Everything She Ever Said To Me

by Keziah Warner

directed by Benjamin Henson

Scratch New Writing Theatre Company

April 17 - 21

Basement Studio

Auckland

This is the first full-length play by Scratch New Writing Theatre Company, written by Keziah Warner. Both Warner and director Benjamin Henson have had shows in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival as well as successul shows in the Auckland Fringe Festival last year. 

I thought this play was about a quarter life crisis, but there was much more to it than that. Not much is given away in the title or the synopsis, but then I think it’s best to go into a play without any expectation. 

Just sit back and enjoy watching the chaos unfold, not knowing how it will end. 

The title made me think of a journal entry, with a rushed kind of breathlessness to it. It’s like so many thoughts crammed in, which is what its seems like in lead character Jo’s head as she struggles to cope and pretend she’s ok. The title could refer to many of the characters as they reveal their stories, and how they relate to the women in their lives. 

It’s a great script, with an interesting rhythm and just the right amount of uneasy silences that keep you guessing the whole way through. 

Any good play will have you caught up in the tension and this one certainly does. Kayleigh Haworth is perpetually on edge as troubled twenty something Jo. Her fidgety awkwardness and odd nervous laughter has us in stitches in a brilliantly awkward dinner scene with Adam (Jordan Blaikie), and the dinner table scene had me feeling genuinely nervous for them. I felt like I needed a wine after watching them scull back so many glasses to calm their nerves. The cast of six worked well together, building the tension to the point where there were two arguments happening at once. This created a realistic sense of mayhem as I kept catching snatches of dialogue from each of the four characters shouting at each other. You can’t hear all the lines clearly here, but I feel like that was the point, it’s a real blast of full-on sensory overload contrasted beautifully with a soliloquy by the sweet elderly neighbour Mr Adams, (Kerr Inkson). 

Nicole (Lisa Sorensen), gets to relish some of the best shocking lines as she unceremoniously dumps food on her plate, before they even get to dessert, but it’s the delightful Sarah, Jo’s Mum (Jen Wolfe) who gets the last word. By the end the play has come full circle, but not in the way you’d expect.

I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I’ll finish there, but let’s just say when I read in the preview “there are some problems only a roast dinner can solve” this is not what I thought it meant.

Go and see this play, and you’ll see what I mean. It’s a sharp and vivid illustration of what happens when all those little (and not so little) things are left unsaid.

by Dedee Wirjapranata

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Tickets available here

Was lucky enough to be at the Q Christmas party tonight, which I think was the first time they’ve had a gig at the loft. Andrew Keoghan’s set was stunning, really good, very memorable and complemented by many talented band members and guests. 

Here’s a clip for if you haven’t heard him before. For this song he got James Milne (Lawrence Arabia) up to sing with him.

Mitchell and Webb - summing up The Apprentice perfectly in one 2 and a half minute clip.

Been watching this years’ series of The Apprentice UK since Dave got back - he’d downloaded the whole series for me cos I was that sad to miss it.

(he was too late to download the series from last year sadly..)

I don’t watch much reality tv at all, most of it is just too nauseating with it’s loud overdramatic music and patronising formula..and though some may say the same of this, I find it much better than the NZ version of The Apprentice (that didn’t last long now did it..Terry whatsisname was far too nice in the boardroom) and the original US version that I never got into.

I’m loving it, even though it feels a bit long as each episode’s a whole hour with no ads(!) - (I’m just not used to that now I’ve been home for two years with 20 mins of ads per hour in every show). But it still makes compelling viewing, coming up with nicknames for each of the candidates, and watching them do their best to jump through hoops for Lord Sugar.

And that’s another thing - he who was once ‘Suralan’ (Sir Alan) has now been raised to the heady heights of being called ‘Lord Sugar’. I found this very amusing, as the words ‘Lord’ and ‘Sugar’ seem so perfectly mismatched, you may as well call him King Cupcake. It’s a brilliantly catchy title.

The best bit (for anyone who’s reading this in the UK) is that when the credits roll at the end, they always mention ‘Not Going Out’ coming up at 10:45. It’s probably the lamest comedy sitcom ever.. who would want to watch that after the cracking drama and dodgy/fastpaced editing of The Apprentice UK?

