Review Archive

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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.

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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..

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A HUNDRED WORDS FOR SNOW

Wellington, Dunedin

05/09/2019 - 05/03/2022

"The most enriching experience so far..

"Astonishing tale impressively told..

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Ghosts

Dunedin

20/04/2017 - 11/05/2017

"Short, sharp play of love, duty and deceit..

"Ibsen still has power to shock..

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SHYLOCK

Nelson, Dunedin, Auckland

09/10/2016 - 22/10/2016

"Affecting, thought-provoking, skilfully performed..

"Impressive skill, intelligence, humour and sentiment..

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UNDER MILK WOOD

Dunedin, Nelson, Auckland

08/10/2016 - 22/10/2016

"Celebrating timeless brilliance..

"Effortless, agile, polished and fresh..

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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..

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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..

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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..

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