Stories

A contemporary retelling of Béla Bartók’s operatic masterpiece Bluebeard’s Castle that presents the opera as a love story between a long-married couple living with dementia will take to the Christchurch Town Hall stage on Saturday. British dramatic soprano Susan Bullock and American dramatic baritone Lester Lynch will perform, alongside the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Dutch-Maltese conductor Lawrence Renes, highly regarded for his ability to balance orchestra and singers and for delivering performances of passion, nuance and style. Composer Béla Bartók’s only opera, this award-winning and innovative revival of Bluebeard’s Castle from Theatre of Sound (UK) premiered in London in 2021 to universal praise. Susan Bullock is the first soprano to sing four consecutive cycles of Der Ring des Nibelungen at the Royal Opera House under Sir Antonio Pappano. Appearances as Richard Strauss’ Elektra have brought her equal international acclaim. Further career highlights include Liz Stride (Jack the Ripper) for English National Opera; Mother (Greek) for...

North Canterbury winery Black Estate is The Alchemist’s Table Winery Restaurant of the Year in the 2023 Cuisine Good Food Awards. Also in the South Island, Amisfield, in Queenstown, is again the American Express Restaurant of the Year and has been awarded a 3-hat status, signifying it to be “extraordinary and approaching perfection”. The Cuisine Good Food Awards, the annual industry celebration regarded as the country's pre-eminent hospitality awards, this week announced 18 category winners and 84 Hatted restaurants. The exceptional restaurants which took home “hats” – either 3, 2 or 1 – have been named as the best in Aotearoa New Zealand. Similarly, those establishments and industry players who took home category wins are those considered to be the leaders of their craft. Dining at Amisfield is described by the judges as “magical, entertaining and memorable”. The restaurant is led by former Cuisine Chef of the Year Vaughan Mabee, who,...

Tyson Campbell has kicked off his three-year tenure as SCAPE’s new managing curator with a lineup of eight artists handpicked to bring a new perspective to the 25-year-old festival of public art in central Ōtautahi Christchurch. Tyson, a curator and artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau, has worked in grassroots and institutional contemporary art settings. His work focuses on how the clash that can occur between indigenous ways of knowing and the approach of institutions can be resolved through respectful communication. “I chose these artists because their practices have a new perspective and are tied to power and place,” Tyson says. “They each provide compelling autobiographical narratives of how art can be presented in public.” The festival, which opens on 25 November and runs for 12 weeks, includes several multi-disciplinary artists: Tāmaki Makarau-based Denise Porter-Howland, who works primarily with ceramics.Susu, a Taiwanese artist also living in Auckland who produces interdisciplinary works in digital...

The New Zealand International Film Festival, a highlight of the cultural calendar, arrives in Ōtautahi Christchurch this week. Across its 18 days, the festival will show 78 feature-length films and 7 short film collections from 21 countries. That’s a lot of screen time! To help you with your choices, the festival’s Head of Programming, Michael McDonnell, has highlighted 10 hidden gems you may otherwise miss. Anselm 3D An immersive documentary portrait of German artist Anselm Keifer from another German master, Wim Wenders. The film offers viewers a highly accessible three-dimensional view of Keifer’s amazing sculptural works and insight into his artistic process. Charcoal An unexpectedly twisty crime thriller from Brazil in which a poor rural family agree to hide a drug lord in their small farm in return for a wad of cash. Just when you think you know where it’s going, Carolina Markowicz’s debut film pulls the rug out from...

After six weeks with the renovators in, the wraps come off the new look at The George and 50 Bistro on Friday 4 August. And three events in the next few months give you plenty of excuses to go and check out the changes. The new exterior cuts a stylish figure on Park Terrace, and there’s a few upgrades inside for 50 Bistro and the accommodation rooms. Taking pride of place is a beautifully refinished bar made of recycled rimu. The timber came from buildings destroyed in the Christchurch earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.   The George’s accommodation rooms now have walk-in tiled showers. A new corridor carpet has a design reminiscent of a Colin McCahon painting and represents the braided rivers, plains and crop fields of Canterbury.  EVENTS In collaboration with WORD Christchurch, enjoy high tea with chef and food writer Sam Mannering. The menu will feature some of Sam's own...

The bite of winter drives us to indoor hobbies such as knitting and needlework, and that can be satisfying for some. Here at Cityscape, though, we like to mix it up. Which is why we love poetry. You can read and enjoy it curled up in your favourite armchair. Or you can go out and see poets deliver their lines live and direct. You can even have a go yourself. Now that’s gonna warm you up! From the poets who launched their careers with Denis Glover’s Caxton Press in the 1930s to stalwarts Frankie McMillan and James Norcliffe and a new generation represented by Claudia Jardine, Ōtautahi Christchurch has been a major force in the development of our national voice. The common rooms, coffee houses and private soirées that were once the venues have been augmented by the likes of Space Academy and Little Andromeda. Poets and stand-up comedians mingle on...

