Auckland Pride Review Project: Round-up #2
The second round-up of Tāmaki Makaurau’s 2023 Pride Festival - featuring coverage from local darlings Bad Apple, Theatre Scenes, Rat World Magazine.
Auckland Pride Review Project assemble! This project is a badass collaboration between The Pantograph Punch, Rat World, Bad Apple and Theatre Scenes – to bring you the phonkiest, phattest, sexiest writing in response to the spread of offerings for Tāmkai Makaurau’s 2023 Pride Festival. With diverse events across the city for the whole month of February - check out the full programme here!
Each week, we’ll round up the exquisite reviews/responses/whakaaro generated by the team of art writers! Remember to click on through to read the full response on each publication’s home-site. Also, join in on the conversation on social media! Here’s week two! And if you are playing catch-up - check out Round-Up 1 here!
Man Lessons: The Live Show
Basement Theatre: Tuesday 7th – Saturday 11th
Anjula Prakash attends an autobiographical theatre show that combines a documentary six years in the making with live story-telling, starring Adam Rohe. A coming-of-age story that transcends the patriarchy, values wellbeing over sanity, and absolves you of the pressure to 'just be yourself'.
The story is largely a psychological one which grows to an emotional crescendo. We are given a multifaceted journey into the mind of someone learning to become who they are, when they’ve been told all their life that they’re not that person
Read Anjula Prakash’s review in full at Theatre Scenes!
It is both thought-provoking and an excellent reminder to be empathetic towards others
A room of possibility with a sense of uncertainty pervading the air. 'Man Lessons' had reviewer Mik Breitenbach weighing up reality and finding lessons in skewing linearity. Read in full at Bad Apple.
The structural complexity, the internal dialogue of the show, is all directly in service of telling as honest and sincere a life story as I’ve ever seen staged
Read Jade Winterburn's review in full onRat World!
The Best is Yet to Come: A Queer Magic Show
The Best is Yet to Come: A Queer Magic Show
Q Theatre: Wednesday 8th – Saturday 11th
Ben Shand-Clennell attends Jeremy Rolston’s uplifting coming out story mixed with magic and mentalism.
These acts are truly spectacular. Were it only a magic show, it would still be worth going to
Read Ben Shand-Clennell’s review in full at Theatre Scenes!
Jez & Jace: Lads on Tour
Q Theatre: Thursday 9th – Saturday 11th
Two mates trekking it from Featherston to Tāmaki Makaurau with nothing but a dream, some stubbies and a Swandri.
It is a funny and poignant piece, which tackles the battle between head and heart, and the struggle of overcoming the expectations that society sets, with grace and earnestness.
Ben Shand-Clennell attends the improvised storytelling of comedic duo Ginge and Minge, tackling the rarely seen queer bogan love story. Read review in full at Theatre Scenes!
Entertaining cracks at toxic masculinity (check), queer representation (check), and obscure Aotearoa cultural references (double check).
ReadSophie Jackson’s review in full on Bad Apple!
Cxnt Vol. 1
Basement Theatre: Tuesday 7th- Friday 10th
Thou shall love thyself, thou shall sleep and rest, thou shall not hurt others – quite literally spelling out the recipe for us all to thrive
This closing heralds a manifestation fuelled by intergenerational mana – a hope and a stake in the ground for Queer communities and others.
Worship dripping in Ballroom divinity – Cxnt Vol. 1 disputes the expectations of Bible camp. Joshua Iosefo attends a Queer manifestation of intergenerational mana. Read on The Pantograph Punch tomorrow!
Club Cxnt
Basement Theatre: Saturday 11th
Wrapping up Mother Honey Givenchy's season of Cxnt Vol.1 at Basement, we were graced with Club Cxnt presented by The Luxurious House of Givenchy. The theme for the night was Skin & Sin, and everyone truly lived up to the vibes. Lucas van Schaardenburg responds to Club Cxnt with a photo series, capturing this stunning night in all of its glory. Check it out in full onRat World!
BTM LIVE
Auckland Old Folks Association: Saturday 4th (Exhibiton at Audio Foundation: Friday 24th)
“Are you here for the show?”
“No, what is it?”
“It’s a performance art thing, it’s part of Pride festival, it’s about fisting.”
“Oh, okay.”
Danny Lam invites us to experience clay, concavity and creation, through a poetic response to a sculpture show from Sung Hwan Bobby Park as part of Auckland Pride. Read on The Pantograph Punch here
Pride Poetry Slam
Auckland Art Gallery: Saturday 11th
By the end; I had laughed, I had cried, I had found myself welcomed into a little queer cult.
Thrust into the limelight as an unexpected judge, rookie reviewer Maia Hall embraced her role as a judge at Auckland Pride Slam and came away as part of the family. Read on Bad apple!
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