically meat. Everyone just comes as a different meat. Chops. Sausage is kind of an easy one.
Okay, complete the sentence: I would love to...
Be better at giving interviews.
Doesn't he sound like fun? You should ring him for tickets. Here's What's On.
Show Me Shorts: Short films hold surprises
Taken from NZ Herald, by Lydia Jenkin.
With the tagline "Here for a good time, not a long time", you might think the annual Show Me Shorts festival aims to shock or entertain rather than delve too deeply into sophisticated stories.
The festival, which opens in various Auckland cinemas tonight, does indeed do both shocking surprises and entertaining commentary amazingly well, with many films packing a punch that's all the more potent due to brevity.
But 14 minutes is also longer than you might think in the world of cinema and allows the creators plenty of time to charm and provoke as they tell often-heartfelt stories of complex issues. This year the festival is also showcasing works from Australia, France, Ireland, the United States, Germany and South Africa.
The 47 films are collected into six different sessions, with seven or eight films in each, tied together by a common theme. This year's themes are: Unexpected Adventure, Master Chef, Love You To Death, Extreme Measures, Small Pleasures, Unlikely Bedfellows and Hitting The Road.
Read the full article here.
See the Show Me Shorts website for more details.