Stories

For composer John Psathas, the opportunity to collaborate with Moroccan singer and poet OUM and oud virtuoso Kyriakos Tapakis on a work marking the fifth anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks was one he grabbed with both hands. “It is not often one has the opportunity to offer a message of solidarity, love, and compassion through one’s artistic work,” the celebrated New Zealand composer says. The NZSO programme Beyond Words, in Christchurch in March, will premiere the new collaborative work, Ahlan wa Sahlan. Beyond Words bridges Eastern and Western music traditions and features Kyriakos Tapakis, a master of the Middle Eastern stringed instrument the oud, and Moroccan vocalist and poet OUM. The NZSO will be led by Muslim conductor Fawzi Haimor. Beyond Words will also include Umoja, Anthem of Unity by Valerie Coleman, Funebre by Iranian composer Reza Vali and Silouan’s Song by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt.  “Together we are creating...

Heads up, Christchurch opera lovers – with only one visit from NZ Opera to look forward to in 2024, you’ll want to make sure you get tickets! Coming in June to the Isaac Theatre Royal is a brand-new touring production of Rossini’s frothy, rollicking bel canto masterpiece Le comte Ory, directed by Kiwi director Simon Phillips. The opera showcases some of Rossini's most exhilarating music. The all-star cast includes award-winning lyric tenor Manase Latu (Hamlet, Don Giovanni, Idomeno) in the titular role, sparkling soprano Emma Pearson (Cosi fan tutte, Semele, Lucia di Lammermoor) as Countess Adèle, and baritone Moses Mackay (Lucia di Lammermoor, Cavalleria Rusticana, Sol3 Mio) as the Count’s louche friend Raimbaud. The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the New Zealand Opera Chorus will perform under the baton of conductor Brad Cohen. Internationally acclaimed Kiwi director Simon Phillips (North by Northwest, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, The Elixir of Love) brings a local twist to this lively and risqué French comedy, offering a fresh take...

For Loughlan Prior, choreographer of the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s production of Hansel & Gretel, opening night last month in Wellington was tinged with sadness – that morning, New Zealanders woke to the news that company stalwart Sir Jon Trimmer had died. Loughlan dedicated the opening performance to the madcap spirit and love for theatre magic of ‘Jonty’, as Sir Jon was universally known in the ballet world.    To Loughlan, Sir Jon was an inspirational performer and teacher, a mentor and a dear friend. Words fall short, he says, when it comes to describing the trailblazing legacy and the influence of Sir Jon on the New Zealand dance landscape over 60 years. With Hansel & Gretel now touring the country and heading to Christchurch, Loughlan says he likes to think Sir Jon is “watching from above as we perform with gratitude and full hearts”. In its own acknowledgment, the Royal New Zealand Ballet...

One of the first signs of a new city after the earthquakes was the opening of Rydges Latimer Christchurch and its restaurant, Bloody Mary’s. Can you believe that’s 10 years ago now? In that time, Bloody Mary’s has taken on the role of the city’s meeting place and dining room, hosting everything from first dates to 50th wedding anniversaries. And the steaks are legendary. To celebrate this ‘Decade of Decadence’, Bloody Mary’s Executive Chef, Chris Walker, has revisited three of the most popular dishes from the past 10 years and put together a special celebratory menu and dining experience. Seafood Chowder, Twice Cooked Pork Belly and the delectable Cambridge Burnt Cream make up the trio of dishes. The chowder came onto the menu in 2013. Chef Chris’s reinterpretation kicks the flavour up a notch with a dash of crayfish bisque. His take on the Twice Cooked Pork Belly, a favourite since...

Legendary Kiwi band Pluto have had a mixed run of luck over the last few years. Reunited and back on a roll in 2019, the band suffered a cruel twist when the pandemic scuppered their tour plans. Now, Pluto have a new single out, “Maybe Twice”, and are performing two Christchurch shows in December, their first here in 10 years. We talk to frontman Milan Borich. How does it feel to be back on the road for a nationwide tour and with a new single? Feels great to get the single out. We actually have quite a few new songs we’ve been working on. Just stoked to be able to hang out with my brothers in the band – we’re all pretty busy with our own stuff so definitely appreciate the time we have together to play live. It must have been a cruel stroke for the band to get back...

Books to read, television to bingewatch, music to dance to and podcasts to fill your spare time this November. Bingewatching Marauders: Revisit the heady days of 20 years ago, when Fat Freddy’s Drop were plotting world domination from a South London flat. Throughout their three-month sojourn, the band hustled for attention and wowed festival crowds across Europe. There for the journey was Sarah Hunter and her borrowed Handycam, filming everything from the intimate to the epic. Season 1 out now on RNZ Music. The Crown: Netflix’s ground-breaking series returns for its sixth and final season. The first four episodes explore the events surrounding Princess Diana’s death before moving on to the later years of The Queen’s reign. There’s a royal wedding in the mix, too. The Buccaneers: For the fans of period dramas. The polite society of 1870s London comes under siege from a bevy of American beauties hell-bent on tying...