You know the drill – one book for the rest of your life, what will it be? Cityscape puts the question to a panel of people chosen for their love of books. Mary Sangster, University Bookshop Canterbury : I have three books that I would like to take to a desert island, but forced to choose only one, it would be my beloved Complete Works of William Shakespeare. This book has it all. Stories to entertain me in the comedies and romances. The tragedies evoke emotion and throughout the whole book I’m given a history lesson. Being play scripts makes it easier for my imagination to conjure up full personas for the characters. And then there’s the poetry – fantastic! On my desert island I can recite the soliloquies to my heart’s content, keeping my brain active at the same time. After all this effort maintaining my education, reading entertaining tales...

Books to read, television to bingewatch, music to dance to and podcasts to fill your spare time this August. Bingewatching The Chosen One : Bear with us – it’s better than it sounds. 12-year-old Jodie discovers he has Jesus-like powers. Everyone wants a slice but all Jodie wants is to impress his girlfriend and smack down his bullies. Based on the comic book series American Jesus by Mark Millar and Peter Gross, this six-part series captures that Stranger Things mix of horror and coming-of-age. Barry : If you like your comedy dark, this one’s for you. A killer for hire takes an acting class during a hit and gets a glimpse of a life without death – other people’s, that is. Lots of laughs but also plenty to ponder in a series that explores themes of toxic masculinity, abuse and the difficulties veterans can have reintegrating into society. Jury Duty :...

Paul Howell, chef at Twenty Seven Steps and Downstairs, remembers growing up with Delia Smith’s Complete Cookery Course (1982). “It was probably the first cookbook I came across. It was my mum’s and brother’s – they were a big influence on my cooking.” His favourite, though, would be The Complete Nose to Tail. A Kind of British Cooking, by Fergus Henderson (2012). It’s about eating all of the animal and is unapologetically an offal bible. “It’s groundbreaking in its style of photography and design. It’s not just photos of perfect dishes but also steps along the way. So there’s photos of pigs’ heads and so on. Many others are trying to emulate that approach now.” Paul, a native of Port Talbot in South Wales, also likes that it is British and celebrates the nation’s ingredients and techniques. “I’ve used some of the recipes in the restaurant. Roast bone marrow with a...

In the build-up to National Poetry Day on 25 August, writer and editor Gail Ingram shares a poetry exercise that will give inspo to avid poet or newbie alike. Celebrated Canterbury poet James Norcliffe says there are three ingredients for great writing: insight, originality and craft. Here are a few things to consider when choosing these ingredients. Insight This is what you discover through the process of writing your poem and what the reader gains from reading it. Be inspired by the small everyday moments that touch you, frighten you, evoke something powerful that you want to understand. As you write, examine your inspiration closely; pay attention to the details – for example, was the colour of his hair caramel or camel? Ask yourself which word or image best fits the moment/feeling you’re trying to capture – if the man was sweet, then ‘caramel’, goofy then ‘camel’. Pay close attention to...

The Royal New Zealand Ballet celebrates its platinum anniversary this month with Lightscapes. Over the decades, Christchurch’s community of studios and teachers has produced many a company member. One of these is former principal dancer Abigail Boyle. After a false start to her dancing career and some time off, Abigail came to Christchurch to study under Sherilyn Kennedy at the city’s acclaimed International Ballet Company. Through that, in 2006, she was part of a group of South Island dancers invited to spend a week in Wellington at the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s rehearsal studios. That’s when she was spotted by then Artistic Director Gary Harris and invited to join the national company. Looking back on her 13 years with the company, Abigail remembers the family feel, the lack of hierarchy and the camaraderie. Everyone had their own superpower or speciality. Others were better at this or that – leaps, fluidity, artistry....

After a three-year hiatus, New Zealand Fashion Week is back in August as big and bold as ever to again champion local and international designers and showcase their collections. Leading the charge from New Zealand designers is Kharl WiRepa. The haute couture wunderkind from Rotorua has already taken on London and Paris fashion weeks and was the first Māori designer to be featured in Vogue. Kharl will present two shows during New Zealand Fashion Week: Kahuria, as it is now named. His luxurious designs reflect his cultural heritage while also pushing boundaries. His affluent and fashionable clients seek elegance and style, often with a bit of shock factor. All New Zealand-made, each garment will showcase the designer’s vision. There are plenty of opportunities for the public to be part of the action as Auckland’s Viaduct Events Centre is transformed into an immersive fashion hub from 29 August – 2 September. More...

