Arts and culture in Ōtautahi Christchurch
Erin Harrington reviews The Barden Party's touring production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, performed at a private residence in Swannanoa, North Canterbury, 2 April 2022. A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of those rare works that is pretty much smashproof. It doesn’t matter if it’s performed by intermediate school students or the Royal Shakespeare Company,… Continue reading Review: The Barden Party – magical al fresco Shakespeare in a garden near you
Erin Harrington reviews Drop Dead Gorgeous! A Drag Murder Miss-tery, presented by Les Femmes at Little Andromeda, 24 March 2022. The smell of poisoned lip gloss is in the air at the debut of Drop Dead Gorgeous! A Drag Murder Miss-tery. The show features Auckland-based drag cabaret act Les Femmes - Miss Manage (Jeremy Hinman),… Continue reading Review: Drop Dead Gorgeous! A Drag Murder Miss-tery – sequins, shade, and big chaos energy
Erin Harrington reviews Daybreak Estate, presented by All You Can Eat Productions at Little Andromeda, 17 March 2022. Choreographer Jessie McCall’s hour-long work Daybreak Estate is a wickedly funny, provocative and ultimately profound piece of dance theatre. It invites us to a bougie influencer retreat at the end of the world, where the only things… Continue reading Review: Daybreak Estate – last drinks at the end of the world
Erin Harrington responds to Ariā, created and performed by Juanita Hepi (Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Wai, Moriori, Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāpuhi), with artistic direction from Julia Harvie, from 2-245pm on Saturday 22 January 2022 at the installation Isolation Hotel at Canterbury Museum. Multidisciplinary storyteller Juanita Hepi is one of the busiest and most interesting creatives in Ōtautahi.… Continue reading Review: Ariā I and II – voices of longing, absence and connection
Erin Harrington reviews the Court Theatre Youth Company's devised production of The Unauthorised Biography Of..., directed by William Burns, at the Canterbury Museum, Wednesday 8 December 2021. Set on the ground floor of the Canterbury Museum, Heather Straka’s multi-disciplinary installation, Isolation Hotel, places us inside the foyer of a shabby, run-down German hotel from the… Continue reading Review: The Unauthorised Biography Of… – high energy, sometimes chaotic histories of unsung heroes
Erin Harrington recaps three discussion-based events at movement arts festival Tiny Fest, which ran from Friday 26 - Saturday 28 November 2021 at Little Andromeda and the Christchurch Town Hall. Tiny Fest in 2021 isn’t really that tiny. The 2019 festival, presented by Movement Art Practice, took place over a single day, starting early and… Continue reading Tiny conversations: points of exchange at Tiny Fest 2021
Erin Harrington reviews Little Shop of Horrors, directed by Benjamin Henson, at The Court Theatre, Saturday 20 November 2021. Cult sci-fi horror musical Little Shop of Horrors is one of those rare works of musical theatre that’s effectively smash-proof: it’s smart, consistently funny, frequently in circulation, worthy of repeat viewings, and desperately enjoyable. The Court… Continue reading Review: Little Shop of Horrors – vibrant, camp escapism
Erin Harrington writes about the Foundation Pop-Up Festival (AKA the Not-Quite-New Regent Street Pop-Up Festival) , which ran from 5-11:30pm at Foundation Cafe, Tūranga / Christchurch Central Library, on Saturday 13 November, the last night of the WORD Christchurch festival weekend. The New Regent Street Pop-Up Festival has been a key feature of the last… Continue reading Starlings, Dead Authors, and Sexy Polliwogs: the WORD Foundation Pop-Up Festival
Ruth Agnew reviews Thief!, by Kelly Hocking, at Little Andromeda, Friday 12 November. “I always forget how early people turn up for garage sales. Like, you’re really early!” Writer/performer Kelly Hocking opens her semi-quasi-pseudo-autobiographical solo show with a yard sale and a sardonic drawl. Her life story is told through comedic re-enactments, snippets of iconic,… Continue reading Review: Thief! – charismatic personality, magnetic storytelling
A ghost light is a light left on inside a theatre that’s gone dark, usually sitting in the centre of the stage. Some say it’s to placate (or scare off) theatre ghosts, some say it’s to stop people falling in the orchestra pit in the dark; both are valid. (It is also the name of… Continue reading Ghost light, or, the week that wasn’t
Flat City Field Notes 