Arts and culture in Ōtautahi Christchurch
Erin Harrington pokes around at the Off Centre festival, including performances of Requiem and Much Ado About Nothing, at The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Friday 3 - Sunday 5 March. For other coverage see a review of A Baby Called Sovereignty here. When The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora was severely impacted… Continue reading Review: Off Centre – Requiem, Much Ado About Nothing, and being a city
Naomi van den Broek responds to A Baby Called Sovereignty, presented as part of the Off Centre Festival at The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Saturday 4 March 2023. “We are not invisible, I know you see us” Weaver of stories, people, themes and contemporary concerns, Juanita Hepi, gives us the koha of A… Continue reading Review: A Baby Called Sovereignty – a koha, a wero, a celebration
Erin Harrington reviews Sense and Sensibility, adapted by Penny Ashton from Jane Austen's novel, directed and choreographed by Hillary Moulder, at The Court Theatre, Saturday 11 February, 2023. I didn’t come to Jane Austen until quite late – my 30s. When I was assigned to read Pride and Prejudice in third form English I was… Continue reading Review: Sense and Sensibility – a sparking romantic romp
Erin Harrington reviews I Didn’t Invite You Here to Lecture Me, presented by Artsense Productions, at Little Andromeda, Friday 10 February 2023. The writer and producer of I Didn’t Invite You Here to Lecture Me, Amy Mansfield, clearly took some pretty good notes during her time as a university student – better than most. This… Continue reading Review: I Didn’t Invite You Here to Lecture Me – in defense of a collective experience
Erin Harrington reviews Cancel Santa, directed by Dan Bain and Greg Cooper, at Little Andromeda, Thursday 15 December 2022. Little Andromeda has spent the last few years building up audience buy-in for an annual Christmas production by presenting quality seasons of shows that have originated up north (Toys, Christ! What a Night, The Opening Night… Continue reading Review: Cancel Santa – bawdy holiday chaos
Erin Harrington reviews Rent, book / music / lyrics by Jonathan Larson, directed by Lara Macgregor, at The Court Theatre, Friday 19 November 2022. The Court Theatre has had a patchy year. Many shows were cancelled, mucked about or rescheduled, and the year’s standout production – The Māori Sidesteps, wonderful – was chronically underattended. But… Continue reading Review: Rent – vital, muscular musical theatre
Erin Harrington reviews A Boy Called Piano, presented by The Conch and directed by Nina Nawalowalo, at The Piano: Centre for Music and the Arts / Pīpīwharauroa: Kui-kui whitiwhiti ora, Friday 21 October 2022. The Conch’s stage production of A Boy Called Piano begins with a voiceover from co-creator Fa’amoana John Luafutu, accompanied by swirling… Continue reading Review: A Boy Called Piano – offering voices to the voiceless
Erin Harrington reviews The Māori Sidesteps at The Court Theatre, Thursday 22 September 2022. The Māori Sidesteps brings us to a party where everyone’s invited. This big-hearted production, presented at The Court Theatre, has been a victim of Covid rescheduling, but it’s been worth waiting for. The five performers – Erroll Anderson, Cohen Holloway, Regan… Continue reading Review: The Māori Sidesteps – a satirical blend of music and mischief
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
Flat City Field Notes 