Arts and culture in Ōtautahi Christchurch
Erin Harrington reviews A Christchurch Carol, written by Gregory Cooper, directed by Dan Bain, with music from Michael Bell, at Little Andromeda, Thursday 4 December 2025. This year’s Little Andromeda Christmas show, A Christchurch Carol, localises Dickens’ classic, dropping us in the middle of the city and some of the outer suburbs for an uplifting(?)… Continue reading Review: A Christchurch Carol – everything you want for the holiday season (wit, dance sequences, smut, puppets, ghosts)
Daniel Allan reviews The Odyssey, the inaugural graduation project of the One-Year Actor Training Course at Hagley Theatre School, directed Pedro Ilgenfritz and Tane Te Pakeke-Patterson in collaboration with acrobatics tutor Danny Syme, at Altiora, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Monday 1 December, 2025. The Odyssey is an ancient Greek poem by Homer… Continue reading Review: The Odyssey – a compelling, impressive hour of non-naturalistic theatre
Ruth Agnew reviews The Hound of the Baskervilles, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, adapted for the stage by Simon Williams, directed by Ross Gumbley for Canterbury Repertory Theatre, at Elmwood Auditorium, Wednesday 19 November, 2025. The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most popular Sherlock Holmes stories, remaining in print for over one… Continue reading Review: The Hound of the Baskervilles – a confident combination of classic storytelling and experimental staging
Ruth Agnew reviews 9 to 5 The Musical, music and lyrics by Dolly Parton, book by Patricia Resnick, directed by Ben Freeth, with musical direction by Richard Marrett and choreography by Kira Josephson, at the Court Theatre, Friday 21 November, 2025. There’s something that strums the right strings in Dolly Parton songs. Opening the show with… Continue reading Review: 9 to 5 The Musical – an incredible toe-tapping escapist musical powered by the strength of women
Erin Harrington reviews Faust on Trial, by Josiah Morgan, Jonty Coulson and Stella Cheersmith with Pedro Ilgenfritz, created as part of the Hagley Theatre School Six-Month Theatre Creation Course, at Te Wā, Thursday 6 November, 2025. One of the most interesting and energizing things to happen in the performing arts in Ōtautahi recently has been… Continue reading Review: Faust on Trial – a risky and innovative new work about the deals we make
John Armstrong reviews Eat Sleep Dance Repeat, written and performed by Rachel Brebner, at Little Andromeda, Thursday 6 November 2025. I have vague memories of Stage Challenge, having taken part during my first year of high school. I recall dancing to Single Ladies in a shade of red that did no favours to a face… Continue reading Review: Eat, Sleep, Dance, Repeat – nostalgia, grit, and sheer willpower
Lisa Allan reviews Up and Away, presented by Cubbin Theatre at the Cloisters Studio, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Wednesday 5 November, 2025. It is a lovely, sunny Ōtautahi morning and the opening day of Cubbin Theatre’s show for babies, Up and Away, directed by the multi-talented Melanie Luckman. I’ve just fed our son, 10-week old Joe,… Continue reading Review: Up and Away – an enchanting and special experience for babies and adults alike
Erin Harrington reviews Coffin Ship, by Bryn Sparks, directed by Dan Bain, at Little Andromeda, Thursday 30 October, 2025. Making serious horror theatre is really hard. I’d wager it’s the hardest genre to pull off, even more so that other speculative forms like science fiction and fantasy. Overtly demonstrative forms like the grotesque and the… Continue reading Review: Coffin Ship – an immersive new gothic horror about wronged women and the perils of revenge
Erin Harrington reviews Wolf Play, written by Hansol Jung, directed by Kathleen Burns, at the Court Theatre, Saturday 18 October, 2025. Award-winning translator and playwright Hansol Jung’s Wolf Play, first performed in 2019, explores the murky real-life world of unregulated "second chance" adoption, the consequences of white saviourism, and the tangled nature of family. Korean… Continue reading Review: Wolf Play – an affecting but inconsistent play about finding your pack
Erin Harrington reviews Kitchen Chaos, presented by Rollicking Entertainment, at the Court Theatre, Thursday 2 October 2025. Young audiences are the best to entertain, but they certainly are the toughest to please. No fear: even in the opening minutes of Kitchen Chaos, performers Lizzie Tollemache and David Ladderman clearly have the school holiday audience under… Continue reading Review: Kitchen Chaos – a winning recipe for comedy, clowning, and domestic disaster
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