Vanessa Ellingham

Review /// Hanussen – The Palace of Burlesque

Nazi; circus. An unlikely pairing of motifs even less likely to be born in a Christchurch theatre, written by a Kiwi newspaper columnist. And yet a concept I was so easily sold on, eager to take in the fantastical and bizarre (and potentially offensive).

Partridge in a Pear Tree

Come celebrate the Kiwi Christmas as it was created by the first settlers, longing for the snow and fires they had left back home.

Exposions in the Sky

A band which begun with a flier in a record which read: "WANTED: sad triumphant rock band", 11 years on they have a reputation for delivering some of the most enthusiastic and emotional live shows you’ll ever bare witness.

The Twits

Bro'Town star Dave Fane and Kiwi comedy legend Te Radar: two men beautifully cast as the repulsive heterosexual couple, Mr and Mrs Twit. The pair are frightfully mean, deliciously revolting, and both delight in playing nasty tricks on one another.

Rita & Douglas

If you, too, did a double take when you saw Rita Angus's face suddenly brought to life on an inner-city poster, you are sure to relish in the love letters detailing the brief but passionate love affair between artist Angus and composer Douglas Lilburn.

Flying Nun 30th Anniversary Gig

This November, if you're not all about facial hair of the upper lip variety (and actually, even if you are), for 30 days you can celebrate 30 years of Flying Nun Records. This is Nunvember.

Jason Mraz

For one night only Jason Mraz will delight Kiwi fans, giving them the rare opportunity to delight in his music in an acoustic mode.

Instant Kiwis presents: Instant Anatomy

The ConArtists whip out their stethoscopes for a three-week season of a medical soap opera so hot they won't show it on tele.

MasterChef Simon Gault’s Blind Fundraiser

It's not often you're able to sink your teeth into a fine dining experience without caring about the parsley stuck in your teeth. But a new (and strictly limited!) sensory experience will see patrons blind dining to raise money for charity.

The Naked and Famous

They're young, they're famous, they're not actually naked, but they are a great Kiwi band that we are damn proud of.

Netherwood – A Kiwi Western Film

Shot in the North Canterbury town of Waipara, the film has been funded by the locals in a nice little story of Canterbury success.

Suffragette City: A Bowie tribute night with Ruby Frost

Expect a handful of artists celebrating the infamous Bowie, including Ruby Frost, Glass Owls, Salvi Stone and DJ Andrew Tidball.

Art Week Auckland

Pulling together six neighbourhoods with 100 events and exhibitions over 10 days, Auckland is definitely looking sharp as an arts destination with plenty to offer.

Federal And Wolfe - CLOSED

10 Federal Street, Auckland

There is nothing too cool about this place, and yet 'cool' is the best word to describe it.

Yours Truly

It's 1888, and Jack the Ripper has entered his Autumn of Terror. Yours Truly is a dark piece of forbidden love, betrayal and man's yearning for immortality. A young gentleman falls in love with the wrong girl and suddenly finds himself and his best friend, the artist Sickert, sucked into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal. Unwittingly they have unleashed Jack the Ripper. Obsessed with creating a masterpiece, the killer uses London as his canvas and paints in blood. Freemasons, lesbian lovers, oija boards, and Victorian surgeries all feature in Yours Truly, a heartbreaking and sinisterly poetic exploration of some of the darkest and most basic human instincts. Click Find out more to see our short review from the opening performance.

Tartuffe

Excusez-moi! Monsieur Molière has had a makeover! One of theatre's greatest satires, Tartuffe, goes Paritai Drive style. Read on for our review.

Atamira Dance Company presents Te Houhi

Atamira Dance Company are one of the leading contemporary dance companies in New Zealand and are very well respected for their beautiful works and incredibly talented dancers. Their latest dance production Te Houhi headlines The Q Season of Maori Dance and Theatre, alongside Tawata Productions and Taki Rua Theatre. Te Houhi is inspired by the tribal history of its choreographer Maaka Pepene, an ex-NZ Army soldier of Tuhoe descent. The production, three years in the making, tells the story of the historical event that saw 14,000 acres of prime land fraudulently acquired by two Pakehas in the late 1800s, which resulted in the eviction of the local people. Te Houhi will capture the spirit of the Urewera mountains where ‘lightening comes to play, Taniwha roam, and waterfalls speak’. Concrete Playground has two double pass to giveaway, click find out more to see how you can win.

Review /// The Only Child

The Only Child is acutely honest, each character unfolding to expose a selfishness; they are all as awful as each other. And who is the real only child?

The Only Child

If you get nostalgic over New Kids on the Block and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, traded Garbage Pail Kids or owned a chatter ring, this one’s for you.

A Thousand Hills

In a performance, which can surely be nothing short of cathartic, Byamana doesn't just play Philippe, he is Philippe.