Personally I’d much rather keep gleefully geeking out on the spin-off shows, showing all the best bits and blooper from the week before. They could dine out on this show for ages, it’s that funny, even if it’s become more predictable after a few series, they still keep you guessing and has people hooked on the live blog during each episode where the bar chart goes up and down like crazy as people guess who’s gonna get fired next. (It’s like ‘the worm’ but more exciting) They’re into the seventh series now, with at least one more to go. Long may it reign.

Photos from various gigs and stuff last week

I walked past this the day before the election. I thought it gave off an odd sense of foreboding.. 

I was deliriously happy after seeing The Subliminals last night. Soooo good! Whoa. First time I’d seen them in about 10 years (give or take a few). How could I not have forseen the mosh pit exploding into action as soon as ‘Uh Oh’ started. That was amazing. I was deliriously happy during the set as well, just losing myself in some really long jams they did, and other highlights like ‘Speed of Sound’. And then The Clean came on. Not before drummer Hamish Kilgour had said his piece about the importance of voting and aired his political views first though. And fair enough, it is election week people! He also invited David Merritt up on stage to read a poem, called ‘I’m Inorganic’. This got a mixed reaction, but David just smiled at the hecklers and carried on. And good on him I say. He was invited up as part of the shiow after all.

Political rants and poetry readings over, they got on with wowing the crowd with an hour long set that was only missing a few extra encores.. (like Beatnik and Billy Two perhaps)

Halfway through the set, the crazy dancers eventually came up for a stage invasion, once they’d been invited, twice. A rowdy crowd, but too polite obviously!

I’ll admit, I don’t even know all the songs or own all the albums, but I knew this was a gig I wanted to be at. You didn’t need to know all the songs. It was easy to just lose yourself in the sheer cameraderie of it all. The air was filled with the history, the nostalgia, and the celebration of the moment. And beside they just sounded so good, and that’s all that matters right?

Both support bands were really good too - Drop Dead Redhead - with Santa Claus on drums, (and a great drummer too I might add) which made the other two look kinda cute like they were playing in a band with their really cool Dad. Great songs, with lotsa well worthy pop hooks to keep it interesting.

Then second band on were Surf Friends - great enthusiasm, and great hair, one of them looked like the he coulda been a surfie dude straight off Home and Away. They were a two piece with one guy on bass/vocals and one on guitar/drum machine/keys/vocals, I can’t fully remember. Lotsa of jumping around, and they kept doing these synchronised leaps in the air at key points in the songs. We found that pretty adorable. Both bands I would definitely see again.

So yes, a brilliant night all round - as it should be!

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Bring on the next instalment of this week’s gig marathon.

Mulatu Astatke and The Black Jesus Experience at the Powerstation tonight..

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Then on Saturday (Election Day..oooh)

My first visit to the St Barnabas Scout Hall in Mt Eden for this mean early afternoon bbq gig :

Scout Hall Massacre

Including the loveable Rackets, and other faves Mean Girls, Beach Pigs,

and also Sex Pest, who I haven’t seen before, but surely worth it just for the name

http://www.mukuna.co.nz/auckland/central/gig58059.htm

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This will be followed by a quick stroll down to the Powerstation again

for the much anticipated album release gig for The Checks.

They’re all grown up now, almost 10 years on from when they started as teenagers, and are sounding mighty fine. Even better than you remember (if you can remember that far back ;)

Check out their new video for Candyman Shimmer here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O6D107roQg

Watching Flashdance on telly tonight. How have I not seen this movie before, it’s hilarious. A true 80s classic. 

Ladies and gentlemen, the Mactini.

My first trip to Melbourne got off to an eventful start. Like a seasoned pro, I took off my belt to place in the tray where the bags are scanned..then the guy asked if I had anything else in my pockets. A routine question, and I can see why they ask this now.

I turned out the pockets of my pea green coat and found a party popper from a show I went to a couple of weekends ago. I had to laugh as I handed it over. A friendly security guard had to take it away and come back with a form to fill out about ‘declaration and seizure of dangerous goods’.

Haha! Party popper are dangerous things y’know. 

Imagine if I’d accidentally let that off in the plane!