Christchurch’s contribution to the Royal New Zealand Ballet story takes centre stage in the company’s 2024 programme with a production of Swan Lake that honours the legacy of the city’s own ballet star, Russell Kerr. Russell returned to New Zealand in 1957 from establishing a dance career in Europe and teamed up with Danish dancer Poul Gnatt, considered the founding father of ballet in New Zealand. From 1962 to 1969, Russell was artistic director at the still fledgling New Zealand Ballet Company. In 1978 he took up the reins as director at Christchurch’s Southern Ballet Theatre, whose teachers have turned raw talent into members of the company ever since. Russell’s acclaimed production of Swan Lake was first performed in the 1960s and reprised in the 1990s. Next year’s Swan Lake, coming to Christchurch in May, will showcase the dazzling designs created by Kristian Fredrikson for the 1990s’ production. The RNZB will...

It’s a simple notion – normalise talk about mental health with young people and they will realise they are not the only ones struggling with distressing self-talk and overthinking. They are not alone and help is available.  Mike King’s I Am Hope campaign has been spreading that message for 10 years in schools and communities throughout Aotearoa. It’s a message not just for parents but for aunts, uncles, family friends and co-workers – anyone in fact who has young people in their life. “We all have that voice in our heads, that inner critic, second-guessing everything we do,” Mike says. “The voice of doubt that beats us up and tells us we’re failures, that we’re worthless. “Having an overactive inner critic is not a sign of mental illness, it’s a sign that we are normal. When our kids hear that self-doubt and overthinking is a shared experience, they are more likely to...

Clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Anticich, co-founder and director of Christchurch wellness practice Grow Daily, has some advice for getting off life's treadmill one step at a time. In our fast-paced lives filled with constant demands, many of us find ourselves overwhelmed. Clinical psychologist Dr Sarah Anticich offers a refreshing perspective, advocating for the power of taking small, intentional steps that can momentarily lift us off the treadmill of daily life. Rooted in the principles of wellbeing science, positive psychology and growth mindset, this approach forms the foundation of Grow Daily, a Christchurch practice dedicated to the transformative potential of these "intentional daily habits" – small, manageable actions that can be seamlessly integrated into our routines to cultivate healthy practices that significantly improve overall wellbeing. At the heart of this behaviour change system are microsteps, which have the potential to help individuals and organisations build resilience, strengthen connections and enhance performance. These...

US-style low-and-slow, Argentinian asado, South Africa’s braai – all variations on the theme of meat cooked over a fire. As we head into the barbecue season, we talk to two of Christchurch’s top fire chefs about the allure of the flame. Cooking over fire is as old as humanity. Even older – palaeontologists have shown that pre-humans living 2 million years ago in southern Africa were the first beings to catch and control fire. Sure made the warthog a little less tough! Wood fire in particular gives food a special flavour. Some believe the hot but mellow effect of cooking on fire is the best for building one’s chi, or life force. Now, after many decades of cooking moving from the firepit to the kitchen, the trend is reversing. Gas barbecues are giving way to wood and charcoal as everyone from serious chefs to backyard burners catch the wave of flame....

After 25 years’ nurturing by founder Deborah McCormick, public art programme SCAPE has a new director. Richard Aindow tells Cityscape about the weight of responsibility in his new role and the goals he wants to realise. At its heart, SCAPE is about bringing communities together in public spaces through contemporary art – how will you put your stamp on that? We are looking at ways we can amplify the public programming around the artworks this year and we have a few exciting ideas we would like to realise. For me, creating meaningful connections between artists, their ideas and the wider community is the essence of what SCAPE is and can be. For example, several of our artists this season are seeking to shed light on and generate debate about social, cultural, environmental or economic issues, so we would like to bring community together around their works – creating points of assembly...

Books to read, television to bingewatch, music to dance to and podcasts to fill your spare time this October. Bingewatching Queen of Oz: Catherine ‘Am I bovvered’ Tate has a lot of fun playing the bratty British royal sent off to the Antipodes in this BBC series. Seems the King has had to deal with one PR disaster too many due to his errant princess so he finds her a new job as Queen of Australia. Foundation: Created by David S. Goyer and Josh Friedman, this series is loosely based on the Foundation series of stories by Isaac Asimov. Expect a multi-layered story that sweeps across space and time and where the origins of humanity are so long ago as to have become a myth. Mrs. Davis: A nun on the run does battle with an all-powerful artificial intelligence called Mrs. Davis in a series described by Rotten Tomatoes as “positively...

