PAST STUDENT PRODUCTIONS

Hullapolloi

Directed by Jo Randerson and Kate McIntosh in collaboration with Footnote Dance

20 - 22 April

Here is a group of odd creatures.   They seem to have a purpose in mind.

Catch Jo Randerson and Kate McIntosh’s unusual dance theatre collaboration before it tours to Frankfurt. A Footnote Dance work, Hullapolloi won the Best of the Dunedin Fringe and has toured the country to excited reviews. Jo Randerson’s major work as a result of her Masters in Theatre Arts (Directing) at Toi Whakaari and Victoria University. With lighting by Piet Asplet.

 What the reviewers said:

“a vibrant, insightful and entertaining performance piece that keeps the audience in the palm of its hand from start to finish… a highly intelligent and entertaining experience…go along, you will not be disappointed.” Amy Hughson, Theatreview

“…highly engaging and perceptive… If aliens landed tomorrow and saw this piece of dance theatre they could be forgiven for believing it is Planet Earth’s creation myth.… poetry and theatre bewitched with a sense of dark wonderment and hilarity” Linda Ashley, Theatreview

“If you can get along to it, you should – this is a rare, high quality, genre-busting work that is both experimental and entertaining” Helen Sims, Theatreview

IF YOU ONLY SEE ONE SHOW IN YOUR LIFE…

Written by Jo Randerson and Holly Chappell

Directed by Holly Chappell

1 – 3, 7 – 10 March

IF YOU ONLY SEE ONE SHOW IN YOUR LIFE is action-packed, innovative, thrilling, heart-breaking, hilarious, breath-taking, mind-blowing, chilling, provocative, deep. An emotional roller coaster. A never-to-be-seen again, once-in-a-lifetime experience. It will leave you wanting more.

What the reviewers said…

“Like all the shows you have seen in your life and none of them at all… it’s satire, but with a high-minded seriousness that makes the last fifteen minutes, when it switches from famine to feast, all the more cathartically, gut-bustingly, funny.  It’s a really memorable passage of theatre ruthlessly reminding us of what gluttons for punishment, how incorrigibly enthralled with performance we humans are. Great to see work like this being made.”

TWELFTH NIGHT

by William Shakespeare

Presented by Summer Shakespeare 2012 in association with Victoria University of Wellington

Directed by Melanie Camp

17 Feb – 3 March

The story of Viola, a young woman shipwrecked in the country of Illyria who decides to dress as a man to make her make her way in the new land. She comes to serve the lovesick Count Orsino in his courtship of Lady Olivia, who instead falls for the fetching young go-between. Along the way, we met Sir Toby Belch and other riotous court characters, as well as that officious steward, Malvolio.

Melanie Camp’s production, set by the seaside in the 1920s, promises to be a sassy, mischievous affair of colourful costumes and lively music. From raucous comedy to swooning romance, Twelfth Night swings through the many moods of love and life with wit and laughter, all in the marvellous setting of Wellington’s Botanic Gardens.

What the reviewers said…

“Happily antipodean in that it’s the height of summer, in the 1920s. Set and props designer Theo Wijnsma’s row of boardwalk changing sheds and hanging beach towels, and Jody Burrell’s splendid costume designs bring a festive air of midsummer madness to proceedings.

As we have come to expect from Shakespeare productions nowadays, there is absolute clarity and understanding in the delivery of a text that sounds perfectly natural in the mouths of this cast… Alice Pearce is as credible a Viola as one may hope to see… Pompous self-importance and self-love exude from every pore of Ross Young’s rich-voiced Malvolio… Mel Camp has cast this production extremely well. Along with the production and backstage team they ensure a highly enjoyable night at The Dell.” 

