KEY POINTS:
In Auckland's theatres, 2006 was the year of the long look back - the best plays were all at least 30 years old and most of the new works were either set in the 1960s or infused with the warm glow of nostalgia.
I don't know whether this says anything about the spirit of our times, but theatre remains one of the few art forms where word-of-mouth consistently trumps marketing, and makes it as good a place as any to ferret out the zeitgeist of our anxious city.
The prevalence of backward-looking theatre suggests a crisis of confidence. When a people, who used to pride themselves on getting things done, feel they are incapable of building a rugby stadium it is comforting to summon up the energy and optimism of a remembered past.
On the other hand, our fascination with history might be counted as evidence of a growing maturity and a stronger sense of where we come from.
Explosions of cultural innovation are often built on rediscovery of traditions and this year saw a number of works by young theatre practitioners who forged something new out of a grab-bag of traditional influences.
The year opened on a surrealistic note with a Summer Shakespeare production of The Comedy of Errors in which commedia dell'arte collided with Fred Dagg. In a similar vein Theatre Beating successfully constructed a new type of cabaret theatre in Happy Hour for Miserable Children with materials pilfered from the classics of the silent movie era.
Perhaps most successfully, Rebel Alliance began their Night of French Mayhem with an exuberant exploration of Moliere's unique brand of observational satire presented in full period costume. In the second half the company successfully switched to a contemporary comedy of manners that tipped its hat to The Office.
An Auckland Theatre Company play by acclaimed American writer J.P. Shanley showed how history can throw fresh light on contemporary issues. Doubt was set in the 60s but the play suggests that the winds of change which blew through the Second Vatican Council are now howling in the culture wars that have divided America into Red and Blue states.
The play was also a stunning showcase for the talents of Elizabeth Hawthorne, who seemed to be at the height of her powers with her delicate portrayal of a character who walks the borderline between hero and villain.
Theatre's ability to address political issues was driven home by a remarkable presentation of two of Harold Pinter's recent plays. Ashes to Ashes is a minimalist meditation on human atrocity that delivers a compelling demonstration of the raw power of live theatre. In this show Michael Lawrence's weirdly dislocated voice generated one of the most memorable performances of the year.
In a lighter vein, Michael Hurst's anarchic take on Twelfth Night was the perfect antidote for the mid-winter blues. Fully professional presentations of Shakespeare are becoming rare and this production confirmed the importance of such shows - not only for the pleasure they bring to audiences but also for the challenges they provide our leading actors. George Henare revealed that he is a superb comic actor while Tandi Wright was utterly captivating as Viola.
Revivals of Bruce Mason's End of the Golden Weather and Roger Hall's Glide Time set an impossibly high benchmark for local writers but Michael Galvin impressed with his debut as a playwright and I enjoyed Craig Cooper's wonderfully irreverent Complete History of New Zealand - Abridged.
Final mention goes to Annie Whittle whose brilliant performance in the Glen Eden Playhouse production of The Glass Menagerie proved that sometimes the best show in town is right under your nose at your community theatre.