Irish family band The Corrs perform in Christchurch in November. We ask Sharon Corr about being in a band of siblings, her mum’s best advice, and her thoughts on the passing of Sinead O’Connor. With such a rich catalogue of songs to choose from, how was it coming up with a set list for the tour? It’s not that hard really. An audience want to hear the hits they remember, we are lucky we’ve had so many. So the songs people fell in love with, some trad and a few unexpected. As a band you have always worn your heart on your sleeve when it comes to supporting causes. What are you drawing awareness to at the moment? My wardrobe, it’s a disaster, haha. We have always been involved in many really worthy charities and very honoured to help in any way. You will have lost a fellow spirit with the...

New Zealand’s busiest film festival director, Fergus Grady, is at it again, this time curating the British and Irish Film Festival, coming to Academy Gold, Deluxe and Lumière cinemas from 18 October. All up, the festival will screen in 24 cinemas across 15 cities and towns nationwide. A filmmaker in his own right, with feature documentaries Camino Skies and Gloriavale, Fergus is Limelight Distribution’s acquisitions manager, which means he views and selects for cinema distribution a couple of dozen films a year. This involves visiting the major film festivals, including Cannes, Toronto and Venice. So he’s done the hard yards in the cinema at early-morning critics’ screenings so you don’t have to. From that he has put together a festival of the best of British Isles and Irish contemporary cinema, with a programme shot through with films that featured at festivals such as Toronto, Cannes and SXSW. To help you with your decisions, we...

Tami Neilson is as famous for her fashion as for her fullbore stage presence. In October, she gets to revive the look and sounds of the ‘60s with another style icon, Dinah Lee, in a night of mini-skirts and the occasional rhinestone. How would you describe your fashion style? What are you looking for in an outfit? For me, the ethos has always been what Dolly Parton famously said: ‘I’m not interested in looking pretty, I’m interested in standing out.’ Especially for my stage persona. It’s like putting on this persona gives me an extra confidence, it gives me my mojo. And it’s tying in with that message in my music. As an artist and a singer I’ve always been drawn to artists that use the visual as just another platform for their art. David Bowie, Prince and Dolly Parton for example – they’re all very visual artists. When you think...

Pioneer Stadium hosts another Body Mind Spirit Holistic Health Expo on the weekend of 14 – 15 October. The extensive array of exhibitors and workshops covers everything from exercise and fitness to clairvoyants, mediums and healing. Whether you’re seeking info, inspo, inner peace, mental stimulation or you’re just curious about what’s out there, the Body Mind Spirit Holistic Health Expo invites you to revitalise your body, stimulate your mind and pamper your soul. Sunjar, the driving force behind the expo, hopes it will inspire people to make positive, healthy and holistic changes in their lives. “Your health is your greatest asset,” he says. “We are responsible for our health and wellbeing as we head into the future. Open their minds and open their hearts to new holistic possibilities to enjoy life. Everything is evolving and change is definitely happening.” The Body Mind Spirit Holistic Health Expo is not about being alternative, it’s...

Shopping for a sculpture? Or just looking? Either way, Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre’s annual Sculpture Festival, from 14 – 29 October, will command your attention. Curator Koji Miyazaki has assembled about 40 artists working in a range of media. Among the more than 300 works on display will be glass by Graeme Hitchcock; ceramics by Katie Gold, John Parker, Rick Rudd and Chris Weaver; sculpture by Tony Matthews and jewellery by Lynn Kelly. Prices start around $85. Smaller works will be on display in the Great Hall between 10am to 5pm daily. Larger works will be installed in the North Quad and surrounds, where people can view them at any time. During opening weekend (14-15 Oct) there will be six artist-led creative workshops covering clay head sculpting, 3D digital to physical making, clay bowl making, putiputi harakeke, clay sculpture making, and needle felting. Koji Miyazaki, jeweller and director...

As a portrait photographer, Ebony Lamb has an eye for the defining detail. As a songwriter, she shows that same clear insight. We talk timing, connections and the power of 3 ahead of her national tour. This album’s been a slow burn for you – why was that? Good things really do take time. Finding the right collaborators took some superb universal timing, to have Bic Runga and Kody Nielson (UMO) as my producers. I met Bic while at the Christchurch Art Centre at a songwriters’ workshop she was part of. It was a really great meeting of minds, followed by touring with her and then working together. The pandemic has held back this release by at least two years and now is totally the right time – touring nationally, going overseas, having the opportunity to go for it without the deep worry of cancellations. It also took us time to create the sound...