Stories

MC extraordinaire and funny guy Snap (aka Grandpa Figs) spends his time doing stand-up, managing comedians, organising tours and orchestrating the Comedy Carnival for its fourth year. His life is comedy and he’s passionate about retaining talent in Christchurch, not just incubating it. How did you stumble into comedy? When I was about 16, a promoter told me I was witty and should try comedy, so I waited almost 10 years till I had built up enough confidence hosting radio, and then a friend said we should both sign up. I did, she didn’t, and three months later I was touring the country. What’s your day job and how does that fit in with your comedy? My day job is running lots of shows around Christchurch, managing comedians, organising tours and orchestrating the GoMedia Comedy Carnival through my company, Grandpa Figs. My life is comedy. I seriously need a hobby. What...

Funny English chap Simon Kingsley-Holmes made the move from Dunedin to Christchurch this year, in pursuit of fresh opportunities in the abundant Garden City. His deadpan, observational humour and quick-wittedness will have you laughing for days. How did you stumble into comedy? I was doing very poorly in film and television and had screwed my life up on quite a big scale. I was stuck on the other side of the world – poor, fat and lonely, and emotionally and creatively unfulfilled. I was creating short films that were inching towards some sort of personal artistic goal and picking up any filming jobs I could whilst working at some godforsaken social club full of old bigots. After three years of doing the same one-day live filming gig for a yacht race, I said I wanted to be paid and this very well-off man begrudgingly gave me £40 for a 17-hour day....

Bec Sandys likes the darker side of comedy and will have you laughing with her zany humour. She recently opened for Urzila Carlson at the Christchurch Town Hall, and in 2017 she started her own production company, Pop Up Comedy. How did you stumble into comedy? I was filming a movie in Wellington back in 2016 that was based in a comedy club – it was a natural progression from there. What’s your day job and how does that fit in with your comedy? I wear many hats – I don’t have a day job but have lots of things going on. I am on the hunt for a job though, so if anyone’s looking for a content creator/events manager that can work from home or from anywhere in NZ – call me! What words of advice do you have for aspiring comics out there? Just do it. Write, watch, experience...

Check out Action Bicycle Club’s funky Walker Street digs for all things bikes and their specialty, e-bikes. Action have been making cycling fresh, modern and exciting for the past three years and owner Ken has been working in the bike business for more than 18 – he has pedal-pushed his way around the world and wants to influence everyone to give cycling a go. Action have more gear than you could ever imagine – they curate an international collection of parts and accessories, so you’ll always roll away looking stylish. If you’re looking for a healthier and fun alternative to driving then look no further, there are daily rides, electric bikes and adventure bikes for those adrenalin junkies out there – for sale or hire. If you’re thinking about an e-bike, it’s definitely worth trying before you buy to find the perfect fit, and the good folks at Action can help...

The Cityscape team test the O Cosmedics Dermal Planning Peel and come away convinced of the benefits of personalised advanced skin treatments. If you’d uttered the words ‘chemical peel’ to me last week, my mind would’ve run to the episode of Sex and the City where Samantha emerges from the spa post-peel looking like she’s suffered serious burns. Much to my delight, the (exaggerated-for-TV) horrors of the 90s couldn’t be further from the blissful peels on offer in 2019. After arriving at Nicola Quinn Beauty & Day Spa’s luxurious Merivale premises I was asked about the state of my skin by knowledgeable skin specialist Bernice. The fact that my skin is extremely eczema-prone means the O Cosmedics Pomegranate Enzyme Peel is going to be the one for me. While I’m left to slip under the divine covers of the heated massage table I stop and take stock of everything around me....

September’s going to be a funny month. Comedy both international and local is on the cards, with the Comedy Carnival in town as well as Irish comedian Dara Ó Briain and a showcase of comics at Lincoln to end the month. There’s plenty of style on show as well, with Ballantynes Fashion Week. Christchurch turns it on for music fans again, with Jimmy Barnes, Stan Walker, Zed and Joe Bonamassa among the highlights. And in case you missed it, there’s some rugby on this month as well. Go the ABs! COMEDY CARNIVAL, LAUGH AT THE INTERNATIONAL COMEDY NIGHT Two festivals guarantee to bring the laughs this month. The Comedy Carnival runs at various venues around the city until September 21, with some of the best local and international acts performing in more than 35 shows. And at the Lincoln Event Centre on September 28 you can catch funny man Dai Henwood...

