Arts and culture in Ōtautahi Christchurch
Ruth Agnew reviews The Merry Wives of Windsor, produced by Top Dog Theatre Company as their annual Open Air Summer Shakespeare production, at Mona Vale, Friday 6 February 2026. While I am a lifelong fangirl of William Shakespeare and his works, I must be honest and admit The Merry Wives of Windsor has never tickled… Continue reading Review: The Merry Wives of Windsor – a smart and funny take on a flawed comedy
Erin Harrington reviews The Feast, directed by Fleur de Thier and Renee Ryan and created with the cast, at Lyttelton Arts Factory, Friday 6 February, 2026. The return season of Fleur de Thier and Renee Ryan’s stunning 75-minute performance work The Feast is set at a long black banquet table, which is backed by a… Continue reading Review: The Feast – sumptuous, emotional storytelling through dance, monologue and music
Erin Harrington cobbles together a bunch of end of / start of year material. Did the performing arts in Ōtautahi survive or thrive in 2025? A little of both perhaps, but either way it was a very big year. There have been some big physical shifts in the local arts ecosystem. Wider changes - such… Continue reading Review / preview: 2025 highlights, and a 2026 wishlist
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
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
This is the first in an occasional series of guest posts from creatives who see an issue in their field, and want to bring more people into the conversation in the hope of sparking some positive changes. Here, Lizzie Tollemache writes about the dire state of support for theatre for young people in Aotearoa New… Continue reading Ideas for change: Lizzie Tollemache on the bleak state of support for theatre for the young
Flat City Field Notes 