Stories

If you’re looking for a reason to emerge from your winter hibernation, New Zealand Opera’s The Barber of Seville is it. Count Almaviva (John Tessier), Rosina (Sandra Piques Eddy) and fabulous Figaro (Morgan Pearse) are sure to have you in stitches from start to finish, as will the show’s antagonists. The Barber of Seville follows central protagonist Figaro as he helps the Count win the love of Rosina. Trouble soon emerges when we learn Rosina is confined to the house of her guardian, Doctor Bartolo, a crusty old man who’s planning to marry her. From this point on the performance becomes a circus (the good kind). Bartolo has the power, then the Count, then back to Bartolo. The show moves quickly, in turn holding the audience’s attention with ease. Tracy Grant Lord’s exceptional set is also deserving of mention. The colourful town of Seville easily transforms into Bartolo’s house, Rosina’s quarters...

WORD Christchurch’s spring season of events, Shifting Points of View, aims to bring some important conversations to our city. Fifteen events over four weeks (18 August – 14 September) cover topics as diverse as the Trojan War, racism and activism, the New Zealand Wars, politics, engineering, crime fiction and the history of New Zealand comedy. Headlining speakers include Simon Winchester, author of such books as Pacific, The Surgeon of Crowthorne and The Map That Changed the World, and his latest book Exactly: How precision engineers created the modern world; Natalie Haynes, host of the BBC radio show Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, with a feminist retelling of the Troy story; DeRay Mckesson, American activist and a founder of the Black Lives Matter movement; Val McDermid, Scottish crime writer; New Zealand historian Vincent O’Malley and scholar Marilyn Waring. Some of comedy’s movers and shakers, including Madeleine Sami, will be on stage to discuss the history of New Zealand comedy as portrayed in the television...

It started as a bit of a laugh and has now taken over Jamie Morton’s life. Cityscape talks to the podcast creator about sharing his dad’s pornography with the world. This is your second visit to New Zealand – anything you’re particularly looking forward to? I’m looking forward to going to Waiheke Island, that’s one of my plans this time, going to get some wine and just chill out. I actually love New Zealand – when we were here last time we started the tour in Auckland then we went straight to Australia and did that leg and we finished in Perth, and James Cooper, my co-host, and I flew right back to Queenstown and explored all of New Zealand – it was amazing. So I’m really, really excited to be back, it’s going to be great. What can punters expect to see? There must be some challenges in turning an...

Cityscapers, it’s time to put on your food critic hats, because The Christchurch Food Chase for 2019 is officially cooking with gas! The Christchurch Food Chase challenges the good people of Ōtautahi to eat their way around as many listed restaurants as possible, feasting on each venue’s Food Chase Dish, before going home to give it a rating out of five. By the end of the chase, which runs from August 1–31, we’ll know what the city’s favourite dish is. Botanic is serving up a Smoked Duck Breast Salad, Universo has an Akaroa Salmon Hash and Welles Street is putting on a Middle-East Feast. The Fermentist, Rollickin Gelato Café and Miro are among some of the other names participating. Eight special events will also take place throughout August, ranging from a six-course degustation to a family-style vegan lunch with Vanessa Ortynsky and a Jurassic Park outdoor movie night hosted in partnership...

If you think you know a good cheese toastie, wait until you cop a look at the Christchurch finalists in this year’s Great NZ Toastie Takeover. Friends of Cityscape Otto Delicatessen landed a spot in the final with their mouth-watering ‘The French Dip’ toastie. The flavourful creation was filled with provolone, cheddar, onion and mustard aioli with McClure’s Pickles, hot beef jus and potato crisps served on the side. Joe’s Garage Riccarton delivered the other local showstopper, serving up an oozing pulled lamb shoulder and Havarti cheese toastie. Thirteen mouth-watering toasties from across the country are now heading into the final round. To meet the entry criteria, all toasties had to be toasted between two slices of bread and able to be eaten by hand. They also had to use some kind of cheese and McClure’s Pickles, the rest was the cook’s creation. Head Judge Kerry Tyack said Kiwis’ love affair...

WATCHING Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood Quentin Tarantino’s highly anticipated Once Upon A Time... in Hollywood lands in Kiwi cinemas on August 15. The epic film follows struggling actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) as they navigate the highs and lows of Hollywood in 1969. History makes itself known in the film as fictional characters Booth and Dalton are surrounded by the likes of Steve McQueen (Damian Lewis), Bruce Lee (Mike Moh) and Joanna Pettet (Rumer Willis). Then there’s actress Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie), the murder of whom plays out in the film. If you love the glitz and glam of Hollywood, Tarantino’s ninth instalment is one not to be missed. LISTENING Raphael Saadiq ­– Jimmy Lee Grammy award-winning super producer and Tony! Toni! Toné! member Raphael Saadiq is gearing up to release his first solo album in eight years. Expect Jimmy Lee...

