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BE LIKE BILLY?
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CONTACT: kiaora@metromaori.co.nz
REVIEWS
"A show like Be Like Billy deserves to be seen around the country, for a long time. With this show, Rutene Spooner (and director Holly Chapell-Eason) have created a show that deserves to be more than the latest in a long line of complex shows that interrogate the place of Māori performers in culture. It deserves to be part of the canon of New Zealand theatre."
Dramatic Pause | Sam Brookes
2024
“An outstanding show, a fine performer, so proud of how far we’ve come.”
Theatreview | Lexie Matheson ONZM
Rutene Spooner—a man of our time—now challenges us, as a modern audience, with a wero: to know better and do better. We can continue to admire our icons, but finding an authentic voice and entertaining with it is what truly makes one iconic. Be Like Billy? Be like Rutene.
Theatreview | Rosie Cairns
MEDIA
What does it mean to be like Billy T? Cabaret explores complex comedy
Spooner explores the path James forged for other Māori entertainers, the relevancy of his work in 2024, and his own relationship with his childhood hero.
STUFF | Karanama Ruru | Sept 1, 2024
A new cabaret show Be like Billy? explores the legacy of one's of New Zealand's greatest entertainers Billy T James.
Rutene Spooner grew up watching Billy's work on old VHS tapes with his whanau ... and now stars in the one-man show where he shares his personal relationship with his childhood hero and looks into the complicated past and future of Māori in entertainment.
New Billy T. James cabaret - Be like Billy?
RADIO NEW ZEALAND | Jessie Mulligan | Sept 9, 2024
“This show is for anyone who loves a good cabaret! Rutene Spooner is charming and charismatically funny as he addresses and welcomes the audience with pizazz and flair, and even includes an audience ‘aunty’ – much to her and the audience’s delight – and boy can he SING!!”
Theatreview | Fiona Collins
Rutene Spooner keeps Māori comedy alive in the hilarious one-man show 'Be Like Billy,’ showcasing his hero Billy T James with a blend of original waiata and garage party classics. Lineni Tuitupou has more.
Rutene Spooner brings Māori comedy to life in Billy T James tribute
TVNZ Te Karere | Lineni Tuitupou | Sept 25, 2024
Rutene Spooner keeps Māori comedy alive in the hilarious one-man show 'Be Like Billy,’ showcasing his hero Billy T James with a blend of original waiata and garage party classics. Lineni Tuitupou has more. Rutene Spooner is putting everything he has learnt to the test in his latest solo cabaret show “Be Like Billy?”. The Gisborne-born performer wants to use his platform to spark kõrero about where we sit as Māori today, and what we want for the future, while having a good laugh.
Rutene Spooner is putting everything he has learnt to the test in his latest solo cabaret show “Be Like Billy?”.
TVNZ Marae | Irena Smith | Sept 25, 2024
REVIEWS
"Spooner lays out this complexity for us in a show that starts with joy and celebration, with nostalgia, then pivots to something more complex when the audience is confronted with the division between laughing at and laughing with"
Flat City Field Notes | Erin Harrington
2023
“Rutene Spooner plays the role of cheeky, cheerful entertainer with great charm and talent to spare”
Theatreview | Lindsay Clark,
“Be Like Billy? will surely go down as a true taonga of Aotearoa’s theatre history”
Backstage Christchurch | Belinda Cullen Reid,
PUBLICATIONS
Rutene Spooner's new one-man show explores comedy of Billy T James
Award-winning Māori actor Rutene Spooner has performed on the Court Theatre stage countless times over more than a decade, but on Saturday he will play a Māori role for the first time.
THE PRESS | Charlie Gates | March 20, 2023
Last night audiences at Court Theatre in Christchurch witnessed the world premiere of a new play about the legendary Kiwi entertainer, Billy T James. Be Like Billy? is written and performed by local musical theatre superstar Rutene Spooner. It was commissioned by the Court all the way back in 2016. Dan Slevin asked Rutene whether he always writes this slowly.
World Premiere of 'Be Like Billy?'
RADIO NEW ZEALAND | Dan Slevin | 26 March 2023