Arts and culture in Ōtautahi Christchurch
Erin Harrington reviews My NIGHTMARE Wedding by Play Space Productions at The Quarters at Riccarton House and Bush, Monday 18 July 2022. In Play Space Productions’ interactive show My Nightmare Wedding, we’re at the historic Riccarton House for the dream wedding of sweethearts Abigail and Charlie, and anything that can go wrong is honestly going… Continue reading Review: My NIGHTMARE Wedding – a dream immersive comedy
Erin Harrington reviews Shift Your Paradigm (No Chairs Required) at Little Andromeda, Thursday 14 July, 2022. Shift Your Paradigm (No Chairs Required) brings us into the shady world of multi-level marketing. The schtick of this high-energy black comedy, created by Wellington-based artists David Bowers-Mason and Mitchell Botting, is that we are the in-person audience at… Continue reading Review: Shift Your Paradigm (No Chairs Required) – a high-energy deconstruction of a scam
Erin Harrington reviews Nepal, devised and performed by Christopher Alan Moore, at Little Andromeda, Saturday 9 July 2022. As we come in to see the fantastic one-man show Nepal, actor Christopher Alan Moore is on-stage, sitting on an ordinary chair in a long-sleeved tee and rugby shorts, noodling around on his guitar. Guitar down, a… Continue reading Review: Nepal – an intimate adventure with a very big heart
Erin Harrington reviews Ad Parnassum - Purapurawhetū, and Naomi van den Broek reviews Th’Orchard Dreamers Chapter 2 and Pōhutukawa, all performed at The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora as part of their Matariki programming, 8 June - 9 July 2022. “Ngā toi is for everyone”, notes the introduction to The Arts Centre Te Matatiki… Continue reading Review: Matariki at The Arts Centre – Ad Parnassum -Purapurawhetū, th’Orchard, and Pōhutukawa
Claudia Jardine reviews As of 34, a night of music from Jason Pemberton and Friends, at The Loons, Lyttelton, Saturday 4 June, 2022. It’s a bright autumn day in Ōtautahi, and my plans for the long weekend are turning out as I might have suspected they would. I make it to Muscle & Bone at… Continue reading Review: As of 34 – Jason Pemberton and Friends – virtue-pop in the temple of friendship
Erin Harrington reviews The Court Theatre's production of The Girl on the Train, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff and Duncan Abel from Paula Hawkins' novel, directed by Holly Chappell, Friday 21 May, 2022. The Court Theatre has been as much a victim of the pandemic as any other company that stages big shows and relies on… Continue reading Review: The Girl on the Train – innovative, immersive, but empty
Erin Harrington reviews White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, presented by JMO Theatrics, at Little Andromeda, Wednesday 13 April 2022. It is hard to write about White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, presented at Little Andromeda by JMO Theatrics, as anything said could stray into a violation of its central conceit. What we do know, and can say: Iranian… Continue reading Review: White Rabbit, Red Rabbit – a one-of-a-kind absurdist experiment
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
Flat City Field Notes 