WATCHING Downton Abbey Four years after the series called it quits, the highly anticipated Downton Abbey film is finally here. The film picks up in 1927, when the Crawley family find out King George V and Queen Mary are coming to visit. The occasion is so great that beloved former head butler Carson comes out of retirement to chip in. Most of the cast are reprising their roles, including Hugh Bonneville, Maggie Smith and Michelle Dockery. Catch the regal drama in cinemas from September 12. Hustlers What do Jennifer Lopez, Constance Wu, Lizzo and Lili Reinhart all have in common? They star in knockout crime-comedy Hustlers. The film follows a group of former strip club employees as they get revenge on the Wall Street men who did them wrong. Hustlers delivers on laughs and drama and feeds into pop culture’s current obsession with scam artists. Oh, and it’s based on a...

Rugby World Cup fever is sweeping the nation as we get into the 2019 tournament. Here’s what you need to know to survive the full-noise six weeks of sport. The mighty All Blacks are gunning for a three-peat at this year’s Rugby World Cup (RWC). They won the Webb Ellis Cup in 2011 (on home soil no less!), they took it home from England four years later, and now we’re crossing our fingers that they’ll bring it home from Japan.  The opening ceremony and match for the RWC kicks off at 10:45pm on September 20 (NZ time) at Tokyo Stadium – the same venue Japan hosted the All Blacks in last year. From there, the six-week tournament will see the All Blacks touch down in Yokohama, Oita City, Tokyo and Toyota – and that’s just for the pool games!  There are various ways to watch the games. A selection of free...

As businesses and their teams head back to the inner city and into the flash new office spaces being built for them, it’s good to know someone’s thinking about where the children can go. When developer Richard Peebles bought the old Family Courts building on Armagh Street in 2018, he already had in mind that an inner-city childcare facility would be a great future for the building. You can see the attraction – the Gothic architecture evokes images of castles, princes, princesses and magical goings-on; there’s a view over the River Avon; and in the grounds there are 100-year-old horse chestnut trees to play under. The idea led to the Peebles Group and childcare operator Millie’s House working together to transform the building into an early learning centre that meetsall Ministry of Education and health and safety requirements. Millie’s House Early Learning Centre was born and is now open.  It’s a...

Forget bungy jumping – Irish comic Dara Ó Briain has much more refined plans for what to do during his first visit to New Zealand. Cityscape taps into the ‘Voice of Reason’ before his Christchurch show. Your tour is called Voice of Reason and in the poster for it we see you bellowing into a megaphone – that’s an image for the age right there, isn’t it? Voice of Reason seemed like a good general expression of the kind of stuff I normally do, and we had a very angry looking poster. It turns out later it’s subconsciously very similar to classic Soviet art of the 1930s, 40s and 50s. There’s one particular picture of a brave peasant woman shouting her support of the Soviet project, which this mimics exactly, and I’m not sure how we stumbled across that because there wasn’t a hidden message at all. It’s a weird echo,...

The cool cats at BurgerFuel have tapped into the sustainable super food – hemp! They have created a mouth-watering hemp burger – the Electric Pūhā is 100 percent vegan and locally sourced, so it tastes good and is good for you and the planet! The burger is packed full of nutrients – you’ll discover crumbed hemp and broccoli bites, pūhā and cabbage kraut, hemp seed oil aioli, fresh rocket, avocado and an ounce of relish all between a wholesome organic hemp sourdough bun – yum! Packing a punch of flavour, it’s not just for vegans either – anyone can enjoy this one, even if just for curiosity’s sake! Hemp is in and is a natural way to consume iron, protein, iodine, zinc and the all-important omegas. If you’re not keen on a vegan burger, no sweat, you can grab the Hemp & Broc, which feature in the Electric Pūhā, as a...

