Arts and culture in Ōtautahi Christchurch
Ruth Agnew reviews The Early Early Late Show, presented by the Court Jesters in the Wakefield Family Front Room at the Court Theatre, Tuesday 23 September 2025. The Early Early Late Show (EELS) is something of a school holiday fixture, with the first version performed in 2007 in the Court Theatre at the Christchurch Arts… Continue reading Review: The Early Early Late Show – a beloved, brilliantly executed school holiday fixture
Erin Harrington reviews Forna Cape, presented by the Court Jesters, at the Court Theatre, Thursday 18 September. The current Court Jesters’ improvised show was initially programmed as Zeitgeist, a placeholder that would allow the company to respond to whatever was floating to the top of the pop cultural soup. Forna Cape looks to our current… Continue reading Review: Forna Cape – chaotic beachside improv about hot people, pashing, and maybe true love?
Lisa Allan reviews PopRox Improv, at Little Andromeda, Saturday 14 June, 2025. It is Saturday night and the foyer at Little Andromeda is packed with punters who have come out in force to see the Wellington improv comedy troupe, PopRox, perform. It is not surprising to see a cohort from Christchurch’s own professional improv troupe,… Continue reading Review: PopRox Improv – a generous, playful and positive force
Erin Harrington reviews Grifted and Talented with Jim Fishwick, presented by Jetpack Theatre, at Little Andromeda, Friday 11 April 2025. Multi-hyphenate creative and improvisor Jim Fishwick knows how to get the best out of performers. Their new improv? performance? comedy? humiliation? show format Grifted and Talented (a title both great and triggering) is a clever… Continue reading Review: Grifted and Talented – a hilarious game show that pits talent against treachery
Erin Harrington talks with Brendon Bennetts, the creator / producer / co-Dungeon Master of Dungeons and Comedians, about the show’s development and production, and what’s special (and challenging) about producing a live, improvised theatrical actual play series in the era of digital content. D&C has been running since 2018, and live recordings are also available… Continue reading Interview: Brendon Bennetts on developing Dungeons and Comedians
Erin Harrington reviews Murder! At the Hotel Bon, directed by Georgie Sivier and Kat Forrester for Play Space Productions, at Riccarton House, Wednesday 26 July 2023. Play Space Productions’ immersive comedy Murder! At the Hotel Le Bon marries late 1940s Hollywood glamour with Hollywood squalor, as we – a group of film investors turned detectives… Continue reading Review: Murder! At the Hotel Bon – madcap Hollywood hijinks
Erin Harrington reviews The Good, The Bad, and The Completely Made Up, directed by Brendon Bennetts, at Little Andromeda, 2 June 2023. In The Good, The Bad, and The Completely Made Up, Rhiannon McCall improvises a terrific hour-long comedy Western in which she out-shoots John Wayne, out-squints Clint Eastwood, and outwits the combined cast of… Continue reading Review: The Good, the Bad and the Completely Made-Up – a hilarious solo improvised Western
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
Erin Harrington reviews Present at Little Andromeda, 18 June 2021. Gift-giving can be wonderful but perilous business that reveals insightful (and awkward) truths about ourselves, our relationships, and social rules that generally go unsaid. Veteran improvisers Laura Irish and Jeff Clark explore some of these points of friction in Present, a gentle and endearing long-form… Continue reading Review: Present – a sweet improv show about giving and receiving
Flat City Field Notes 