August is a monster month for cinema fans, with the New Zealand International Film Festival in town. Fans of cinema soundtracks are also in for a treat, with the NZSO making the jump to hyperspace at the Horncastle Arena. Elsewhere there’s scrumptious eats, moving drama, inspirational talks and a dusting of Disney magic, as well as some stellar Kiwi sounds from The Chills, Louis Baker and Aldous Harding. Check out our roundup of August activities and events that will get you out and enjoying all that our city has to offer. The Christchurch Food Chase Help in the search for the city’s favourite dish by joining The Christchurch Food Chase. Restaurants from across the city are busy creating dishes for you to taste and rate during August. Pick up a flyer from around town or download the details from the Food Chase website and get tasting and voting! Among the eateries...

Grammy Award-winning rockers America are kicking off a nationwide tour in Christchurch this November. Original members Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell will perform alongside their band at the Christchurch Town Hall on November 22. America’s 50th anniversary tour will feature all of their most memorable songs including ‘Ventura Highway’, ‘Horse with no Name’ and ‘I Need You’, among others. The powerhouse band’s uplifting music and dynamic stage presence continue to wow audiences across the globe and we Kiwis are next. Tickets can be purchased from 9am on August 6 via Ticketek. ticketek.co.nz

The South Island’s biggest New Year’s bash, Rhythm & Alps, is back for 2019, with another stellar lineup in tow. From December 29 to 31, the breathtaking Cardrona Valley will play host to some of the biggest names in music. Heavyweight producer and DJ Wilkinson will headline the festival alongside a full band and small string orchestra, bringing all his hits to a stacked New Year’s Eve set. Popular trap and bass producer RL Grime is also returning to Aotearoa New Zealand for the festival, while Jon Hopkins, Floating Points, Honey Dijon, Shy FX and Freddie Gibbs are among those rounding out the international names. When it comes to local talent, homegrown acts Opiuo, Ladi6, Mako Road, The Butlers and State of Mind are sure to bring a quintessentially Kiwi vibe to the all-star festival. Rhythm & Alps festival director Alex Turnbull said all acts were "hand-chosen" from around the world...

Hey Cityscapers, if you work in the new Te Papa Hauora Health Precinct or find yourself visiting Christchurch Hospital, you now have a new hotspot to grab a mouth-watering bite to eat. Six delicious new eateries opened on August 5 at 32 Oxford Terrace. Going under the name Eats on Oxford, the new dining lane serves up some bodacious green, clean, fresh food in the under-catered Health Precinct. The dining lane overlooks the Avon River, making it an ideal place to relax away from the precinct’s bustle. Five of six retailers are already signed up, a mixture of new and well-known names. The Serious Sandwich, already a favourite at The Colombo in Sydenham, brings its hearty fare to Eats on Oxford. Crafted lovingly with the best bread, meats, cheese and vegetables, these sandwiches live up to their name. Seriously. Your lunch won’t be the same once you’ve tried their BLT, spiced...

Cityscape HQ’s favourite health and wellness expert, Dr Libby Weaver, has a new book coming to help those of us feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all. The Invisible Load: A Guide to Overcoming Stress and Overwhelm, is in stores on August 19, 2019. Dr Libby’s 12th book takes a completely new approach to understanding stress by delving into where the stress is coming from. Is it really from the pressure of our tasks, duties and responsibilities – or is it something deeper? And why are stress levels continuing to rise? The answer, says Dr Libby, is our invisible loads, the stresses we carry that no one sees and that drive how we think and feel. From the physical load on our body to the emotional load in our mind, this invisible load is what really sits at the heart of our stress. And until we learn to unpack it, reducing...

The buzzy, inner-city neighbourhood of South Town, centred on Welles Street, has even more claim to being Christchurch’s creative hub with the opening of Yoobee Colleges, just across on Colombo Street. The funky new building will be home to 700 animation, film, emerging technologies, game development and graphic design students. The campus has been purpose-built, with labs and interactive class spaces, as well as exhibition and event areas. As well as NZQA-accredited courses, Yoobee will also offer secondary school holiday programmes and training for working professionals. The location appealed to Yoobee as South Town is becoming home to an increasing number of artistic and creative businesses, making it an ideal space to inspire their students. Developer Box 112, who are behind many of the new projects transforming South Town, partnered with Yoobee Colleges to deliver the new building. Box 112 spokesman James Stringer said such projects were “filling the streets” with...

