christmas – New Zealand Arts Review

Reviewed by Malcolm Calder

Tales of an Urban Indian

An immersive TIFT experience

By Darrell Dennis

Director Herbie Barnes

With Nolan Moberly (Simon) and Dean Deffett (Stage Manager)

Jan 11 to 14 2024

The Bus Stop, Corbans Estate Art Centre

Review by Malcolm Calder

11 January 2024

I went for a 90 minute ride today. With others. On an AT bus. In and around some of Auckland’s western suburbs. And an actor called Nolan Moberley told us a story.

I’m glad I did. Because it left me drained. Exhausted. And not a lot of theatre does that to me.

Moberley gave us bus passengers a character named Simon Douglas, an indigenous Canadian born on an Indian reservation in British Columbia perhaps 50 years ago. He is a product of the Canadian Indian Residential School system. Tales of an Urban Indian focusses on his struggles with self, on family and heritage and on the world in which he lives during childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, moving into an ever-increasingly urban lifestyle.

His issues are shared by a cohort that is international. But the context of each is unique.

This story is moving and painful at times. It tells of segregation, alienation and rejection. It tells of aspiration and maybe even – hope. As Simon says, “it’s a story I need to tell, not because it’s extraordinary, but because it’s common. Too common, and it’s not told enough. It’s a story about my people …”.

In this country we have some awareness of our own socio-historical context and, to some extent, we like to think we comprehend something of the Australian terrain too. Or perhaps we only think we do.

For some reason however, Canada is not imprinted on our national consciousness in the same way. Hardly at all in fact. And that is what made this performance so strikingly different for me. The issues may not be dissimilar. But the context certainly is.

Nolan Moberley gives a bravura performance, somehow keeping his footing as our big blue bus as it lurched over traffic humps and narrow turnarounds. I’m not sure if the itinerary was random or carefully programmed but there was something deliciously ironic as we passed smashed up deserted and graffitied houses that somehow echoed the words of the script. Or how Simon’s vain attempts to get work in films, fancying himself to be James Bond, came just as we passed some of the giant sound stages that encircle this part of Auckland.

Accolades to our driver who found his way into and through some impossibly teensy streets and to stage manager Dean Deffett who revealed stage management skills delivered by sign-language.

After 90 minutes I was starting to wonder how director Herbie Barnes would round it all off – or get Simon off the bus, to coin a phrase. He did. But no spoiler alerts from me. You will just have to take your own ride to discover how. It is fitting, apt.

First Nations theatre has developed an ever-increasing international voice over the last few decades and Talk Is Free Theatre (TIFT) is to be congratulated for sharing thus Canadian story with other parts of the world, for finding commonality there and for such a breathtakingly exhaustive bus ride.

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Auckland Choral and Pipers Sinfonia Image Randy Weaver

Handel’s Messiah
Auckland Choral and Pipers Sinfonia
Auckland Town Hall
December 17

Reviewed by John Daly-Peoples

Auckland Choral has been singing the Messiah every year at Christmastime since 1856 but despite this long history, each year Auckland Choral manages to bring a fresh interpretation with new singers.

Although it is immensely popular, with great tunes the Messiah can be a challenge to make it a truly great experience.

The work has aspects of an opera but does not have an opera’s dramatic form. There are no characters as such and no direct speech. Instead, the text provides insights into the spiritual, emotional and psychological dimensions of Christ’s life as well as the joys and struggles of mankind. Part I deals with prophecies by Isaiah and others, and moves to the annunciation and the shepherds, the only “scene” taken from the Gospels. Part II concentrates on the Passion of Jesus ending with the Hallelujah Chorus. Part III covers the resurrection and Christ’s glorification in Heaven.

A great performance of the Messiah needs to have soloists who convey the various narrative lines and psychological nuances of the work, expressing aspects of the life of Christ as well as that of the common man. It also requires an orchestra of exceptional quality to provide the emotional content and drama of the work.

With this year’s Messiah Auckland Choral and Pipers Sinfonia conducted by Uve Grodd achieved all that was necessary with an exhilarating display along with the four soloists: Kristin Darragh (mezzo-soprano), Anna Leese (soprano), Simon O’Neill (tenor) and Wade Kernot (bass).

Conductor Uve Grodd with Anna Leese (soprano), Kristin Darragh (mezzo-soprano), Simon O’Neill (tenor) and Wade Kernot (bass). Image Randy Weaver

The bass has some of best tunes to sing in the Messiah and Wade Kernot gave them a fresh interpretation making him the stand-out appearance of the concert. His singing of “The people that walked in darkness”, exposed the dark and eerie quality of the oratorio and his “Why do the nations” sounded like a powerful revolutionary call to arms.

Simon O’Neill’s “Comfort ye” was well modulated showing a superbly controlled voice making his opening recitative a moving description. His dynamism extended throughout his singing and his second half “Thou shalt break them” which was delivered with strength and precision was filled with a mix of anger and aggression.

Kristin Darragh lacked power in some of her early arias, but later on the richness of her voice allowed her to give an affecting performance notably with her anguished account of “He was despised and rejected of men” which she imbued with sorrow and despair. In the second part of the that Air she changed tempo and intensity brilliantly; Throughout she used her voice to effectively create an interplay with the orchestra which provided emotional refrains to her lines.

Anna Leese had a great stage presence with a bright, incisive voice full of drama and feeling. She excelled in some of her singing notably in the duet “He Shall feed his His flock”, while her singing “I know my redeemer livith” showed her ability to project and to use her luxurious voice to create an intimacy with the audience,

Conductor Uwe Grodd proved himself to be a conductor who thinks through the music. There was a balance between the various parts of the orchestra and between choir and orchestra which brought out the best in the music and the singers. The choir as usual turned on a polished performance in which individual voices surfaced and merged providing an opulence and majesty to the work. The choir was electrifying in some of its choruses, producing sounds which ranged from the light and sweet to the vibrant and dark.

Their singing of the Hallelujah Chorus was a highlight while their singing of “All we like sheep” was particularly thrilling and expressive.

Trumpeter Josh Rogan gave a sensational performance in his “The trumpet will sound” ‘duet’ with Stephen Bemelman This section which ends with the words “we shall be changed” seemed to be a more appropriate ending to the whole oratorio given the power of the two performers.

Organist John Wells gave an inspiring accompaniment with some thrilling, burnished sounds which heightened the drama of many of the choruses. At times it seemed he created a cloud of sound which hovered above the choir while at other times he produced tidal waves of sound which rolled into the audience.

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