Arts and culture in Ōtautahi Christchurch
Sophie Ricketts reviews Spotlight Series: Alyssa Parkinson - Beyond the Ingénue, presented by Ovation Theatre at Volstead Trading Company, Saturday 19 July, 2025. Ovation Theatre is a company pulsing with ideas and enthusiasm to provide more local talent with more performance opportunities, more often. An admirable goal in a city that is bursting with dynamic… Continue reading Review: Spotlight Series – Alyssa Parkinson – an excellent, intimate night of story and song
Lisa Allan reviews Rubber Gloves: The Glad Rags Story, written by Jennifer Currie, at Little Andromeda, Friday 18 July, 2025. The stage at Little Andromeda in Ōtautahi Christchurch is awash with colour in the form of costumes and props and it is not long before the house lights dim and the two-strong cast of Rubber Gloves: The Glad… Continue reading Review: Rubber Gloves – the Glad Rags Story – bold and silly playfulness from the best cleaners around
Ruth Agnew reviews Kōpū, written by Tuakoi Ohia, directed by Amber Curreen with musical direction from John Gibson, produced by Te Rehia Theatre and staged at the Court Theatre, Thursday 17 July 2025. Unpeg yourself from the patriarchy! Kōpū begins with the instruction to “leave your white feminism at the door”, and with that baggage… Continue reading Review: Kōpū – a fierce, impressive celebration of femininity
Lisa Allan reviews Just Eat the Damn Sausage, written and performed by Harriet Moir, Little Andromeda, Saturday 12 July 2025. The crowd is buzzing as the final few seats in the Little Andromeda theatre fill up. Harriet Moir is on tour with her award-winning stand-up comedy show, Just Eat the Damn Sausage, having already enjoyed a successful season… Continue reading Review: Just Eat the Damn Sausage – a sizzler of a comedy show
Erin Harrington reviews Giacomo Puccini's La bohème, presented by NZ Opera with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, directed by Bruno Ravella, conducted by Dionysus Grammenos, at the Isaac Theatre Royal, Wednesday 2 July, 2025. Puccini’s story of artistic optimism and doomed love La bohème is a certified crowd-pleaser – the sort of canonical work that has… Continue reading Review: La bohème – an inspired post-war take on an opera classic
Lisa Allan reviews The Meeting, by Lola Houghton and Pedro Ilgenfritz, and E Ipo, My Love, by Gisele Proud and Tane Te Pakeke-Patterson, presented together as the inaugural Winter Season, a double bill of new theatre works from the Hagley Theatre School Six-Month Theatre Creation Course, at the Gloucester Room, the Issac Theatre Royal, Friday… Continue reading Review: Winter Season (The Meeting / E Ipo, My Love) – vibrant and relevant new theatre works
Erin Harrington reviews End of Summer Time, written by Sir Roger Hall, directed by Dan Bain, and starring Ross Gumbley, at the Court Theatre, Saturday 21 June 2025. Sir Roger Hall’s latest play End of Summer Time revisits curmudgeon Richard ‘Dickie’ Hart, an ex-cow cockie who finds himself, deep into retirement, living with his wife… Continue reading Review: End of Summer Time – melancholy, funny, and compassionate
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 Coro, presented by Mon Platon Productions at Little Andromeda, Friday 13 June, 2025. Coming into the comedy show Coro I’m clearly one of a handful of audience members who’ve never seen a full episode of Coronation Street. Growing up, the woeful wail of the cornet in the show’s opening theme would trigger… Continue reading Review: Coro – a terrific comic homage to the iconic soap opera
Juanita Hepi responds to Black Faggot, written by Victor Rodger, directed by Anapela Polata'ivao, at the Court Theatre, Saturday 17 May, 2025. This is not a review. For a review, go here — and interestingly, the ‘a’ in Faggot is replaced with an ‘*’. Attending the opening night of Black Faggot at the Court Theatre,… Continue reading ‘Cracker wants a Poly’, or, The Adventures of Sione: a response to the power and complexity of Black Faggot
Flat City Field Notes 