End the year on an impossibly high note with a glitter-soaked, glam-rock night like no other.

Rapturously received since its off-Broadway debut, Hedwig & the Angry Inch rapidly stormed the world with its film adaptation and a recent Tony Award-winning stage revival featuring Neil Patrick Harris. Now, it’s Auckland’s turn to discover the hilarious charms and unforgettable music of Hedwig up close.

From East Berlin to Times Square, Hedwig has travelled the world in pursuit of her rock-goddess dreams — only to have her protégé, Tommy Gnosis, steal her songs and ride them to stadium-sized glory. A darkly humorous tale about sacrifice, gender and love in all its forms. Come wrap up our season in shimmering, soaring style with John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask’s landmark musical spectacular. (Thigh-high boots, gold lamé and wigs are firmly encouraged.)

"Foul-mouthed, electrically tuneful and furiously funny." - New York Times

"Absolutely sizzles with hard rock to pop ballads." - Stuff

By arrangement with Music Theatre International (Australasia) on behalf of Dramatists Play Service Inc.

Subscribe to Auckland Theatre Company’s 2020 season.

Style, sass and spotlights — it’s the Golden Age of Hollywood, and the indomitable Vera Stark is ready to make her mark in Tinseltown!

As a housemaid to the silver screen’s biggest, blondest bombshell, Vera’s perfectly poised to seize the chance for her breakout role. But for African-Americans in the 1930s, big-screen dreams and real life are a messy combination...

Chronicling Vera’s rise to silver screen glory and her subsequent tumble into obscurity, By The Way, Meet Vera Stark is a barbed-wire screwball take on the oft-overlooked legacy of African-American actresses and the injustices they faced at the hands of Hollywood executives. Playwright Lynn Nottage is the only woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice. While her body of work ranges from searing drama to uproarious comedy, Nottage’s dedication to placing unsung stories in the spotlight shines through all her work. ATC proudly presents the New Zealand premiere of By The Way, Meet Vera Stark.

"So clever, so playful, so keen to shapeshift and timeslip and whiz through half a dozen separate genres." - The New York Times

"A dazzling comedy about racial identity in Hollywood." - New York Post

Subscribe to Auckland Theatre Company’s 2020 season.

Through talent and hard work, expert builder Halvard Solness has achieved no small measure of fame and fortune. But the unexpected return of Hilde Wangel to his life threatens to shake the foundations of his success.

A decade prior, Halvard promised a 13-year-old Hilde the world. Now, she’s here to collect. And while Hilde’s return stokes Halvard’s artistic ambitions, his burning passion and her deepest desires may consume everyone around them. Master dramatist Henrik Ibsen’s classic interrogates the costs of creativity, the perils of ambition, the complexities of gender power play and the madness of desire. The Master Builder has only gained potency since its debut in 1892 and stands as one of Ibsen’s most confronting and profound works.

"It weaves together the realistic, the mythical and the symbolism of the subconscious mind." - The Independent

"Haunting tale of ambition and desire." - Evening Standard

Subscribe to Auckland Theatre Company’s 2020 season.

“We must make it possible for every individual to lead the good life, to win a place in the sun. We are in danger of becoming a race of fear-ridden neurotics — we who live in the finest country on Earth.”

Expat New Zealander Sir Garfield Todd said these words in his final speech as Prime Minister of Rhodesia in 1958. Ousted from politics for being a “black lover”, Todd’s ongoing fight for racial equality and opposition to white minority rule led to his house arrest in 1965, the starting point for Makuwe’s story.

Confined to his home, with the civil war raging close by and separated from his wife and children who have fled abroad, Todd and his family’s servant, Steady, confront the uncertainties of their precarious lives.

Zimbabwean Stanley Makuwe migrated to New Zealand in 2002. An award-winning playwright, Makuwe combines writing with a career in psychiatry. Black Lover brings to life a great New Zealander and explores how two men stand with courage against terror in a nation experiencing deep racial divides.

Black Lover was proudly developed with the support of Auckland Theatre Company.

In association with Auckland Arts Festival.

Subscribe to Auckland Theatre Company’s 2020 season.

Barry and Gen may have retired, but these spirited seniors aren’t slowing down. There’s overseas travel to plan, family feuds to settle, the inevitable health problems, and a friend to bury. As Barry and Gen put the fun into funerals and discover new complications in conjugal relations, Winding Up provides a hilarious testament to the lighter side of the golden years.

With over 40 plays under his belt, from Glide Time and Middle-Age Spread to Four Flat Whites in Italy, freshly-knighted theatre legend Sir Roger Hall is thoroughly entitled to rest on his laurels. Thankfully, he didn’t get the memo: Winding Up showcases Hall in classic form, once again demonstrating his inimitable wit and knowing insight, while comic legends Alison Quigan and Mark Hadlow command the stage. Escape the heat and book for the summer’s biggest premiere now!

