Arts and culture in Ōtautahi Christchurch
Charlotte Thronton reviews Guy Williams: Rich People Are Stealing From You, at Little Andromeda, Monday 9 November 2026. Guy Williams is good with people. He found his ideal format with the Jono & Ben spin-off New Zealand Today, where he interviews regular Kiwis about local incidents that are simultaneously mundane and bizarre. Williams hunts for… Continue reading Review: Guy Williams – Rich People Are Stealing From You – loud, loose political comedy in the post-election void
Rachel Williamson reviews Dr Jo Prendergast is #coping, at The Piano, Saturday 7 November 2026. Part stand-up comedy, part motivational TED talk, Dr Jo Prendergast's one-woman show covers the female mental load, motherhood and menopause with warmth and self-deprecating humour to highlight the toll of being a woman in today's society. Playing to a sold-out… Continue reading Review: Dr Jo Prendergast is #coping – an uneven but enjoyable hybrid show that taps into the female zeitgeist
Erin Harrington reviews Kid Jesties, at Little Andromeda, Saturday 7 November 2026. One of the weird things about improvised work is the better it is, the more likely you might be inclined to think that it’s just a bunch of charismatic, funny people being naturally quick and clever rather than professionals building on years’ worth… Continue reading Review: Kid Jesties – dynamite improvised theatre that’s big, silly and delightful
We occasionally invite guest posts from artists who are grappling with big questions about craft and practice, at points of personal and creative transition. Here, ahead of the release of her debut album The All Clear, Lyttelton-based multidisciplinary artist and poet Hester Ullyart thinks through the relationships between time, creativity and motherhood. This is ‘tick… Continue reading Guest post: The fast and the slow of it – Hester Ullyart on time, creativity, motherhood, and gestating new work
Charlotte Thornton reviews StoryLab Christchurch Story Night, at Papa Hou, Friday 6 November 2026. People are great. This is an increasingly unpopular point of view, both for those feeling jaded and for the pro-AI crowd who do the jading. But I stand by it – even if we could all do with a reminder. StoryLab… Continue reading Review: StoryLab Christchurch Story Night – a balm to the heart and soul
Erin Harrington reviews Wonder, presented by Sahara BreeZe productions, written by Sarah and Blaise Barham, directed by Pedro Ilgenfritz, at Little Andromeda, Thursday 5 November 2026. Wonder is having a hard time. She is stressed out at work and concerned for her health, but most pressingly she is in an intractable situation with the things… Continue reading Review: Wonder – an imaginative new work with humour, compassion, and some very bossy household items
Erin Harrington reviews Bride of Hyde, written by Bryn Sparks, directed by Dan Bain, at Little Andromeda, Wednesday 28 October 2026. The new play Bride of Hyde mashes together two classics, Robert Louis Stephenson’s The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (and its various adaptations) and My Fair Lady (the best-known adaptation of… Continue reading Review: Bride of Hyde – a satisfying gothic horror about becoming something new
Charlotte Thornton reviews Wilson Dixon & Paul Douglas - The Cabin Fever Comedy Tour, at Little Andromeda, Saturday 17 October 2026. I leapt at the opportunity to review Wilson Dixon & Paul Douglas The Cabin Fever Comedy Tour. I was introduced to Dixon when I was a kid through his YouTube clips – still worth… Continue reading Review: Wilson Dixon & Paul Douglas in The Cabin Fever Comedy Tour – this singer is an unsung comedy legend
Charlotte Thornton reviews Sweet William or Born to be Bard, presented by Enchanting Productions, written and composed by Neill Pickard, directed by Louise Glossop, at The Piano, Friday 16 October 2026. William Shakespeare is almost as popular a character as the characters he created. He’s beloved on screen: a romantic lead in the Best Picture-winning… Continue reading Review: Sweet William or Born to Be Bard – strong vocal performances elevate a long-lost local musical
Erin Harrington responds to three rehearsed play readings at the Festival of New Theatre: Ella West's Mrs Parker, Ana Mulipola's My Mum Stitches, and Andrew Todd and Cathasaigh Ó Fiannachta’s The Consummate Professional, presented in partnership with Rollicking Entertainment at the Isaac Theatre Royal, Sunday 11 October 2026.Making theatre is amazing, and it is hard.… Continue reading Rehearsed readings at the Festival of New Theatre: three very different plays, done three ways
