DAVID EGGLETON lives in Dunedin. He is a poet and writer whose articles, reviews and essays and short stories have appeared in a variety of publications. He has had published five books of poems and a book of short fiction, and has written or contributed to many works of non-fiction. He has also released a number of poetry recordings featuring his collaborations with musicians. His most recent book of poems is Fast Talker, published by Auckland University Press in 2006. His most recent book, published in 2007 by Raupo Publishing, is Towards Aotearoa: A Short History of Twentieth Century New Zealand Art.

HARVEY MOLLOY lives and teaches in Wellington. His poems have appeared in Albatross, Blackmail Press, Bravado, Jaam, NZ Listener, Poetry New Zealand, Southern Ocean Review and Takahe. His first book of poems, Moonshot, was published by Steele Roberts in September 2008. Before training as a teacher he worked for eight years as a writer/information architect.

The Basement (Akld), BATS Theatre (Wgtn)
July 10-25 | Reviewed by Kate Blackhurst

THESE THREE PLAYS are performed one after the other each night. You can get a decent serving of up-and-coming drama and feel quite satiated after a night out or you can choose individually from the smorgasbord. They present an intriguing pick and mix of styles and themes with an overarching element of seeking a place and a sense of self. If you can afford a plane ticket, they are being presented concurrently in Auckland and it would be well worth seeing the different interpretations.

The Basement (Akld), BATS Theatre (Wgtn)
July 10-25 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

FIFTEEN years after the Young & Hungry Festival of New Works was set up in Wellington, it has finally come to Auckland – and it is set to be a valuable addition to an already lively youth theatre scene. Over sixty young theatre practitioners aged 15-25 are involved in acting and production roles in the two centres, mentored by some of the most respected names in NZ theatre. In Auckland, a partnership with the Auckland Theatre Company gives these fresh young artists access to some enviable resources, clearly shown in the production values for these three plays.

Alexandra Park, Auckland
July 9-August 23 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

ENTERING the Grand Chapiteau, I’m unexpectedly buzzed by a feeling of excitement. We’ve walked in from a cold wet bastard of an afternoon, bad even for Auckland in winter. We’ve been funneled through the souvenir tent, sneering slightly at the poor sods who are already buying. And now we have been shown to our seats, and the atmosphere in the near-capacity tent is crackling.

Circa Theatre
June 13-July 11 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

THE STRUGGLE of women trying to live life in the right way – “clean,” successful, happy or passionate – is played out over two chaotic Acts in Sarah Ruhl’s The Clean House, closing this week at Circa theatre. Ruhl’s contemporary exploration showcases the lowlights and highlights of the Western way of life for modern women. Isolation, extreme demands, longings and insecurities are played out through the mix of North and South American women who converge in quotidian circumstances that grow more and more bizarre as the play progresses. The Clean House’s self-deprecating humour is a good match for Susan Wilson’s dead-pan directing style. There is much to relate to in the oftentimes insightful and very entertaining script, which, perhaps just as much tragedy as comedy, leaves a lingering touch of darkness.