"In theatre, timing is everything and Hall demonstrates a knack for it" - NZ Herald

"The laughs comes thick and fast." NZ Herald on Last Legs

Subscribe to Auckland Theatre Company’s 2020 season.

In 1967, Aretha Franklin dropped her smash hit version of Respect and the world was never the same.

A soundtrack for a generation, Respect became a declaration from a strong, confident woman - as potent then as it is today.

The passing of the late great Aretha Franklin in 2018 signalled the end of an era but Aretha’s legacy of song lives on. Join Annie Crummer, Bella Kalolo, Ria Hall and Jackie Clarke as they sock it to you and pay tribute to the legendary Aretha Franklin. This is a night at the inaugural Te Tairawhiti Arts Festival you won’t want to miss!

For more information, images and interviews, please contact Siobhan Waterhouse at Mr Fahrenheit Publicity on siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz or +64 22 126 4149.

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival

From 4-20 October 2019, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will put a spotlight on the Gisborne region with more than 70 exceptional live performance events by over 400 performers, from both New Zealand and all over the world.

The region’s new flagship arts and culture event is a rich, diverse and thoughtful contemporary arts festival which reflects and celebrates the people of Tairāwhiti. Multi-artform, region-wide, and a mixture of paid and free events, shows and arts events, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival’s kaupapa embraces the richness of the Gisborne region, celebrates the abundance of artistic excellence connected to Tairāwhiti, and recognises the region’s place in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.

The festival celebrates the remote nature of its location and uplifts the unique community spirit and geographic identity which defines not only the Tairāwhiti region, but also Aotearoa.

NEW ZEALAND’S TOUCH COMPASS AND UK’S FROZEN LIGHT THEATRE CREATE GROUNDBREAKING WORK FOR AUDIENCE WITH MULTIPLE LEARNING DISABILITIES

When Sina awakes on a mystical, ancient beach she has no idea how she got there.
How will she find her way back? What is her connection to Masina?

New Zealand’s leading inclusive performing arts company, Touch Compass, has collaborated with one of the UK’s foremost multi-sensory theatre companies, Frozen Light, to create a pioneering new dance theatre work for audience members who have profound and multiple learning disabilities – the first of its kind in Aotearoa.

Premiering as an Auckland tour and part of Auckland Live’s Pick & Mix programme this October, Masina Returning Home has been created for audiences, primarily aged 13 to adult, who have what is referred to as PMLD - profound and multiple learning disabilities.

Children and adults with PMLD have more than one disability, the most significant of which is a profound intellectual disability. These individuals usually have great challenges communicating, often requiring those who know them well to interpret their responses and intent. They frequently have other, additional, disabling conditions, too - from physical disabilities to sensory impairments, sensory processing difficulties, complex health needs, mental health issues and self-developed coping strategies.

The interactive and multi-sensory show, Masina Returning Home, is presented to meet the needs of each audience member who attends with their support person and whānau members.

Using words, song, music and dance, as well as multi-sensory props and experiences, the audience joins Sina on her exploration to reconnect with her history, her land and her future.

UK-based Frozen Light creates multi-sensory theatre for audiences with PMLD. They were invited to Auckland by Touch Compass to share their knowledge in this area and collaborate on this new piece of multi-sensory theatre.

It is the first work of its kind in this country and Frozen Light were thrilled to be able to support the kaupapa.

“People with PMLD are amongst some of the most excluded groups in society and it can be very difficult for them to access mainstream theatre due to the content and conventions not being relevant to their needs. 

“Touch Compass acknowledged that in New Zealand this group of people, who, like everyone else, can gain so much from the arts, were being excluded from engagement through lack of appropriate experiences and decided to bring Frozen Light over to work with them and ensure a legacy of work for this audience,” says Frozen Light’s Co-artistic Director Lucy Garland.

Frozen Light and Touch Compass worked with an inclusive cast of two actors and a musician – Lusi Faiva, Katrina George and Sam Jones. Lusi has Cerebral Palsy, uses a powerchair and talks with the aid of an iPad.

The two companies also partnered with Takapuna’s Wilson School, to help the performers learn how Frozen Light engages with audience members with PMLD.

The production was originally presented in a development showing at The Rose Centre to an invited audience of people with PMLD and their support workers and families, as well as young people from The Wilson Centre. It was a huge success.

The upcoming premiere season will comprise two shows – one mainstream version for Auckland Live’s Pick & Mix Season on Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 October (free to attend). On Sunday 20 October there will also be a performance for children with PMLD at The Bruce Mason Centre, which is also part of Pick & Mix.

