November 27, 2011
November 18, 2011
Wellington Home and Garden Show
There were some good stands but seemed sparse for the area available for displays. However, this may work better for the expected weekend crowds. Whilst there were a number of interesting items exhibited, we were disappointed that there was only one flooring stand (carpet only). Several stands employed presenters with microphones - some of them rather charming, who attracted patrons to their particular exhibit. There was food to taste - cheese, wine, chocolate, salt, seed etc - along with food being made with products that were for sale.
It wasn't as good a range of exhibits as we had expected but we realised that we were comparing it to the House and Home Show previously held at the TSB Arena. But there were plenty of opportunities to win prizes, including a 46 inch wide screen TV!
There was some discussion about whether it was worth the entry fee, if you had to pay the full fee you may decide perhaps not - but two tickets for the price of one vouchers seem to be readily available (try Pak N Save).
Venue: Westpac Stadium
Dates: 18-20 November 10am-6pm (5pm on Sunday)
Prices: $8
It wasn't as good a range of exhibits as we had expected but we realised that we were comparing it to the House and Home Show previously held at the TSB Arena. But there were plenty of opportunities to win prizes, including a 46 inch wide screen TV!
There was some discussion about whether it was worth the entry fee, if you had to pay the full fee you may decide perhaps not - but two tickets for the price of one vouchers seem to be readily available (try Pak N Save).
Venue: Westpac Stadium
Dates: 18-20 November 10am-6pm (5pm on Sunday)
Prices: $8
November 11, 2011
Spamalot
Hutt City Musical Theatre held the Wellington premier of Spamalot last night. The award winning show, released in 2005, is a mix of Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail and several of their skits along with some new material. You may have seen Eric Idle discussing it with Graham Norton on his show recently. The Lower Hutt group hired all of their costumes from a Christchurch troupe who were unable to perform due to earthquake damage.
The venue, a neighbour of the Hutt Repertory Society, was arranged in cabaret style seating with a limited bar and BYO. The small space was decorated well with hanging flags and wall coverings, if it hadn't remained cold throughout you might have forgotten you were in an old hall. A live band was squeezed in next to the stage, interactions with the actors ensured they were never merely part of the furniture.
The show included all the necessary elements; a King, a Diva who was "off stage for too long", a rescue, singing, dancing and, a wedding. The singing was, for the most part, excellent and far better than I had expected. In some places singers battled to be heard above the music as did the accented narrator. Arguments about kingship and democracy ("I'm King of the Britons." "I didn't vote for you.") seem particularly fitting so close to our own election, it is a shame that local references were not added here. Surprising modernisations included the Lady of the Lake and her Laker girls, the Knights Who Say Ni singing Mmbop and the revelation that you need a Jew to stage a good Broadway musical (there was an entire song about it). One surprising omission was any reference to the current popular usage of the word spam. The surprising addition was Always Look on the Bright Side of Life but I should have expected it as it is the song Monty Python are most well known for - even if it doesn't really fit in this show.
Of course it was good, it was Monty Python, you stupid twit! And all the better for being an amateur performance. It looks like this will sell out like the groups rendition of Grease. They only do one show a year so don't miss out.
Price: $27.50 you can buy tickets here
Performances: 10-12, 17-18, 24-26 November
Venue: Epuni Community Hall, cnr Oxford Terrace & Mitchell Street, Lower Hutt
Performers: Hutt City Musical Theatre (find them on Facebook and the web)
The venue, a neighbour of the Hutt Repertory Society, was arranged in cabaret style seating with a limited bar and BYO. The small space was decorated well with hanging flags and wall coverings, if it hadn't remained cold throughout you might have forgotten you were in an old hall. A live band was squeezed in next to the stage, interactions with the actors ensured they were never merely part of the furniture.
The show included all the necessary elements; a King, a Diva who was "off stage for too long", a rescue, singing, dancing and, a wedding. The singing was, for the most part, excellent and far better than I had expected. In some places singers battled to be heard above the music as did the accented narrator. Arguments about kingship and democracy ("I'm King of the Britons." "I didn't vote for you.") seem particularly fitting so close to our own election, it is a shame that local references were not added here. Surprising modernisations included the Lady of the Lake and her Laker girls, the Knights Who Say Ni singing Mmbop and the revelation that you need a Jew to stage a good Broadway musical (there was an entire song about it). One surprising omission was any reference to the current popular usage of the word spam. The surprising addition was Always Look on the Bright Side of Life but I should have expected it as it is the song Monty Python are most well known for - even if it doesn't really fit in this show.
Of course it was good, it was Monty Python, you stupid twit! And all the better for being an amateur performance. It looks like this will sell out like the groups rendition of Grease. They only do one show a year so don't miss out.