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Presented by Khandallah Arts Theatre

Written by Andy Mackintosh

Directed by Tabitha Arthur

11-12, 17-19 February 2012

“Strong Cast Brings Old Favourite to Life… [they] bring considerable experience to the production, imbuing their characters with lots of energy and giving very animated performances that hold the audience’s attention throughout the hour-long show. Under Tabitha Arthur’s assured direction the various scenes are expertly moulded together and the production moves along at a rapid pace to make this year’s Play In The Park great summer outdoor entertainment.” Ewen Coleman, Dominion Post

This summer’s production of Sleeping Beauty is a witty and modern take on the classic fairytale, full of jokes for the kids – and witty one-liners for the grown-ups.

The ‘Summer Play in the Park’ series has been going for a while, with enormous success – it is now in its 12^th year – but this is the first time that Toi Whakaari has joined in with Khandallah Arts Theatre, as the Community Project component for directing student Tabitha Arthur.

Tabitha is in her second year of her master’s degree, Master of Theatre Arts in Directing, which Toi Whakaari runs in association with Victoria University of Wellington.

She says: ‘I feel so fortunate to be working on the Play in the Park series, as they have become such a beloved part of Wellington’s summer over the last 12 years. I believe this production has all the elements to enchant, engross and entertain audiences of all ages.’

Other Toi Whakaari students, past and present, have helped bring the magic touch to ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Current student Louisa Paterson has relished the challenge of bringing her first costume design to the stage, and recent graduate Rachel Hilliar has created a playful set designed to work within the natural setting of Khandallah Park.

‘This is a fresh take on a beloved old fairy tale,’ says the director. ‘It pokes fun at modern society in a witty, charming way, while retaining the romance of the original.’

Some of the highlights include live musicians, and brief appearances by Sonny Bill Williams, Prince Charles and Prince William – all played by one actor in the space of three minutes.

What the reviewers said…

“Strong cast brings old favourite to life…

The strong cast, in particular Parker as Narrator/bad Fairy, Carabott as King Max and various other characters and Leonard as Queen Minnie, bring considerable experience to the production, imbuing their characters with lots of energy and giving very animated performances that hold the audience’s attention throughout the hour-long show.

Under Tabitha Arthur’s assured direction the various scenes are expertly moulded together and the production moves along at a rapid pace to make this year’s Play In The Park great summer outdoor entertainment.” Dominion Post

TOM KEEPER PASSES

by ELI KENT and LONG CLOUD YOUTH THEATRE

directed by AARON CORTESI

in collaboration with Downstage Theatre and
Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School

Fri 3 – Sun 12 February 2012

“A great deal of hard work has been spent over the past four months on the show’s creation and it’s all triumphantly on display at Te Whaea… exhilarating, sobering and often very funny indeed. A splendid production.” Laurie Atkinson, Dominion Post

TOM KEEPER PASSES, by multi-award-winning playwright Eli Kent, is Toi masters student Aaron Cortesi’s major project for his MTA degree (Master of Theatre Arts in Directing) with Long Cloud Youth Theatre, the Wellington-based youth production company run by Whitireia New Zealand.

Over the past four months the members of Long Cloud have been working with Aaron, Eli and 2011 Acting Grad Leon Wadham to devise a bizarre and twisted allegory for our times.

The bees have gone. No one quite knows why. One day they were there and the next they weren’t.

Hurtling between families, over oceans and through the years, TOM KEEPER PASSES presents a world out of balance and the people teetering upon it.  In a time of crisis, can we trust ourselves to find any answers?  What can we change?  Where do we start?  Playful, wicked and darkly humorous, this is vital storytelling for anyone prepping for the world to come.

What the reviewers said…

 “Superbly evoked…

Whether Tom the Keeper passes on or passes the buck is left to us to interpret, as are many elements, which may or may not be to your taste. From the foyer chat afterwards it is clear opening night’s highly supportive audience enjoys the challenge of discerning meaning, not least because all the components ring true. When the performers are clear, confident and generous in their work, they compel our trust – and this ensemble does.

Memorable moments are many… highly recommended to non-passive theatre-goers. It behoves us well to tune into these perceptions of our world.”