Review Archive
Helen Watson White is a Dunedin writer who has been a professional theatre critic for nearly 50 years and is one of the judges for the Dunedin Theatre Awards. As well as writing for Theatreview she currently reviews opera for NZ Opera News and non-fiction books for Landfall (print)and Landfall Review Online.
Welcome to the review archive.
Theatre and dance reviews since 2006.
THE SENSEMAKER
Wellington, Dunedin
28/02/2023 - 25/03/2023
"Unique, complex, enigmatic - don't miss it..
"Fascinatingly unpredictable - a one in a thousand performance..
An Incomplete Education (Une Éducation Manquée)
Dunedin
22/03/2023 - 25/03/2023
"19th-century French opera with a 21st-century vibe..
Lessons Learned From Hannibal Lecter
Dunedin
19/03/2023 - 22/03/2023
"A cracker of a comedy..
SGCNZ NATIONAL SHAKESPEARE SCHOOLS PRODUCTION 2022
Dunedin
07/10/2022 - 08/10/2022
"Communicating a passion for Shakespeare performance..
HEART'S DESIRE
Dunedin
05/11/2020 - 07/11/2020
"External tedium contrasted with thrilling internal havoc..
"A witty, satirical gem..
SGCNZ NATIONAL SHAKESPEARE SCHOOLS PRODUCTION 2020
Dunedin
02/10/2020 - 03/10/2020
"Promising talents revel in irony, humour, clowning, music and dancing..
THE DAYLIGHT ATHEIST
Dunedin, Wellington, Invercargill
21/07/2020 - 07/08/2020
"A rich and engrossing experience..
"Beautifully crafted writing and performance..
More reviews
A HUNDRED WORDS FOR SNOW
Wellington, Dunedin
05/09/2019 - 05/03/2022
"The most enriching experience so far..
"Astonishing tale impressively told..
More reviews
Ghosts
Dunedin
20/04/2017 - 11/05/2017
"Short, sharp play of love, duty and deceit..
"Ibsen still has power to shock..
More reviews
SHYLOCK
Nelson, Dunedin, Auckland
09/10/2016 - 22/10/2016
"Affecting, thought-provoking, skilfully performed..
"Impressive skill, intelligence, humour and sentiment..
More reviews
UNDER MILK WOOD
Dunedin, Nelson, Auckland
08/10/2016 - 22/10/2016
"Celebrating timeless brilliance..
"Effortless, agile, polished and fresh..
More reviews
NOT IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
Wellington, Auckland, Invercargill, Dunedin, Christchurch, Palmerston North
01/03/2014 - 24/06/2017
"Devastating yet wanted more..
"The importance of this work cannot be overstated..
More reviews
THE PLAYS OF BRUCE MASON a survey
New Zealand wide
18/08/2016 - 31/12/2016
"Takes every opportunity to take the plays back to ‘Bruce the man’..
"Skimming the works of a master..
More reviews
KINGS OF THE GYM
Dunedin
06/02/2016 - 27/02/2016
"Bouncing ideas off the theatre walls..
"Flawed characters elicit empathy and tolerance..
MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS, an historical masque
Dunedin
16/10/2013 - 16/10/2013
"Nostalgia, humour and audacity..
Blithe Spirit
Dunedin
09/12/2011 - 17/12/2011
"Coward’s favourite well presented..
"Disciplined ensemble excellence aloows lightness and merriment to thrive..
Kiri Te Kanawa in Recital
Dunedin
16/10/2010 - 16/10/2010
"Enters the spirit of any song..
Taonga: Dust, Water, Wind
Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin
12/03/2009 - 27/10/2010
"It takes a team to create magnificence..
"Poems inspired by a kuia..
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L’Orfeo
Dunedin
10/10/2010 - 15/10/2010
"The more powerful for being unforced..
Shall We Gather at the River
Dunedin
08/10/2010 - 17/10/2010
"Two more memorable women added to Renee’s crowd..
The Country Wife
Dunedin
25/06/2009 - 04/07/2009
"Enormously entertaining..
"Curly-wigged artifice, witty circumlocution and downright intrigue..
The School for Scandal
Dunedin
05/10/2006 - 14/10/2006
"Flexibility and quantum leaps..
"Little left to languish..