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.
KRAKEN (Trygve Wakenshaw)
Wellington, Christchurch, Auckland
06/05/2014 - 06/09/2015
"Completely won over..
"A wondrously creative imagination..
TIGHTY WHITEYS
Auckland, Wellington
06/05/2014 - 17/05/2014
"Grab your BFF..
"Supportively insane enabling of possible genius..
More reviews
NEXT BIG THINGS – Hosted by Ben Hurley (2014)
Auckland, Wellington
28/04/2014 - 05/05/2014
"Up and coming in Wellington..
"Bang for your buck..
JOSEPH HARPER – i & i
Auckland, Wellington
01/05/2014 - 10/05/2014
"Shambolic and screwed-up, slick and polished, or both?..
"Strong purpose within the shambling manner..
CONVERSATIONS WITH MY PENIS
Auckland, Wellington
30/04/2014 - 14/02/2015
"A smut-free, heartfelt play..
"Quirky, amusing and more..
More reviews
JARRED FELL in Fellon
Wellington, Auckland
29/04/2014 - 10/05/2014
"Admirably fooled with comical skill..
GUY MONTGOMERY a Succinct and Concise Summary of How He Feels About Certain Things
Auckland, Wellington
29/04/2014 - 17/05/2014
"Juxtaposes the great and extraordinary with the mundane and ordinary..
THE PIANIST
Nelson, Tauranga, Wellington, Hamilton, Edinburgh, Scotland, Auckland, Kerikeri
21/10/2013 - 23/04/2015
"Exceptionally skilled performance with an extra helping of panache..
"Bravura Recital..
More reviews
RACECARS Vs CUPCAKES
Wellington
22/04/2014 - 03/05/2014
"Liberating kids from gender limitations..
OTHER DESERT CITIES
Wellington
19/04/2014 - 17/05/2014
"Unhappy families..
"Astutely crafted to explode secrets..
MR McGEE & THE BITING FLEA
Wellington
19/04/2014 - 11/10/2014
"First-rate, road-tested, children’s entertainment..
"Partnership draws audience into marvellous world of adventures..
More reviews
BADJELLY THE WITCH
Wellington
19/04/2014 - 03/05/2014
"Cast overcomes noise to tell the story..
"An excellent holiday investment..
THE WATER STATION
Wellington
16/04/2014 - 26/04/2014
"Theme of slow decline gets under the skin..
"Rich in metaphor..
Rita and Douglas
Queenstown, Wellington, Tauranga, Dunedin, Wanaka, Auckland, Nelson
12/04/2011 - 12/04/2014
"Poignant and elegantly told..
"Deeply insightful..
More reviews
THIS RUGGED BEAUTY
Wellington
25/03/2014 - 05/04/2014
"The quest for authenticity and integrity..
GLORIA’S HANDBAG
Nelson, Wellington, Invercargill
22/03/2014 - 11/05/2017
"A gorgeous little gem of a play..
"Powerhouse performance brings pleasure and pathos..
More reviews
20 NEW ZEALAND PLAYWRIGHTS
Global
01/01/2014 - 31/12/2014
"The chroniclers, conscience, predictors, pretention-prickers and imagineers of our times..
BLACK ROMEDY
Wellington
18/03/2014 - 22/03/2014
"Much to recommend it as a showcase and testing ground for emerging talent..
AN ILIAD
Wellington
12/03/2014 - 14/03/2014
"Brings an unwelcome truth home..
"War’s horrors recited..
ONCE WE BUILT A TOWER
Dunedin, Wellington
11/03/2014 - 02/09/2014
"Rare to be so engaged and swept up in idealism for an entire performance..
"Warm, engaging tribute to a forgotten hero..
More reviews
MY STORIES YOUR EMAILS
Wellington
08/03/2014 - 15/03/2014
"Cryptic stories but who is the real Martinez?..
"To: ursula@ursulamartinez.com..
TOM CREAN – ANTARCTIC EXPLORER
Wellington
06/03/2014 - 09/03/2014
"Mischievous wit and wry perceptions..
SKINDIANA JONES AND THE RAIDERS OF THE LOST HARLOT
Wellington
05/03/2014 - 08/03/2014
"G-strings, fishnet stockings and perky pasties served with satirical wit..
