Set amid the Christchurch earthquakes I found myself wishing there was a real earthquake during Wolf so that it would end. The hour show seemed longer. The stage earthquakes were handled effectively and did manage to unsettle the audience with glaring lights and rumble sound effects.
One actress dressed in steampunk but it didn't add to their character at all, I was waiting for it to be referenced especially as everything else was in as obvious a way as possible. There was no consistency in the way stage exits were used.
Written and performed by people from Christchurch the play makes as many digs as it can at EQC and insurance in general. More genuine experiences could have given the play a good grounding.
There were warnings that the show included earthquakes and references to domestic violence but it could have also benefited from a warning regarding causal drug use. As soon as the full cast of characters were introduced you knew where the domestic violence would come in. It was also obvious which ones would end up together. Once one secret was revealed it was obvious what the next one would be. Some subtlety would have been nice. But then there were sadly few references to the "wolf."
What turned out to be an interesting storyline was hidden beneath a bad script, overacting and, underacting. Dramatic scenes ended up unintentionally amusing. The storyline became so powerful that for five minutes or so towards the end it overcame the shows limitations. A good edit to avoid repetition (each topic seemed to appear twice in a conversation - in one case almost word-for-word), and heavy handed exposition could have helped. The first part was unpolished and dragged. It's such a shame that there wasn't more development before this was staged.
Performances: 15-24 March (no Monday or Sunday show), 7pm
Tickets: $18
One actress dressed in steampunk but it didn't add to their character at all, I was waiting for it to be referenced especially as everything else was in as obvious a way as possible. There was no consistency in the way stage exits were used.
Written and performed by people from Christchurch the play makes as many digs as it can at EQC and insurance in general. More genuine experiences could have given the play a good grounding.
There were warnings that the show included earthquakes and references to domestic violence but it could have also benefited from a warning regarding causal drug use. As soon as the full cast of characters were introduced you knew where the domestic violence would come in. It was also obvious which ones would end up together. Once one secret was revealed it was obvious what the next one would be. Some subtlety would have been nice. But then there were sadly few references to the "wolf."
What turned out to be an interesting storyline was hidden beneath a bad script, overacting and, underacting. Dramatic scenes ended up unintentionally amusing. The storyline became so powerful that for five minutes or so towards the end it overcame the shows limitations. A good edit to avoid repetition (each topic seemed to appear twice in a conversation - in one case almost word-for-word), and heavy handed exposition could have helped. The first part was unpolished and dragged. It's such a shame that there wasn't more development before this was staged.
Performances: 15-24 March (no Monday or Sunday show), 7pm
Tickets: $18
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