Review Archive
John Smythe has trained and worked professionally in New Zealand, Australia then back in New Zealand as a playwright, director, screenwriter (& screenwriting teacher), actor, theatre critic and book writer.
His formal qualifications include a Bachelor of Dramatic Art from the National Institute of Dramatic Art (Sydney) and a Certificate in Screenwriting from the Australian Film Television and Radio School. He has also completed honours papers and a range of script writing courses.
Theatre directing credits in Australia include plays by Shakespeare, Ibsen, and Gorki, and world premieres of plays by himself, Len Radic, David Williamson, Louis Esson, Katharine Susannah Prichard, Jack Hibberd and David O’Brien. Back in NZ he directed his own trilogy of short plays – ENTRANCING EXITS: Ms Conception; Nothing Twisted; Used Heads, at Bats Theatre, Wellington International Festival of the Arts; Faulty (sic) Towers & Blackadder’s Banquet at the Museum Hotel.
Playwright credits include Entrancing Exits (BATS Theatre), Conundra (Ensemble Productions), Swaggy Mack and his Magic Back Track (Arena Theatre), The Seven Stages of Hugh Mann (Melbourne University Theatre), Party Games (Jane St Theatre; La Mama) and Making A Play (Melbourne Theatre Company; Central Theatre), Where There’s a Will (BATS Theatre). Unproduced plays include Thelma, Weather and The Virtues of Reality.
John has also written The Peace Monster (Vintage, 1991); Downstage Upfront: the first 40 years of New Zealand’s longest-running professional theatre (Victoria University Press, November 2004) and The Plays of Bruce Mason – a survey (VUP & Playmarket, November 2015).
Amid a wide range of acting roles on stage, television and film, John has played Polonius and the Gravedigger in Hamlet twice (2006 and 2011). In 2012 and with Arts On Tour NZ in 2013 he played James Joyce, Samuel Beckett and Carl Jung in Jan Bolwell’s Dancing in the Wake. In 2015 he played Barry Scanlan in his own play, Where There’s a Will, at BATS Theatre. (Since 2000 he has also played Birdboot in an annual VUW English Dept reading of Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound.)
Before becoming the founding Managing Editor of Theatreview.org.nz in 2006, John was a theatre critic for The Melbourne Times, The Australian, Theatre Australia Magazine, The National Business Review.
Welcome to the review archive.
Theatre and dance reviews since 2006.
UNLOCKED
Wellington
16/10/2019 - 16/10/2019
"Less would be more..
COCK
Wellington
12/10/2019 - 09/11/2019
"No Exit..
"Witty and intense: powerful theatre..
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WITI’S WĀHINE
Gisborne, Wellington
05/10/2019 - 13/06/2021
"Illuminating the grace, strength, elegance and eloquence of Mana Wāhine..
"A truly special night..
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THE NED NIAMH SHOW
Wellington
01/10/2019 - 05/10/2019
"Light yet enlightening and satirically humane..
HARLEQUEEN
Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin
01/03/2019 - 07/11/2020
"Celebrates transgressive female fools – and shocks us..
"Howells of laughter..
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HE KURA KŌRERO The Gift of Speech
Wellington
01/10/2019 - 12/10/2019
"Interesting, funny and positive..
"Flair, fun and focus..
THE PIED PIPER
Wellington
28/09/2019 - 11/10/2019
"Everyone’s smiling at the end..
Katie Boyle in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR
Nelson, Dunedin, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Wellington
04/04/2019 - 21/09/2019
"Played with engaging charm and extraordinary equanimity..
"A mammoth effort and a resounding success..
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PEGGY PICKIT SEES THE FACE OF GOD
Wellington
14/09/2019 - 12/10/2019
"Culture clash play seems out of date..
"Not for the passive observer..
WISE GUY
Wellington
10/09/2019 - 14/09/2019
"An inspired creative force..
"An interesting playwriting debut..
THE PINK HAMMER
Wellington
07/09/2019 - 05/10/2019
"Ebullient and affecting..
"Resoundingly hits the mark..
HOW TO APOLOGY
Wellington
04/09/2019 - 04/09/2019
"Generates interest in the mundane..
aloFA
Rotorua, Wellington, Hamilton
27/08/2019 - 14/09/2019
"Deeply moving..
"Exposing truths and untold stories earns standing ovation..
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RUN RABBIT
Wellington
24/08/2019 - 24/08/2019
"Dynamic, gentle, discursive yet direct and powerful..
SYMMETRY
Wellington
22/08/2019 - 22/08/2019
"Fluidly and fluently evokes the unreal reality of being human..
TINY DEATHS
Wellington
20/08/2019 - 20/08/2019
"Superbly crafted insights..
CLUB PARADISO
Auckland, Wellington
02/06/2015 - 17/08/2019
"Shocking, surprising, insightful..
"It doesn’t get better – or scarier – than this..
BURN HER
Wellington
03/08/2019 - 31/08/2019
"Distils the big themes of political intrigue with insight, flair, withering wit and a welcome humanity..
HAMLET
New Plymouth, Nelson, Napier, Wellington, Christchurch, Hamilton, Dunedin
25/06/2019 - 08/09/2019
"Slick production plays at a cracking pace..
"Triumphant revelling in challenges..
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MEASURE FOR MEASURE
Dunedin, Wellington, Napier, Nelson, Hamilton, Christchurch, New Plymouth
25/06/2019 - 07/09/2019
"Beautifully balances the comic and bawdy with the serious and heartfelt..
"An absolute masterclass in comedic Shakespearian performance..
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High School Magical THE REUNION
Wellington
23/07/2019 - 27/07/2019
"The PlayShop team proves yet again what wizards they are at this improv lark..
THE DUNSTAN CREEK HAUNTING
Christchurch, Dunedin, Invercargill, Auckland, Nelson, Wellington
16/04/2016 - 20/07/2019
"Kiwi ghost story with an eerie twist gets audience jumping..
"Entertainingly chill..
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BATHTIME BUBBLES A Messy Magic Adventure
Wellington
09/07/2019 - 20/07/2019
"Ingeniously crafted antics and fun..
