Review: Coffee Bean-Queen Machine
Paja Neuhoferova wears a blue floral pattern full skirt, a short navy jacket with the blue floral fabric on the front, a headband with small flowers. As we arrive she is sitting on the counter. The accordion she plays is a deep glossy red. It sounds jaunty. Eighteen of us are tightly packed in to […]
Review: Blonde Mountain Wolf Man
Craig Geenty comes from a large and extended family. They’re gregarious. They like a bit of a drink. They’ve been whispering about a family secret for years. Great-grandfather Joseph is still officially missing after disappearing on his way back home after making a delivery in town in 1921. Did he crash? Did he run away? […]
James and Bullseye Bella
While the Wellingtonista is what we do on the side of our day jobs, it turns out that almost all Wellingtonistas have a side hustle on the side of the side. Case in point: our fearless leader only went and wrote a bloody book didn’t he? So I had a chat to him. Hey […]
Review: Side by Side by Sondheim
A revue of ‘most adventurous composer’ Stephen Sondheim’s works. Originally performed in 1976 the musicals represented in this revue are from the early part of his career. (Some of the musicals mentioned in the show’s promotional material do not feature.) He explores the themes of love, relationships, and marriage. Performed by Julie O’Brien, Matthew Pike, […]
Review: Hamlet (Summer Shakespeare 2019)
Summer Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been a show I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time, and I can definitely say that it didn’t let me down. Directed by David O’Donnell, and starring Stevie Hancox-Monk as a female Hamlet, the show brought Hamlet back to life for me in a very good way. Hamlet is a fantastic play but […]
Review: Why are we still here?
Four women on the run break into an abandoned theatre to shelter from a terrible storm. The group’s leader, Benny, is the first to notice they’re not alone – there are two others in the building. It takes the group of women a little while to discover that the ‘others’ are ghosts but by then […]
Review: NZSO Baroque Series – Water Music
Telemann: Water Music “Hamburger Ebb und Fluth” (TWV 55:C3) Händel: Water Music (HWV 348-350) St. Paul’s Cathedral, Wellington Friday 1 Feb 2019 Listening to the two “Water Music” suites by Telemann and Handel fill the echoing expanse of St. Paul’s, I wondered how it is we find reverberation so attractive. Is it a cultural association […]
Preview: WHY ARE WE STILL HERE?
You’ll remember Emma from her reviews right here on the ‘ista. Turns out she’s putting her money where her mouth is, so I had a chat with her about it. Why are we still here? February 5-9pm Bats Theatre Emma! You’re doing a play! What’s it all about? Four women break into an abandoned theatre […]
Introducing the House of Boom
When I opened up another branch of Wanda Harland, Joanna interviewed me all about it, so I figured with House of Boom about to launch, it was time for me to return the favour. Okay what’s going on? You’re launching your own clothing label? Yes! I got fed up with the lack of ethically-made options […]
Review: A Slightly Isolated Dog’s Santa Claus
Santa Claus brings A Slightly Isolated Dog’s usual charm, wit and innuendo to BATS’ Random Stage for the telling of a tale about a Santa Claus who is rather tired of putting up with naughty people’s bullshit. I shall not go too far into the plot of this sixty-minute show – to save you all from […]