Review published in NZNewsUK July 2010

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The Butler
The Pleasance, Islington (London)
12 Jul 2010
REVIEW: Take a 2 pound ball-peen ham m er and ask a friend to sm ack you on the
forehead w ith it. That’s how stunned you’ll be after w atching The Butler. Property Listings more>
Location
Penned by NZ columnist and w riter, Joe Bennet, this is theatre on speed. Muscular, in your
face and highly entertaining, The Butler tears aw ay the façade of pinot pretensions to Any
reveal the grotesqueries of our social interactions in a w ay that leaves view ers both Keyw ords
uncomfortable and in aw e of the visual spectacle.
Think of the opening scene of Kubrick’s 2001 and cross it w ith Jackson’s Meet the Feebles. Search
Toss in a good measure of Cirque du Soleil and just the smallest hint of Play School. That’s
the starting place for The Butler .
NZ On Screen: Most Viewed more>
This is the tale of five dinner guests and the butler w ho serves and observes them. As the
evening party progresses, tw o other guests arrive unbidden. Much of the play revolves Neck of the Woods The Great
Photo credit: Marilyn Kingwill Unw ashed w ere an eclectic
around how they fit into the party mix. Be w arned - there is some nudity and simulated sex.
spin-off of Flying Nun's
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2. The cast are all members legendary The Clean. 'Neck of
the Woods' comes... Watch
of the Loons Circus
video...
Theatre Company. Their
Kingpin Part tw o of a trilogy
athleticism is astounding, (see also Kingi's Story, Mark II)
combining tumbling and about troubled NZ youth. Filmed
circus skills w ith more at, and inspired by... Watch
conventional acting. To video...
say they bring high
The Son of a Gunn Show -
energy to their roles is
Thingee's Eye Pop Thingee's
not hyperbole, it is an eye popping out is one of the
understatement. most famous moments on New
Zealand television. The ocular
It is unfair to draw incident... Watch video...
attention to particular Kitchen Sink Director Alison
cast members of The Maclean's surreal suburban
Photo credit: Marilyn Kingwill nightmare burst onto the
Butler because each
international scene w ith the
occupies a unique role, same impact... Watch video...
w ith specific skill sets.
The ‘Tw isty Tw inz’ Jola and Nele Siezen, are partner acrobatics specialists, tw irling from Tam a Tu Six Maori Battalion
high w ires and bending in w ays that the human body is probably not meant to. Pascal soldiers camped in Italian ruins
Ackerman is an accomplished musician amongst other things. How ever, tw o performances w ait for night to fall. In the
silence the bros-in-arms... Watch
did stand out.
video...
Tom Trevella brought an extremely w orld-w eary view to the title role. “And I, a butler in the
night, have seen it all.” Perhaps he has but the audience probably has not. He brings to mind
the melancholy Jaques from ‘As You Like It ’, complete w ith glimpses of mischief w hen he Out & About more>
can’t help but interact w ith his diners.
Four Kiw is Walk into a Bar Four Kiw is Walk
Sophie Ew ert sings gospel A Capella. But not in this show . Here she is the attention seeker, into a Bar is a guaranteed night of entertainment
on the last Thursday of every month at
using all the tricks possible to draw focus to herself. Her laugh w ould strip the Sistine
Headliners, George...
Chapel and could possibly be mistaken for a character on its ow n.
Read more...
While the play is a New Zealand production, it is not about New Zealand. Writer Joe Bennet
said “Its subject matter, the stuff it addresses, is not especially NZ. Nor is it especially Related articles Job Search more>
anyw here. It is, w e hope, universal… the Butler is concerned w ith social rules, w ith the gulf
betw een public and private behaviour.” Mustn't Grum ble: An Accidental Category
return to England Living Select one
The Butler evolved through director Mike Friend. Tasked w ith show casing Christchurch’
CircoArts school, an early The Butler w as born. A revised show w as staged at The Loons Hitching w ith dry w it Living Sub-category
in Lyttleton and then just carried on gaining momentum to reach the Pleasance theatre in Any
London. Region / Country
The Butler is a pow erful, raucous juggernaut of a production firmly aimed at adults. This is not a production suitable for children or the moral Any
minority. The script often leaves the audience how ling w ith laughter w hile the action leaves them gasping for breath at the sheer pow er of Position
the human body. It w ill make you uncomfortable as it pricks your illusions. It w ill make you reassess how you behave publicly. And it w ill
Any
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3. Any
undeniably entertain you. See it at the Pleasance before it closes on 31 July.
Keyw ords
What: The Butler
Where: Pleasance Theatre, Islington, London. Search
When: July 9-31
Review ed by Joseph Hoye 10/07/2010
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