Stories

We all love a good yarn about the little guy triumphing against the odds. If the little guy wears stilettos, even better. Surely that’s why the world loves Kinky Boots, Harvey Fierstein and Cyndi Lauper’s musical about a struggling shoe company and a drag artist in need of sturdy show shoes. In Showbiz Christchurch’s production of the musical, the stilettos are worn by Euan Fistrovic Doidge, aka Lola, to divine effect. showbiz.org.nz

If you were one of the many to be wowed by Kaylee Bell’s boot-stomping gig as part of last summer’s South Island Wine and Food Festival, you may remember somebody else on that stage – Christchurch country singer Steffany Beck. That spot and a host of others last year, including a gig with Jason Kerrison of Opshop, have propelled her career to the point where she is releasing an EP, Pillars, recorded at The Sitting Room in Lyttelton, and going on a national tour, with a gig in Christchurch in July. facebook.com/steffanybeckmusic

A mid-length jacket is a  must for the modern male. Comfortable and versatile, it really comes into its own with the shifting seasons. Dress it up for work or down for after. This example from Working Style, the Danny Herringbone Overcoat, captures the vibe with its clean lines and tailored silhouette. Add it to your wardrobe and feel the heat. workingstyle.co.nz

Just because you have downsized from suburbia to a central-city pad, that’s no reason to give up on the gardening. The good folk at the Canterbury Horticultural Society are running monthly sessions for novices through to seasoned green thumbs on setting up a balcony garden. Their advice – start with planting low-growing and climbing bean varieties, which you can then underplant with lettuce, pak choy and spinach. Next, introduce small, continuously yielding leafy crops that thrive during autumn and winter, and some aromatic herbs. chsgardens.co.nz

True story – we bought one of these for Olive the dog but it was taken over by Koromiko the cat so we had to get another one. And with a new puppy in the house, we now have three. There’s no going back once your precious pet gets to kip in one of these! Perfect for throwing on the floor wherever you and your fur baby land today – anywhere will feel like home if they can curl up in their Brooklyn pet bed. thebrooklyn.co.nz

When the Royal New Zealand Ballet reprises Swan Lake on the Christchurch stage, it will be paying homage to one of the city’s own, Russell Kerr. A pioneer of ballet in Aotearoa, Russell Kerr first produced Swan Lake in the 1960s, while artistic director at the still fledgling New Zealand Ballet Company. He brought it back to the stage in the 1990s, this time with dazzling costume designs by Kristian Fredrikson. The same costumes have been dusted off for this production, re-staged by former RNZB Ballet Mistress Turid Revfeim. It’s an early reminder for new RNZB Artistic Director Ty King-Wall of just how deep the love and respect for Kerr goes. “This production holds so many precious memories for generations of New Zealanders. With Russell’s passing in 2022, our season is imbued with even more emotion, as we recognise his incredible talent and honour one of the true luminaries of ballet...

Movies to catch, books to read, television to bingewatch, music to dance to and podcasts to fill your spare time. Movies Back to Black The story of Icarus, who flew too high and paid with his life, was played out in full public view with the short life of Amy Winehouse, reinforcing another trope – that great art requires suffering. Sanctioned by the Winehouse estate, this biopic traverses Amy’s early years and adulthood. Scenes were filmed at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club, outside Winehouse's first flat in Camden Town, and at Primrose Hill. Challengers The so-hot-right-now Zendaya stars alongside Mike Faist and Josh O’Connor in this love triangle played out on centre court as two men do battle for the heart of one woman. To prep for her role, Zendaya spent three months training with a pro tennis player. The Mountain Rachel House, a regular in Taika Waititi’s films, makes her directorial...

Layer up for the cooler months with these gorgeous knits from Francie, in stock now at Infinite Definite. The garments are made in New Zealand using merino yarn fully traceable back to a Kiwi paddock. The label, founded in Melbourne and now based in Auckland, is making a name for itself with beautiful designs that tick all the boxes for ethical manufacturing, sustainability and a minimal carbon footprint. Very snuggly too. infinitedefinite.com/collections/francie

Amiria Grenell has a new album out and a tour to match. She tells us about being back in Christchurch, her new songs, and what her legendary dad, John Hore Grenell, would think of them. What would you like to tell us about your new album? It’s been a long time between releasing albums so I’m super excited to finally be sharing these new songs with the world! I was fortunate to work with Ryan Fisherman, who co-produced, engineered and performed on the album, and we called in many more wonderful Christchurch musicians to add keys, different guitar tracks, drums and vocals to the mix. We started recording ‘The Winter Light’ 3½ years ago and took our time. It feels good to release it as we head into the cooler months of winter, as my wish is that these songs carry the listener into their own winter tale. Is it an...

Guitar maestro Tommy Emmanuel performs in Christchurch on April 6, his first visit in six years. He talks to us about the thrill of a live audience, Chet Atkins and punters who use their mobile phone during a gig. Is this your ‘return to normality’ tour? Haha, yes, thank heavens the world has started to get on with things, started going out again. We learned we can’t take live music for granted. I’m busy, I’ve got so much to do and it’s all what I enjoy and want to do. Are you looking forward to it? I’ve got a lot of new songs and I’m also playing better than ever before in my life. I’m enjoying being back on tour and making a difference for people. And New Zealand has been a big part of my touring life; I’ve been touring here since I was a teenager. You famously have no...

