Review Archive
Dr Vanessa Byrnes is an award-winning director, actor, producer and performance teacher who’s worked extensively in film and theatre in New Zealand and overseas. She has led and collaborated on more than 150 theatre and screen productions during the past 25 years in everything from independent, self-funded works to major international productions. This includes numerous feature films, short films, television commercials/drama, radio, and theatre. She is a passionate advocate of the power of creativity, the significance of the role of the artist in society, and the quality and innovation of New Zealand work. She is currently Head of Creative Industries at Unitec (Auckland).
In 2000 Vanessa was the first Australasian to assistant-direct at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London, staging The Two Noble Kinsmen for the Globe’s main stage with director Tim Carroll and the Red Company at The Globe. In 2015 she directed a heavily-cut and highly contemporary version of Antony and Cleopatra for Unitec’s third year actors, which was recently reworked for 9 shows at Auckland’s Pop-up Globe theatre season (28 March- 9 April 2016).
Vanessa was Senior Acting tutor and Manager of the Acting Department at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School; in over 11 years there she also taught acting and directed productions at Toi Whakaari and Victoria University. In tertiary environments and professionally, she has directed many classic, contemporary, devised and text-based theatre productions.
Vanessa trained at Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School (Acting, 1994) and Waikato University (MA, 1992: PhD, 2015). Her doctorate focussed on directing, looking at the praxis of selected New Zealand text-based theatre directors. She is currently writing further in this area. She has held senior leadership roles for various arts education bodies, and freelances under her own production company. Vanessa is a past Board Member of Downstage Theatre, Playmarket, the Shakespeare Globe Centre (NZ) and TAPAC: The Auckland Performing Arts Centre. As a director she brings compassion, rigour and craft to the table.
Welcome to the review archive.
Theatre and dance reviews since 2006.
ZEN DOG
Auckland
25/11/2013 - 30/11/2013
"Mick’s Epic Odyssey a generous offering..
CHICAGO
Auckland
02/11/2013 - 21/12/2013
"Give ’em the old tit-ill-ation..
"An intoxicating, heady cocktail..
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MIDSUMMER
Auckland
24/10/2013 - 23/11/2013
"Truly, Madly, Summerly..
BADJELLY THE WITCH
Auckland, Nelson
12/07/2013 - 21/07/2013
"Enchanting delight..
"BADJELLY THE WITCH..
SHORT+SWEET 2013 – THEATRE – Week 1
Auckland
18/06/2013 - 22/06/2013
"Sweet As…..
"Eclectic mix of Treats to savour..
JIMEOIN in WHAT?!
Auckland, Wellington
14/05/2013 - 19/05/2013
"Non-threatening, appealing but doesn’t quite spark..
"Passes the smell test..
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GREG ELLIS in VANCE FONTAINE FOR LOVERS
Auckland, Wellington
07/05/2013 - 18/05/2013
"The beauty of improv …..
"Legend..
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ONE MAN, TWO GUVNORS
Global, Auckland
14/03/2013 - 09/04/2020
"Cleverly written, impeccably paced and performed, seamlessly captured on camera..
"Centrepiece mixes wit with superb comic acting..
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The Santa Claus Show (2012)
Auckland
03/12/2012 - 22/12/2012
"Santa’s timely antidote to commercial hype..
BREL: THE WORDS AND MUSIC OF JACQUES BREL
Auckland, Nelson, Tauranga, New Plymouth, Wellington
02/11/2012 - 02/03/2014
"Finishes strongly..
"All singers portray standout moments..
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MARY POPPINS
Auckland
18/10/2012 - 30/12/2012
"A healthy spoon-full of Poppins could improve our politicians..
"New Mary Poppins is up there with the best..
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JERSEY BOYS – The Story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Auckland
14/04/2012 - 24/05/2012
"From gangsters to superstars..
"The good kind of Jersey..
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HANUSSEN – THE PALACE OF BURLESQUE
Auckland, Nelson
10/02/2012 - 14/04/2012
"A great value show..
"An unforgettable night of theatre..
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
Auckland
31/03/2012 - 21/04/2012
"Inventive, light and beautifully performed..
IN THE NEXT ROOM (OR THE VIBRATOR PLAY)
Auckland
17/03/2012 - 07/04/2012
"A Play In Need of Its Own Treatment..
"Good vibrations raise laughs..
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PROVIDENCE
Auckland
24/02/2012 - 25/02/2012
"Waiting for more..
INVISIBLE ATOM
Auckland
21/02/2012 - 25/02/2012
"Invisible Man..
"Surprisingly intimate portrait of a man in crisis..
The Adventures of Alvin Sputnik: Deep Sea Explorer
Tauranga, Auckland, Nelson, Hawea
25/02/2011 - 30/03/2023
"Sweet, uplifting story and endearing simplicity of its message heart-warming for all ages..
"Captivates with delicacy, finesse, humour and magic..
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The Sad Lament of Pecos Bill, on the Eve of Killing his Wife
Auckland, Tauranga
13/10/2010 - 28/10/2011
"Beautifully realised musical evocation of grief..
"Bold, colourful, inspiring..
On The Upside-Down of the World
Auckland, Edinburgh, Scotland, Hamilton, Tauranga, NYC, USA, Nelson, Wanaka, Christchurch, Wellington
01/07/2011 - 25/08/2014
"Interrogating multiple selves..
"Sweet, heartfelt and tenderly funny star performance..
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Chopper’s HARDEN THE F#CK UP, NEW ZEALAND!
Auckland, Wellington, Tauranga
12/05/2009 - 27/10/2010
"His eye for detail and lateral thinking makes him very funny..
"“It scares me that I agree with practically everything he says”..
GURU OF CHAI
Auckland & Wellington, Wellington, Nelson, Hamilton, New Plymouth, Wanaka, Auckland, NYC, USA, Christchurch, Raumati
11/02/2010 - 11/08/2024
"Guru of Chai is ‘pure theatre magic’..
"Resonant themes of love, loss and redemption leave a lasting impact..
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Tale of a Dog
Auckland, Tauranga
20/04/2009 - 30/11/2009
"A neat little package..
"Enjoyed in a well-behaved way..