For Kiran Dass, programme lead for WORD Christchurch 2023, the future is bright for writing and publishing in Aotearoa New Zealand. Kiran is part of a new team behind Ōtautahi’s premier literary festival, which features over 130 writers, thinkers, poets and performers and over 80 events from 23 – 27 August. Venues include The Piano, Tūranga, The Arts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora, and Little Andromeda. Kiran sees the literary talent in Aotearoa going from strength to strength. Small, independent publishing houses are on the rise, and the bigger publishers are catching on to fresh and exciting voices that tap into the things New Zealanders care about. The voices and stories being championed and published are also increasingly diverse. Capturing all that in the WORD Christchurch programme has been a steep learning curve for the new crew. The result is a programme that strikes a balance between tried-and-true gems and fresh and...

A retrospective exhibition honouring one of New Zealand’s most decorated and best-loved contemporary artists, Dame Robin White, opens this weekend at Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū. In the last of four shows across Aotearoa, Robin White: Te Whanaketanga | Something is Happening Here will showcase about 50 iconic, diverse and innovative works. The exhibition, developed by Auckland Art Gallery Toi o Tāmaki and the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, profiles White’s celebrated 50-year career in contemporary art and demonstrates the cultural significance of her work in Aotearoa and beyond. Co-curators Dr Sarah Farrar, Head of Curatorial and Learning at Auckland Art Gallery, and Dr Nina Tonga, Curator Contemporary Art at Te Papa, sourced the collection from public art galleries and generous private owners throughout the country. Dr Farrar says White’s paintings of the 1970s drew acclaim for their stylised depiction of everyday, small-town Kiwi life. “Inspired by...

It really is 20 years since Bic Runga released Beautiful Collision. She tells Cityscape about its genesis, and how much she is looking forward to bringing the songs back to Christchurch in an anniversary concert. Performing Beautiful Collision in Ōtautahi will bring back a flood of memories no doubt? Yes it's always really fun to play Christchurch and see old friends. I haven't lived there since the late ‘90s but I still look forward to being there, it does feel like coming home. What are your recollections of putting the album together? Making Beautiful Collision was a good time in my life. I wasn't sure what to do with myself after high school. I failed to get into art school so I got a job at the CD Store in Cashel Mall. After a year I moved to Auckland and pursued music instead. My first album, Drive, did well – it...

For Christchurch band Pieces of Molly, the last few years have been a whirlwind of recording, performing and rubbing shoulders with their idols backstage. It’s been a blast. Forget that warning about meeting your heroes. The Datsuns were awesome, and lovely guys as well, says singer and guitarist Ewen. So were Shihad when Pieces of Molly opened for them at the James Hay Theatre in September. And Head Like A Hole. And US band Sasquatch, who they supported on an Australia and New Zealand tour last year. In fact, says other guitarist Sam, all the musicians they have met have treated the band like friends and been really generous in sharing their knowledge. Pieces of Molly came together when Ewen, Doug and Sam met at Jazz School. There was a break while Ewen was overseas, then the band reformed when he got back. The current lineup has been around for six...

The doors are open on the reshuffle of Christchurch’s gallery and museum spaces, with a Christchurch Art Gallery and Canterbury Museum collab showing at the art gallery and an exhibition at the Centre of Contemporary Art marking that gallery’s reopening. As we reported in January, Canterbury Museum has closed its doors for five years for a major redevelopment. A decision to open a pop-up museum on the first floor of the nearby CoCA building has enabled that gallery to reopen on the ground floor after prohibitive costs for upgrades to its 1968 modernist building shut the doors in May last year. While we await the museum pop-up’s opening at CoCA, the Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetū exhibition Ship Nails and Tail Feathers beautifully illustrates the potential for collaboration between gallery and museum. Taonga (treasures) from each collection have been handpicked by curators from both institutions, making for an unusual...

It’s our newest public holiday, unique to Aotearoa. Matariki marks the start of the new year in these islands, the start of a new growing cycle and time to remember, celebrate and look to the future. The star cluster Matariki rises during Pipiri (June/July) and becomes visible before sunrise as a faint sparkle of tiny dots above the north-east horizon. As Polynesian settlers adapted to their new land of Aotearoa, they realised that the rising of the star cluster signalled the start of a new growing cycle. How the stars looked also carried a signal – clear bright stars are a good omen, while hazy stars foretell a cold, harsh winter. When the cluster disappears in April/May, it is time to preserve crops for the winter season. Matariki is also said to mark the moment the spirits of those who have died over the past year become stars. After centuries of...