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.
D'Arranged Marriage
Auckland, Wellington
12/09/2006 - 30/09/2006
"Comedy nicely arranged..
"Richly woven comic tale..
Picture Perfect
Wellington
09/09/2006 - 07/10/2006
"The wizardry of Artificial Intelligence..
"Family raises the dead..
More reviews
Beautiful City
Auckland, Dunedin, Wellington
06/09/2006 - 14/10/2006
"Exploratory experience..
"Prosaic abstractions..
The Lead Wait
Wellington
11/06/2006 - 06/09/2006
"Absorbing ultra-naturalism..
The Seeds of Love
Wellington
05/09/2006 - 09/09/2006
"Depths and heights..
"All senses engaged..
Floor Play
Christchurch, Auckland, Wellington
29/08/2006 - 08/09/2006
"For those who like to watch..
And What Remains
Wellington
25/08/2006 - 02/09/2006
"Implausible leap of faith required..
"Inconceivable..
Shifting
Wellington
22/08/2006 - 02/09/2006
"Finely tuned second time round..
"The paradox of constant change..
Go Solo 06
Wellington
18/08/2006 - 26/08/2006
"Future of theatre (groups A & D)..
"Real, surreal, comic, dramatic..
More reviews
Squatter
Wellington
16/08/2006 - 19/08/2006
"Poor return on audience investment..
The Graduate
Palmerston North
27/07/2006 - 02/09/2006
"From broad to insightful..
Into the REM Zone
Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington
12/08/2006 - 31/08/2006
"Magical, whimsical, surreal, delightful..
Under Milk Wood
Wellington
12/08/2006 - 09/09/2006
"Exquisite, delicious classic..
"Familiar play sparkles afresh..
More reviews
You Can’t Surf in Aotea Square
Wellington
08/08/2006 - 12/08/2006
"Another gem from Unitec..
La Creduta Morta
Wellington
08/08/2006 - 12/08/2006
"Tragical comedy..
Wild East
Wellington
05/08/2006 - 09/09/2006
"Wild ride and comic gem..
"Authenticity needed to validate extreme behaviour..
Fool For Love
Wellington
27/07/2006 - 05/08/2006
"Obssessive, illicit, compelling..
"A seedy kind of love story..
Trinity
Wellington
27/07/2006 - 30/07/2006
"Is showcasing enough?..
The Rivals
Wellington
29/07/2006 - 02/09/2007
"Insanely long..
"Problematical imprecision..
More reviews
U Boat Down Under
Wellington
27/07/2006 - 05/08/2006
"Achtung! The Germans have come..
"Craft founders in shallows..
Death (and Love) in Gaza
Wellington
25/07/2006 - 05/08/2006
"Play part of pro-Palestine movement..
"Political engagement..
More reviews
Swan Lake On Ice
Auckland, Wellington
13/07/2006 - 05/08/2006
"Auckland gives brilliance lack-lustre response..
"Ice, fire and thrills but no tutus..
Lovepuke
Wellington
11/07/2006 - 22/07/2006
"How the lovesick score..
"In a word: juicy..
