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.
Stealing Games
Wellington
04/07/2009 - 11/07/2009
"Not to be missed..
"Kids play with adult message..
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Cinderella
Wellington
04/07/2009 - 18/07/2009
"A clever, absorbing makeover..
"Classical tale in contemporary context delivers delight..
Starlight Express
Auckland, Wellington
01/07/2009 - 09/08/2009
"Spectacularly heart-warming ride hits the right emotional chord..
"Thrill-a-thon of sound and movement..
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The Clean House
Wellington
13/06/2009 - 11/07/2009
"Frustrating to watch..
"A mix of laughter and tears..
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The Raft
Wellington
12/06/2009 - 04/07/2009
"Convincing performance..
"Actors hold back until bleak play’s final scenes..
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The Blackening
Wellington
10/06/2009 - 27/06/2009
"Deeply disturbing..
"Startling, puzzling, powerful..
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King Richard The Second
Wellington
02/06/2009 - 06/06/2009
"Intriguing to watch..
"A vivid expose of political machinations..
Othello Polynesia
Wellington
02/06/2009 - 06/06/2009
"Comic tragedy..
"Racial undertones do not register..
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All The World’s a Stage
Wellington
29/05/2009 - 27/06/2009
"Henwood the hero..
"Henwood joins illustrious group..
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Charm is Not Enough
Wellington
27/05/2009 - 06/06/2009
"Black farce of gays, breasts and devils..
"More buffet than banquet..
The History of Cardenio
Wellington
19/05/2009 - 23/05/2009
"Tragical-comical-historical-pastoral..
"Reconstruction, with reminders..
The Burn
Auckland, Wellington
02/05/2009 - 23/05/2009
"Left with little to take away..
"A Hell of blend of clownery, characterization and sharp, witty dialogue..
Cori Gonzalez-Macuer presentsPromo Girls Aren’t Models
Auckland, Wellington
02/05/2009 - 23/05/2009
"Substance by stealth..
Philip Patston gives you A BIT OF WHAT HE’S GOT
Auckland, Wellington
02/05/2009 - 23/05/2009
"Catch it..
"Underdeveloped..
A Song for the Ugly Kids
Auckland, Wellington
12/05/2009 - 23/05/2009
"Infectious silliness leaves warm glow..
"Subtly insightful..
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5 - Stir-Fried Sketch Comedy
Wellington
19/05/2009 - 23/05/2009
"Sketch stretch a romp..
Jonna’s Body, Please Hold
Wellington, Nelson, Auckland
15/05/2009 - 22/05/2009
"A triumph..
Te Radar’s Eating the Dog
Dunedin, Wellington, Auckland, Excellence on every level
12/05/2009 - 01/10/2011
"A trip off history’s beaten old track..
"Entertaining and accessible portrait of New Zealand culture..
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WellingSIN City
Wellington
10/05/2009 - 24/05/2009
"Noir show could be more transparent..
Blood Wedding
Wellington
09/05/2009 - 06/06/2009
"Captivating yet distancing..
"A strangely objective experience..
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Sammy J in the Forest of Dreams
Wellington
08/05/2009 - 23/05/2009
"Wild night of puppets..
"Astounding skills in comic coup..
A Night with Beau Tyler
Auckland, Wellington
02/11/2007 - 23/05/2009
"A wild night of gimmicks..
"Powerful comedy..
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Breaking the 5th Wall – or What is Humour?
Wellington
06/05/2009 - 09/05/2009
"Well worth it..