Film festival fever is everywhere, Cityscapers – the full programme for the Christchurch edition of the New Zealand International Film Festival 2019 was released in mid-July, and boasts an impressive 84 films from all seven continents. Whittling down the extensive programme can be a time consuming process. To ease the burden, we’ve done the legwork and put together our top picks for the upcoming festival, which runs from 8 – 25 August at the Isaac Theatre Royal and Lumière Cinemas in the Arts Centre. As well as titles direct from the Cannes and Sundance festivals, there are some exceptional new New Zealand films showing, including Tearepa Kahi’s Herbs: Songs of Freedom and Tony Sutorius’ Helen Kelly – Together, a moving documentary of the last year of the unionist’s life. Both Kahi and Sutorius will meet and take questions from audiences at screenings of their films. For those keen to support local,...

Time to break out the bold colours and the big hair, Cityscapers – 1980s pop icons a-ha are coming to Christchurch in March 2020 to celebrate 35 years since their debut release, Hunting High and Low, by performing the album in full, including smash hit ‘Take On Me’. The concert will feature other favourites from across their career. In their first visit to New Zealand, a-ha – singer Morten Harket, keyboardist Mags Furuholmen and guitarist Paul Waaktaar-Savoy – will take the stage at Horncastle Arena on March 5. Joining them is Rick ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ Astley, also making his New Zealand debut. a-ha have sold more than 55 million albums and remain one of the UK and Europe's most loved pop bands, regularly playing stadiums and festivals. Their songs and those of Rick Astley have been a big part of the pop soundtrack to countless lives, and this tour...

Fresh from headlining sold-out shows in New York and London, Kiwi pop sensations Drax Project are performing in Christchurch on August 2, 2019. Cityscape talks to drummer Matt Beachen about overnight success and sharing the love. In just a few years, you’ve gone from busking on the streets of Wellington to selling out your own headline tours and opening for the likes of Ed Sheeran and Lorde – how surreal has that been? It’s definitely been a crazy few years! I don’t think any of us thought it would go as far as it has when we were busking. We’ve always just had fun with it and we’re super grateful that we get to do what we do! Your song ‘Woke Up Late’ – when did you realise you had such a massive hit on your hands? It’s hard to say really – I think when we opened for Ed Sheeran...

Expect to laugh, cringe and maybe cry as you watch the crew from the outrageous My Dad Wrote A Porno podcast bring their brand new live show to Christchurch in 2020. New Zealand is one of the earliest stops on a new world tour, so you’ll be able to see the show first. Team Porno – aka Jamie Morton, Alice Levine and James Cooper – will hit the stage of the Isaac Theatre Royal on January 22, presenting more of the best/worst erotica ever written. Join Jamie as he delves deeper into the mind of the legendary Rocky Flintstone and dissects his father’s Belinda Blinked erotic saga, alongside best mates James and Alice, who bring to life this comedy event full of surprises and interaction. It’s been two years since Kiwis have had a chance to see the trio behind the podcast perform live. If you want to catch up with...

Don’t sacrifice style for warmth this season. Untouched World’s Wool Shirt (pictured top) is sure to help you combat the cold. Great for layering, it will quickly become a wardrobe staple. We've rounded up a few more dapper items to help get you through the crisper months. Read on for the definitive list of what's haute in boys fashion this winter. Superdry New Merchant Pea Coat from BallantynesHunters Race Neptune watch from HeadspaceNorse Projects Beanie from Infinite DefiniteHugh Long Sleeve T-Shirt from Cutler & Co.Garret Leight Boccaccio Sunglasses from Infinite DefiniteRoyal Republiq Cast Crepe Midcut Shoe from Infinite DefiniteDanyon Trouser from Cutler & Co.Louis Cuba Libre Satchel from Indigo & Provisions

One of New Zealand’s favourite live acts, Sons of Zion, are pulling in to town on August 3 to bring their ‘Coming Home’ tour to The Good Home Ferrymead. Singer Samuel Eriwata tells Cityscape what punters can expect, and talks about their first gig together. Congratulations on your new hit single, ‘Come Home’ – is it a pointer to what is to come with the next album?Absolutely. This is the first song in a series we are doing to be released together. Each song will have its own vibe, no two songs will be similar. What can punters expect from your new live show?We always strive to bring something new to the live scene. Expect a super-polished set and something that's tailored to a crowd who loves to party and have a good time. Audiences know you for the way you all seamlessly switch vocal duties and instruments on stage –...