Observations from the ground.
Flat City Field Notes offers reviews and essays about theatre, arts and culture in and around Ōtautahi Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand.
Latest Posts
Review: Doomsday Comedy – comedy is tragedy plus freedom
Charlotte Thrornton reviews Doomsday Comedy, at A Rolling Stone, Friday 6 February 2026. Legacy stand-ups love to tell us that comedy is about taking risks and being unafraid to offend. Doomsday Comedy bravely takes on a completely uncontroversial topic: religion. All of the performers, and much of the crowd, once adhered to some form of…
Review: The Feast – sumptuous, emotional storytelling through dance, monologue and music
Erin Harrington reviews The Feast, directed by Fleur de Thier and Renee Ryan and created with the cast, at Lyttelton Arts Factory, Friday 6 February, 2026. The return season of Fleur de Thier and Renee Ryan’s stunning 75-minute performance work The Feast is set at a long black banquet table, which is backed by a…
Review: Whakapapa – powerful theatrical self-expression about identity, origins and whānau
Ruth Agnew reviews Whakapapa, presented by Jolt Dance, as part of the World Buskers Festival, at Papa Hou, Sunday 25 January 2026. The show opens with a moment of stillness and silence. The stage is almost bare, just a row of seats painted the same dulled black as the stage and curtains at the back.…
Review: The Lord of the Rings in 90 Minutes! – quality madcap fantasy comedy and action (picnic optional but recommended)
Erin Harrington reviews the Anthony Harper Summer Theatre production of The Lord of the Rings in 90 Minutes!, produced by Rollicking Entertainment, at the Archery Lawn, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, Friday 9 January 2026. Happy 2026, and happy first major production of the year: the Anthony Harper Summer Theatre production of The Lord of the Rings…
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