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My year at the theatre was a study in the contrasting appeal of big and small shows. Punters with a taste for scale could choose from flaming French fireworks in the Domain as part of the AK07 festival, Sir Ian McKellen wrestling with King Lear at the Aotea Centre or the thumping beats of Queen's music in We Will Rock You at the Civic. For those wanting more intimate theatre, the Silo, the Auckland Theatre Company and a few brave independents created some memorable offerings.
The year started with AK07, a blur of theatre, dance and visual arts. Personal highlights included the sell-out sexy circus show La Clique, Ben Crowder's oddity Head, and mad professor Heiner Goebbels' experimental mix of music, effects and text in Max Black.
The Edge organisation presented its own mini-festival of five international shows in the latter part of this year. These included the Royal Shakespeare Company's double bill of Shakespeare's King Lear and Chekhov's The Seagull. Both memorably featured McKellen but were most notable for the high standard of performance from the ensemble cast.
In addition to the international season, The Edge presented two big musical theatre shows. First up was We Will Rock You with charming performances by the leads who mastered Queen's back catalogue with aplomb. However, the production was let down by Ben Elton's clunky script and a flabby chorus.
Just in time for Christmas was last weekend's Not the Messiah (He's a Very Naughty Boy) in which Eric Idle demonstrated charm, grace and good humour - and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra was fabulous.
The Silo celebrated its 10th anniversary this year with a schedule that included sold-out seasons of Tom Stoppard's The Real Thing and its Christmas fruitcake show The Mystery of Irma Vep.
Notable dramas included The Cut, thanks to Frank Whitten's astounding performance, and Some Girls with its ensemble of feisty women proving that hell really hath no fury like a woman scorned. There was also nostalgia with the restaging of Bare written by Toa Fraser - the play that launched his career and got the Silo noticed.
I am not convinced it was the Silo's best year but it is still the company most likely to present the more challenging plays in Auckland.
The Auckland Theatre Company had a solid year in which creative director Colin McColl honed his formula for a quintessential ATC season. He presented a classic (The Crucible), a Roger Hall (Who Wants To Be 100?), an edgy piece (The Pillowman) and a new New Zealand play (My Name is Gary Cooper), which was my highlight.
While the big shows dazzled with pyrotechnic special effects, large casts, a host of local and international talent and even full orchestras, there is something to be said for the intimate theatre experience, and a few little lovelies still make me smile.
Strange Resting Places made me laugh a lot and cry a little, thanks to Paolo Rotondo and Rob Mokaraka's meticulous research and heartfelt performances. By drawing on their own family histories they created a spellbinding piece about the Maori Battalion in Italy in World War II.
In Decadence, Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Lawrence gave a master class in acting. Playwright Steven Berkoff can be an acquired taste but the talented duo rose above the material to give must-see performances. Their accents, physicality and characterisation were pretty much faultless.
My final favorite was Three Days of Rain at the Silo. Beautifully written by Richard Greenberg, it had a classic romantic movie appeal. It could have been another American talkfest but strong direction from Shane Bosher, endearing performances from Tandi Wright, Eryn Wilson and Glen Drake, and a faultless design added up to a small gem. It was the kind of theatre that makes you wish the real world was more like a play.