Take your skincare regime up a notch with the divine natural collection from the pros at Velettà Skincare. Mix equal parts nature and luxury and you get the results-driven range – packed with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory ingredients. All that goodness will have your skin feeling soft, nourished and hydrated, and help to improve its texture while fighting those nasty free radicals. Treat yourself and indulge in healthy and glowing skin – who doesn’t want that! velettaskincare.com

We stopped by Titan Training Ground to check out their spacious Sydenham studio and were blown away by what they can do to help you achieve great things on your training journey. The health and fitness centre is built on the concept of balance. They practise what they preach and offer a multitude of high-energy Muay Thai (Thai boxing) classes as well as advanced master classes, where leading professionals in their chosen sports share techniques, experiences and knowledge. Muay Thai is not all about fighting, it’s about helping to develop your mind, body and soul. So much more than just a great workout, it offers an assortment of health and fitness benefits. It’s a great way to work on core and leg strength, promote increased hip mobility, let off some steam and relieve stress. TitanTG is different because of its supportive and progressive atmosphere and its classes, which are engineered to...

At Grassroots Yoga and Health, experienced teachers take you on a journey to be the best version of yourself through yoga, wellbeing and by belonging to a friendly and heart-felt yoga community. The studio, which was established six years ago, is inside the beautiful Tannery building in Woolston. It is open seven days a week and has free and convenient parking on-site. Each class has a dedicated teacher, so you’ll experience yoga as it was traditionally intended – with a teacher that knows you and encourages your physical and spiritual growth. Yoga is a healing practice that is accessible to all. Grassroots lives up to this by offering specialised classes for different life stages including prenatal yoga, mums & bubs, seniors classes, gentle and therapeutic yoga, and 1-on-1 sessions. The studio’s general hatha yoga classes are divided into Yoga 1, 2 and 3 so people can join in at the right...

If you wear glasses, there are few things more daunting than switching from the tried-and-true pair to a new style, yet at the same time it’s probably the easiest way to take on a whole new look. If you have been putting off an update, visit Matthews Eyewear Eyecare. They pride themselves on ensuring that every client leaves confident they are seeing better, looking better and feeling better. Attention to detail and personalised service have been good for business, and the family firm has grown a lot since opening its doors in 1957. It now operates a nationwide chain of independent optometry practices. In Christchurch, Matthews Eyewear Eyecare’s practice, previously Buchanan Optometrists, has moved to modern, stylish premises in Riccarton. They have an exclusive relationship with world-leading lens manufacturers Zeiss. Matthews can help you find a new favourite pair and a style you will love. Its international range of frames and...

Sofas that make you happy for a long time – hülsta designers not only create modern sofas but timelessly modern sofas, and they are available exclusively at Frobisher Interiors. The hülsta hs.480 Armchair features flowing lines like an organic structure from nature that slowly expands until it has found its perfect shape, and comes to rest in the living room. Featuring a lush shape yet a simple design, they are meticulously crafted, which is reflected in the high-quality piped seam. The sofa was awarded the ‘Blue Angel’, an eco-label in Germany since 1978 that sets high standards for environmentally friendly product design. The Blue Angel award has proven itself over the past 40 years as a reliable guide for more sustainable consumption. Frobisher Interiors offer exclusive furniture brands in their stunning showroom alongside full interior design services plus their own Espressory serving Lyttelton Coffee and fresh, daily-baked goods. Open Monday to...

If you headed over to Welles Street on Friday night, you would have been greeted by a woman dressed as a man in a bright red suit singing his own rendition of ‘Let Me Entertain You’. Georgie Sivier’s alter ego Tony Chestnut was a perfect opener for the launch night of the fourth Comedy Carnival, which will run until September 21. Fourteen comedians took to the stage to deliver laughs and they did not disappoint. If Tony Chestnut didn’t set the scene, next act on stage was Stephen Lefebvre, who wandered around the crowd, shaking everyone’s hand, greeting them with “Hi, great to see you” – and that was his entire act. ‘Your Dad’ found his long-lost son in the audience, who proceeded to join him on stage, sit on his knee and listen to some words of wisdom. Jim Smalls captivated the audience as he told the story of adopting...

The booming bass was felt throughout Christchurch Town Hall as the sold-out Synthony crowd buzzed with good vibes. The venue was transformed into a high-energy nightclub full of amazing visuals and a killer sound system. Cherie Mathieson had everyone singing along to ‘Show Me Love’ as she nailed it with her powerful voice, not missing a beat. Looking around, there wasn’t a single seat in use as every person was dancing along to track after track of club favourites. The collab between Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, DJs and live singers, all performing with an incredible light and laser show, made for an absolutely banging night. Kicking off with DJ Craig Shaw, the mood was set and everyone was amped up as he played a sensational set. When the orchestra took to the stage the audience went wild, they were ready to take a journey through the last three decades of club classics....