Queenstown’s Tanoshi has brought the fun and flavours of its Osaka back-alley dining style to Christchurch with the opening of a restaurant in The Terrace precinct. Tanoshi serves an extensive Japanese tapas selection along with some Osaka classics. The menu also features “Build your own ramen”, allowing diners to choose a variety of base, broth, protein, noodles and toppings. tanoshi.co.nz

Cityscape's foodie wrap for the Month of March, 2024. Tasty Morsels for March. Our pick of five dishes to put at the top of your culinary to-do list. Marinated Yellow Fin Tuna, Chilli, Mandarin & Coconut Salad — King of SnakeBeef Tacos — ¡Roma!Butter Chicken + Naan — Coriander's Ethnic Indian RestaurantBeef Cheek Massaman Curry — The DishSalt & Pepper Tofu — Kokomo Pop-up brings Bangkok to town The ambience and aromas of Southeast Asia will take over Oxford Terrace on 22– 23 March when the Street Food Alley pop-up festival makes its debut. Over a dozen of the tastiest vendors in town will be sharing their wares, including Jaeju, Sangkutsa, Riri's, The Diversity and Kung Fu Dumplings. foodieslocalguides.com Big raps for baps Korean cuisine has a new champion in Cashel Street. Brewda blends the traditional vibrancy of Korean cuisine with innovative fusion flavours. Check out their bibimbap lunch menu –...

Autumn is near and with it a retreat to the warmth and comfort of home. Dulux colour forecasters are picking a matching trend for hues that evoke a sense of security when offset with layered textures and heritage furnishings. ‘Journey’ is one of three palettes in this year’s Colour Forecast. Maximalist and pattern-heavy, it combines bold mid-tone colours with cooler shades. The palette highlights lush green colours (Dulux Tarras, Dulux Te Horo) with muted blues (Dulux Te Ānau, Dulux Murrays Bay) and neutral pinks (Dulux Trentham, Dulux Evening Blush). dulux.co.nz

One of the hottest brands in the world is Rag & Bone, founded by Marcus Wainwright and David Neville. Rag & Bone is celebrated for its high-quality materials, attention to detail and for creating timeless pieces with a distinct New York City influence. Their returns policy is pretty much unconditional, unless you put your cashmere sweater in the dryer. If it came from them, they'll make it right. rag-bone.com

Meet CoCA’s new exhibition delivery manager, Jade Cavalcante. The role is new but the name and face will be very familiar to Christchurch art followers for her seven years working for SCAPE Public Art. Jade also curated the public programming for Shift: Urban Art Takeover, which transformed the former Canterbury Museum into a street art extravaganza. In her new role, Jade has already brought to life the exhibition Kia Ora Whaea, on show at CoCA till 16 March. The works in the exhibition explore maternal mental health from wāhine Māori perspectives. coca.org.nz

From her plinth in Victoria Square, Good Queen Vic will be casting a hungry and thirsty eye to The Victoria Free House, which has turned on its beer taps and fired up its ovens. Previously home to The Permit Room Indian restaurant, the busy street corner’s new  tenant specialises in ‘Craft Beer & British Fare’. The menu nods to tradition with smoked fish pie, also steak tartare and cured egg yolk served in a Yorkshire pudding. Tastes a bit more 21st century? Try fried cauliflower with curry mayo, leek yoghurt and pickled onion. To wet her whistle, Queen Victoria could choose from traditional ales, a select list of wines and a menu of classic cocktails. thevictoriafreehouse.co.nz

Wellington’s Cake Tin, take a back seat. You’ll have nothing on Christchurch when The Pavlova opens its turnstiles to the public. Officially it’s called Te Kaha but in the images of the final design, doesn’t our new stadium look just like a big egg-white meringue? The only thing missing is some kiwifruit or strawberries on the roof. Christchurch’s latest architectural confection already dominates the inner-city skyline, its roof supports now towering above the surrounding streets. Here at Cityscape, we were delighted to tour the Te Kaha worksite with Adrian Jones, project director for the contractor, BESIX Watpac, and Kent Summerfield, project director for CMUA Project Delivery Ltd. What blows us away immediately is the sheer scale of the project. As we circle the perimeter, the clanging and banging brings to mind a shipyard. Construction teams beaver away wherever we look and cranes swing their cargoes of material to where today’s action...

SailGP returns to Whakaraupō Lyttelton Harbour this month and for the first time punters will get to go behind the scenes for a tour of the “pit-lane garages” where crew and shore teams prepare the flying F50 catamarans. Cityscape was among the selected media who got to tour the team bases at last year’s inaugural Lyttelton event and it was eye-popping. Surgery-clean spaces, the highest of tech and hangar-like sheds sheltering “sails” that look more like the rippled wing of an airplane. The scale and sophistication is typical of the SailGP circus, which doesn’t just arrive somewhere, it invades. Last year, 84 containers of boats, gear, computer wizardry, even whole buildings, were shipped to Lyttelton’s Naval Point, assembled and made ready for the sold-out crowd that witnessed SailGP’s New Zealand debut. The New Zealand team got pipped for a win back then but the crowd was happy – we beat the...