Reviews

The Gospel According to Paul, written and performed by Jonathan Biggins and directed by Aarne Neeme, is, as the publicity blurb states, ‘Politics as Performance – The Art of Political Satire’ and it is a truly deliciously wickedly funny and often poignant night in the theatre.

The orchestral introduction warned me that what was to follow was not the standard version of Pirates as from my past. This was very true, as this adaption brought much of the content up to the present while still based on the original story line. When it was first produced in America in 1879, America did not recognize international copyright laws and there have been many interpretations over the years. This is another – and a good one. Apprentice Frederic was to leave the pirates, a collection of orphans, but cannot because of his birth on 29th February.

Art in Motion Theatre (AIM) billed this sweet little show as “a play for kids by kids”, and this school holiday entertainment not only featured a cast of only kids, but was directed and crewed by children and teens. While we have seen productions in YouthFest do this (and do very well), to my knowledge this is the first time we have seen kids do this in a ‘main-stage’ production.

HAMA Productions burst into Crown Theatre with this beautiful, big pink production, that is delighting huge audiences. HAMA’s first full-scale production in this venue is pushing boundaries, with great production values and a gorgeously polished show.

While HAMA presented Legally Blonde at The Regal three years ago, with a number of performers reprising their roles, this is not really a remount, with a new director, some fresh sets, new costumes and a different vibe.