by Neil Brewer - March 19, 2026
Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show premiered in London in 1973, born from his love of sci‑fi B‑movies and glam rock, and quickly grew into a cult theatrical hit celebrated for its wild, subversive energy....
by Neil Brewer - March 18, 2026
First performed in 1990, Gasping is Ben Elton’s debut stage play, a sharp, satirical comedy that takes gleeful aim at corporate excess. It quickly became a hit thanks to its exaggerated, almost cartoon‑like depiction of the high‑powered world of big business....
by Neil Brewer - March 07, 2026
Bold, often raunchy, frequently funny, and unexpectedly tender...
by Glenda Pearce - March 02, 2026
On a sultry Auckland night (in more ways than one), an expectant crowd gathered, some in drag and raucous garb, others bustling from a long week of work. The majestic Civic Theatre beckoned with ample arms, its two tiered hall resplendent in historic finery. The scene was set for Richard O’Brien�...
by Neil Brewer - February 28, 2026
What did our critic think of FRANK. THE MUSICAL at Gryphon Theatre?...
by Glenda Pearce - February 21, 2026
What did our critic think of THE LAST FIVE YEARS at PUmphouse Theatre Auckland?...
by Neil Brewer - February 22, 2026
What did our critic think of KING LEAR at Butterfly Creek Theatre Troupe?...
by Neil Brewer - February 04, 2026
The Book of Will is a contemporary play by American playwright Lauren Gunderson, first premiering in January 2017 at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It went on to win the 2018 Harold and Mimi Steinberg / American Theatre Critics Association New Play Award, recognising it as one of the mos...
by Glenda Pearce - January 18, 2026
What did our critic think of 'MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING' AND 'ROMEO AND JULIET' at Shoreside Theatre?...
by Glenda Pearce - December 11, 2025
Imagine the situation. You’re in love. You are asked to defend your present relationship as one that could endure. Could you be supremely confident that nothing could shake its foundations? If asked by authorities, what proof would youneed? How easy is it to truly have an open mind? Do we make a...
Past Shows
Denton Kensington Swan season of Blythe Spirit by Nol CowardWhen Blithe Spirit debuted in 1941 in war-torn London, its hysterical hijinks proved just the tonic...
Award-winning The Haka Party Incident returns after a sold-out premiere season.The Haka Party Incident resurrects the eventful day when a group of University of Auckland...
Meet the man who rocked the world.It may have been more than 400 years since the Roman Inquisition challenged Galileo Galileis proof that the Earth...
Meet the man who rocked the world.It may have been more than 400 years since the Roman Inquisition challenged Galileo Galileis proof that the Earth...
Auckland Theatre Companys season of Things That Matter by Gary Henderson, adapted from the memoir by Dr David Galler.For more than 30 years, Dr David...
Meet Pearl Wong. She's a first-generation Chinese immigrant and a single mother who's barely keeping her restaurant, Golden Phoenix, afloat. Meanwhile, her older daughter Zoe...
Cast into a world of silence and darkness at the age of 19 months, young Helen Keller feels angry and isolated. This Tony Award-winning play...
A hilarious testament to the lighter side of the golden years, the world premiere of Winding Up showcases New Zealands most successful playwright Sir Roger...
In an unnamed Middle Eastern desert, Major Aria and her mercenary accomplice are on a secret mission to meet up with a New Zealander who’s...
East London, 1968. Yetta Solomon is the quintessential refugee who survived the un-survivable, then toiled in sweatshops to make her way in the world. Having...
The Gayev family are sociable, intelligent, caring and hopelessly in debt. Unless they can find the funds, their huge estate, including its much-loved cherry orchard,...
So says Mrs Warren, a genial yet formidable woman, whose clever young daughter Vivie has just graduated from university. However, when Vivie discovers that her...
Back down the rabbit hole A group of ordinary friends are thrust into a strange mystery that takes them into seedy clubs, the supernatural underground,...
Love is.... Well love is like. It’s when, like... Yeah, love is sort of... It’s the theme of songs, books, films, tv shows, works of...
What would you do to go home? In the near distant future, a cataclysmic storm has levelled Aotearoa, forcing millions on the move, and toppling...
April, 1984. 13.00. Comrade 6079, Winston Smith, thinks a thought, starts a diary and falls in love. But Big Brother is always watching. Set in...
Mama’s proud of her flourishing veggie garden. So when she discovers a stray chicken enjoying her greens, her first instinct is to reach for the...
Lurking in the depths of Auckland’s volcanoes are the Wilberforces – shapeshifting evil aliens plotting our planet’s destruction. Unlikely heroes, 12-year-old twins Rachel and Theo,...
Set in a northern mining town against the background of the 1984 miners' strike, Billy Elliot the Musical is the inspirational story of a boy's...
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