KEY POINTS:
Silo Theatre's bold attempt at discovering a new generation of theatre practitioners began with an open-audition call that inspired 260 young hopefuls to strut their stuff in front of an American Idol-style panel of seasoned professionals.
In a process that sounds every bit as rigorous as the All Black World Cup preparations, 12 were chosen for a "theatrical boot camp" where they produced the devised work - Based on Auckland, under the direction of Oliver Driver - while rehearsing for Michael Hurst's interpretation of the 17th-century revenge tragedy 'Tis Pity She's a Whore.
The shows run on alternate nights as Silo's contribution to AK07.
The cornucopia of festival offerings prevents me from seeing Hurst's production until later in the week, but on the evidence of Made in Auckland the project has succeeded admirably in its core goal of developing new talent.
The cast of 12 displayed a sparkling array of skills, with the energy and enthusiasm of youth balanced by professional discipline and commitment.
After such a harrowing selection process it may seem unfair to single out individuals, but theatre needs its stars and my list of standouts would have to include Sophie Henderson, whose striking physical presence and vivacious energy make her an ideal lead.
Morgana O'Reilly showed great versatility with genuine emotion in a relationship breakup, fine comic timing as a shopkeeper, and a disarmingly sincere voice when she addressed the audience as narrator.
Glen-Paul Waru and Semu Filipo provided the comic highlight in their portrayal of working-class philosophers teasing out the complexities of quantum physics.
From an audience's point of view, Made in Auckland was not completely satisfying.
The show suffers from the democratic impulse that insists on giving equal stage time to each member of the ensemble.
Although well-intentioned, this strategy is out of step with the realities of theatre, and by creating multiple characters for all 12 cast members the narrative became confused and fragmented.
Driver's direction often had the whole cast shouting at each other and while this generated plenty of sound and fury it was sometimes difficult to work out what was being signified.
When a more subtle approach was used the results were most appealing. The opening sequence in which conversational fragments syncopated nicely with John Verryt's fantastic multi-screen slide-show was particularly engaging.
I am looking forward to seeing how this talented cast copes with the madness and mayhem of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore.
* To April 6
