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.
Hail to the Thief
Wellington
01/03/2008 - 08/03/2008
"Dramatic tension missing #1..
"Uneven despite some great performances..
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Wasps
Wellington
20/02/2008 - 02/03/2008
"Relaxed, chatty and festive..
"Lively translation of classic satire..
Ruthie Bird and the King of Hearts
Wellington
29/02/2008 - 08/03/2008
"It speaks to the audience about our humanity..
"Dramatic tension missing #2..
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Get Cuffed!
Wellington
28/02/2008 - 01/03/2008
"Full-on, dynamic, power-house performance..
"Leaves me untouched..
Lifeboat
Wellington
28/02/2008 - 01/03/2008
"Quality work..
"Tale of a sinking proves uplifting..
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Te Karakia
Auckland, Wellington
27/02/2008 - 08/03/2009
"Deep, strong and moving..
"Moral dilemmas dramatised through love story..
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Jane Austen Is Dead
Wellington
24/02/2008 - 13/07/2013
"Obsessions that can bedevil us #2..
"Piercing accuracy and finesse..
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Location Location
Wellington
01/02/2008 - 26/02/2008
"free flowing, energised production..
"Deceit in Realty..
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Charlie
Wellington
23/02/2008 - 26/02/2008
"Flat and clunky despite explosions of emotion..
"Heartfelt romanticised cliché..
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Blinkers
Wellington
24/02/2008 - 28/02/2008
"Irresistible humour and pathos..
"Charming vignette..
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Blackbird
Wellington
23/02/2008 - 02/03/2008
"Well (but not brilliantly) done..
"Gripping interactions keep us guessing..
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La Vie
Wellington
23/02/2008 - 16/03/2008
"Wonderful acts..
"Wildly enjoyable..
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Black Watch
Wellington
22/02/2008 - 09/03/2008
"Loved it..
"A storm in the desert..
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Three Sisters
Wellington
22/02/2008 - 26/02/2008
"Just delicious..
"Surtitle positioning impinges on deeply prepared production..
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No Freedom Without You
Wellington
21/02/2008 - 23/02/2008
"What do market forces have to answer for?..
Step Up Darlings, It’s Ten-In-One!
Wellington
20/02/2008 - 23/02/2008
"Flair and guts..
"A feast of skills..
Engaged
Wellington
20/02/2008 - 22/02/2008
"Intriguing, unnerving and voyeuristic..
"Dodgy dealings in public convenience..
2b or nt 2b?
Wellington
18/02/2008 - 10/05/2008
"Comic gem from a serious subject..
"An excellent idea, intelligently realised..
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Sensible Susan & the Queen's Merkin: A morality play
Wellington
18/02/2008 - 22/02/2008
"A sheer pleasure to watch..
"Look out for a much hoped for return season!..
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BabyCakes
Wellington
17/02/2008 - 20/02/2008
"Undemanding romp..
"Great little play with twists..
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Shipwrecked Beneath the Stars
Wellington
15/02/2008 - 19/02/2008
"Script not well served..
"Welcome complexity and clever construction..
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March of the Meeklings: An Apocalyptic Romp
Wellington
15/02/2008 - 16/02/2008
"Classic Fringe fare..
Vula
Wellington
14/02/2008 - 17/02/2008
"Exhilarating beauty..
"A sensuous massage of senses and the imagination..
