Stories

It’s a full house at The Court Theatre, a mix of date nights, family groups, and work colleagues enjoying a Christmas shout from the boss. On stage, it’s a riot. Can-can girls a’kickin’, medieval minstrels a’strummin’ and a leather-clad Bard channelling Elvis, pre-Vegas and hot! Playing from now till late January, The Court Theatre’s production of Something Rotten! is guaranteed to have you heading home with a big smile and humming its theme song, “To Thine Own Self Be True”. The Tony Award-winning musical gets its Southern Hemisphere premiere with The Court Theatre’s production. There’s a story, but in true musical tradition it never gets in the way of the song and dance. It’s England 1595 and playwright brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom can’t compete with the rock-star popularity of William Shakespeare. In desperation they pin all their hopes on “the next big thing in theatre”, which they call a musical...

Ōtautahi has a new star and she is ready for her close-up. Niamh Crooks has won a national competition by posting a ‘duet’ on TikTok with homegrown rapper JessB. Her $10,000 in prizes includes a Rockshop prize pack and studio time to further hone her sound. A new microphone is on the shopping list. The 18-year-old won the public vote to come out on top in the Spark Open Audition comp. She went up against other finalists Gibson Harris (Gibz) and Noah Seuseu, with Niamh’s original song “Devotion” swaying the voters in radio land. After making the finals, Niamh was teamed up with producer and mentor Edward Liu of recording studio BIG FAN. “Getting the chance to work one-on-one with Edy from BIG FAN was a huge win in itself.” For his part, Edy sees big things ahead for Niamh. “I was extremely impressed and inspired by how quickly she worked....

Hardcore Kiwi metallers Blindspott will rock Hagley Park in December. We talk to singer Damian Alexander about getting back on the road and back in front of their fans. You have a huge catalogue to choose from – how was it coming up with a set list? Any radically different arrangements? Yeah we do have quite a few tracks now, which is awesome. For us it’s about designing a show that has good pace and is a bit more of a journey than just playing the tracks. Our shows always have a bit of a surprise element but you’ll have to come along to see if there’s anything radically different. How are the old songs going down with a new audience? It’s really cool and we are extremely lucky that all of our material from over the years resonates with so many different age groups and attendees at the show. There always seems to be something for...

Stephanie Rumble, founder of BrightRed, is one of New Zealand’s leading fashion stylists. Fresh from judging the Fashion in the Field competition at Riccarton Park this year, the former Best Dressed Lady (Addington, 2006) talks to us about summer trends, orange jeans and her work as an accountability coach. The last few weeks must be some of your busiest each year – how has it been? It has actually been really busy with people getting set up for the summer break and wanting advice and help with summer outfits. As soon as the weather gets warmer I get a flurry of people wanting appointments and panicking about their summer wardrobes.  Did you enjoy your stint among the judges for Riccarton Park’s Fashion in the Field? It was honestly supreme fun. I totally appreciate Zane Tate and Riccarton Park for having me and the effort and thought that goes into the outfits that show...

Amber Basalaj is the force of nature behind Basalaj Beauty, the high-performance makeup brand being embraced here and internationally. Basalaj Beauty was the official beauty partner for New Zealand Fashion Week 2023 and is the key makeup sponsor for Fashion for a Cure, which raises funds each year for cancer research. Amber believes local brands and talent are the backbone of our community. It’s clear, she says, that New Zealand consumers need to reconsider their purchasing choices and recognise the vital role they play in supporting local innovation and entrepreneurship. You have had another huge year with Basalaj Beauty – what have been the highlights? Fashion for a Cure events are always something I am super proud of every year and love attending! This year in particular we were the brand partner for New Zealand Fashion Week so that was a big highlight on top of just being fortunate enough to do what I...

An innovative Z-shaped home in Fendalton has been named National Supreme House of the Year over $1 million in the 2023 Registered Master Builders House of the Year competition. Built by John Creighton Builders, the house also won the New Home over $4 million category. Judges were in awe of the home’s design. “This unique single storey captivates from every angle,” they say in their comments. “The home sits on a flat site and rises out of the ground like a landmark with its dominant vertical appearance. “The structure is cutting-edge, with three wings in the shape of a Z. The living and kitchen area make up one wing, bedrooms in the second wing, and garage, gym and wine cellar in the third. The high-end materials and fitout leave you spellbound with the high level of specs and finish throughout. The craftsmanship throughout this home is of the highest quality.” Nicknamed...

Kevin McCloud, host of the UK series Grand Designs, has been no stranger to Christchurch since our earthquakes levelled large parts of the central city. He visited the CBD when it was still a no-go zone, lent his profile to Gap Filler and other renewal projects and helped judged the Breathe: Urban Village Project competition. Kevin will bring his Home Truths show to Christchurch in February, taking to the stage for a Q&A session he knows will range widely. In fact, he’s keen to get your questions already – head to his X (Twitter) account – @Kevin_McCloud – to get yours in. Here are some we managed to sneak in ahead of the show – thanks Kevin! So how are you feeling about coming back to Christchurch? I look forward to seeing the progress every time. Last time I was there, in 2018, it was patchy. There were these great blocks of derelict...

A day of performances, live music, artist talks, arts markets and children’s workshops on Saturday 25 November will mark the Year of the Arts in Christchurch. Using venues across the city between the Ōtakaro Avon River and the Botanic Gardens, the Ōtautahi Year of the Arts Block Party will celebrate the breadth and depth of the city’s talent. Venues include Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetū, Toi Moroki Centre of Contemporary Art, Canterbury Museum at CoCA, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, Toi Auaha Community Arts Hub, and Papa Hou at The Kind Foundation (formerly the YMCA), Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna O Waiwhetū will open its major summer exhibition, Spring Time is Heart-break: Contemporary Art in Aotearoa with a day of artist talks inside the gallery and RDU DJs playing on the forecourt. Toi Moroki Centre of Contemporary Art will host a conversation between Chloe Cull (Pouarataki – Curator Māori...

Christchurch streets are in for a little zhoosh-up from this weekend with the arrival of a brand-new event on the city’s arts calendar – the Little Street Art Festival. The brainchild of street art chronicler Reuben Woods, the festival is a response to what he sees as “the bigger the better” approach that has come to dominate street art festivals. Reuben is an art historian, writer and curator. His PhD thesis explored graffiti and street art within post-earthquake Christchurch. He also serves as creative director and lead tour guide for Watch This Space, a group dedicated to Christchurch’s street art, mural and graffiti scene. The Little Street Art Festival is a celebration of the smaller side of urban art, what has been termed ‘post-graffiti’ street art – stencils and miniature sculptures, installations and urban craft, guerrilla gardening, light-based works and participatory projects. If you have seen Ghostcat’s Haunted Teacup in New Regent Street,...

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...