Price: $27.50 you can buy tickets here
Performances: 10-12, 17-18, 24-26 November
Venue: Epuni Community Hall, cnr Oxford Terrace & Mitchell Street, Lower Hutt
Performers: Hutt City Musical Theatre (find them on Facebook and the web)
November 9, 2011
Drowning in Veronica Lake - 2 reviews
I grabbed a coffee, presented my ticket and entered into the darkened theatre to watch the performance of Veronica Lake, apparently the story of the life of an actress who was thought of as a star at one time but faded in later life.
In front of me was a figure in a white dress with a skirt that spread out by two metres or so around it. Funny I thought, how is this going to work?
As I settled back to sip my coffee, the figure moved slightly; then I realised that the figure in front of me was real!
When the lights dimmed down and the spotlights came up the music started and the figure began to move and sing and slowly turned around to face the audience. I was sitting in the front row so I had one of the best seats in the house to view the performance.
Alex Ellis was brilliant, telling the story of Veronica Lake from “her” point of view and that of her mother, as well as a number of other characters who appeared over the period of her life of fluctuating fortunes! The delivery was strong, forceful when necessary, and the changes in character quite believable, especially whenever the mother “appeared” on stage. Alex’s changes in accent, delivery, and mannerisms all helped to make us believe that the mother was speaking.
Veronica was “fixed” to the centre of the stage but still managed to move around to portray the principal character in various stages of depression and under the influence of alcohol.
Veronica Lake was a one “man” performance by Alex Ellis, very well performed and most enjoyable, something I would recommended to any lover of theatre.
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A one woman show which did not leave the audience a moment to lose concentration, with many times of anticipation. Well done Alex, the script was well written and the music most appropriate for the differing stages in the life of Veronica Lake!
Dates: 1-12 November, 7.30pm-----------------------------------------------------------------
I thoroughly enjoyed the play. It was well staged and beautifully portrayed with the help of appropriate music and lighting.
Alex Ellis captured the essence of the true Hollywood starlit of the time with her alluring stance, movements and speech. This was shadowed by the time of hopelessness and depression of her declining years. She was at times totally alluring, at others angry and, still further, pathetic and wasted (in more ways than one). Her change in character and in the lighting when she was portraying her mother was distinctive and such a contrast to the young confident starlit.
Price: $22-30
Location: Circa Theatre (web and Facebook)
November 3, 2011
Carnival Hound
Downstage is known for staging alternative shows and Carnival Hound does not disappoint. I read several articles about Carnival Hound before the show but attempted to push them to the back of my mind so I could make my own interpretations. I needn't have bothered, even with my prior knowledge I had no idea what was going on.
It was surprising to find the cast were already on stage when the audience filed into their seats, they never really left, merely faded into and out of the background. The scenery was simple but the lighting certainly wasn't - it created windows, dramatic shadows and was almost a character or narrator. The music changed from militaristic, to polka inspired, to rock, and there was a little music box tune.
I recognised Maria Dabrowksa from Monster Burlesque, not from her appearance but from the certain way she has of flinging her arms around her body when she dances, it must be a signature move of hers. The choreography used a lot of interaction; pushing and pulling one anothers bodies with feet and hands - using them like puppets and shields from bombs. Dead bodies moved differently from live ones but still occasionally moved on their own.
I don't know much about dance, if I did I may have enjoyed this more. It's probably not something to take your male partner to unless they are interested in dance. It was visually interesting but intellectually confusing or perhaps it was just over my head. I think it was partly about possession of objects and other people. There were people like floppy dolls, strange synchronised dancing, chair fights and mannequin parts.
The show runs for just under an hour, if you like dance or something alternative go have a look - them come back and tell me what you thought it was about.
Venue: Downstage Theatre (find them on the web and Facebook)
Price: $20-25
Dates: 3-5 November 8pm
It was surprising to find the cast were already on stage when the audience filed into their seats, they never really left, merely faded into and out of the background. The scenery was simple but the lighting certainly wasn't - it created windows, dramatic shadows and was almost a character or narrator. The music changed from militaristic, to polka inspired, to rock, and there was a little music box tune.
I recognised Maria Dabrowksa from Monster Burlesque, not from her appearance but from the certain way she has of flinging her arms around her body when she dances, it must be a signature move of hers. The choreography used a lot of interaction; pushing and pulling one anothers bodies with feet and hands - using them like puppets and shields from bombs. Dead bodies moved differently from live ones but still occasionally moved on their own.
I don't know much about dance, if I did I may have enjoyed this more. It's probably not something to take your male partner to unless they are interested in dance. It was visually interesting but intellectually confusing or perhaps it was just over my head. I think it was partly about possession of objects and other people. There were people like floppy dolls, strange synchronised dancing, chair fights and mannequin parts.
The show runs for just under an hour, if you like dance or something alternative go have a look - them come back and tell me what you thought it was about.
Venue: Downstage Theatre (find them on the web and Facebook)
Price: $20-25
Dates: 3-5 November 8pm
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