The show will also tour Auckland with performances for people aged 13 to adult who have PMLD and who must have a support person with them throughout (up to two whānau members are also welcome to attend). These will take place at The Rose Centre, Glen Eden’s The Playhouse, Albany Jnr High School’s Performing Arts Centre, and in South Auckland.

All show details are below.

Touch Compass General Manager Charlotte Nightingale says, “We are trying to reach different communities in Auckland and bring the show to them. For this audience, travel is often the greatest barrier to attendance, especially with the price of mobility taxis and the unavailability of direct public transport.

“We hope this show has a long life, with tours throughout New Zealand and beyond, hopefully overseas. We feel this is incredibly important work and is the start of a new layer of work for us. We will be able to add more shows to our repertoire for this specific audience, for whom there are very few theatre experiences available which meet their needs,” Nightingale says.

According to Frozen Light’s Co-artistic Director Amber Onat Gregory, “It was an honour for Frozen Light to be invited to work with such an inclusive company, which is clearly leading the way in terms of inclusive work in New Zealand, not only for actors with disabilities but also for diverse audiences and especially in this project. Sadly, audience members with PMLD are often invisible and ignored by society.”

ENDS 

SHOW INFORMATION

Masina Returning Home

Wednesday 16 October
11.00am - 12.00pm
1.15pm - 2.15pm
The Rose Centre, Belmont, Auckland
More info here

Saturday 19 and Saturday 20 October
Auckland Live Pick & Mix Season
10am, followed by 11am workshop
Free to attend
More info here

Sunday 20 October
1.30pm - 2.30pm
Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna, Auckland
More info here

Wednesday 23 October
11.00am - 12.00pm
1.15pm - 2.15pm
The Playhouse, Glen Eden, Auckland
More info here

Thursday 24 October
11.00am - 12.00pm
1.15pm - 2.15pm
Performing Arts Centre, Albany Junior High School
More info here

Tuesday 29 October
11.00am - 12.00pm
1.15pm - 2.15pm
South Auckland (venue TBC)
More info here

Accessible seating available 

About the performers

Lusi Faiva - Lusi is of Samoan descent. A founding member of Touch Compass, she has performed and toured New Zealand and Australia in the company’s major shows from 1997 to 2007. In 2001 Lusi performed in the highly acclaimed Lusi’s Eden, based on her life. More recently her career has included working on a collaboration with Everybody Cool Lives Here, dancing in Somatechnics for Auckland Live’s Summer in the Square, and at InMotion Matariki on Auckland’s Waterfront. Lusi is currently writing her memoir.

Katrina George - A fellow Samoan performer, Katrina played Rachel in Auckland Theatre Company’s Under The Mountain and is a core company member with Red Leap Theatre, her most recent performance being in Kororareka: The Ballad of Maggie Flynn as Ceraul/Anahera. Katrina has also worked with Wellington-based Everybody Cool Lives Here and independent artist Rodney Bell as the kaitiaki (guardian) of Rodney's work Te Kuuititanga, performing at the Judson Memorial Church in New York City.

Sam Jones - Sam is a multi-musician, playing saxophone, flute, keyboard, guitar and percussion, to name a few. Sam has worked as musical director for several shows, including Be More Chill (Manukau Performing Arts Theatre), romeojuliet@twilight (Nextstage Theatre Company) and Orange (written and staged by Geraldine Brophy for the Arthritis Foundation). He also composed an original orchestral score for romeojuliet@twilight, recorded and performed it with a chorus of more than twenty voices in Wellington, and currently runs The Groove Band for Starjam.

About Touch Compass

Touch Compass is New Zealand’s leading professional inclusive performance company – an inter-arts organisation which exists to shift perceptions, empower participants and inspire audiences.

Media information

For further information, please contact Siobhan Waterhouse at Mr Fahrenheit Publicity on +64 22 126 4149 or siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz

MEREMERE MAKES ITS GISBORNE DEBUT IN INAUGURAL TE TAIRAWHITI ARTS FESTIVAL

An autobiographical performance work about an unimaginable life will have its Gisborne premiere at the inaugural Tairāwhiti Arts Festival in October.

Choreographed by critically acclaimed dancer and performer, Rodney Bell (Ngāti Maniapoto), Meremere is a breath-taking and compelling telling of one man’s story and the survivor in us all. It merges spoken word, music, dance and multimedia design into an entirely new form of storytelling.

Meremere is Rodney’s story – from a childhood spent on the pa, to living rough on the streets of San Francisco, and scaling the heights of an artistic career, Meremere explores the human response to the ebbs and flows of fortune, the transformative journey to inner strength and peace, and the immutable call of home.

Uplifting, intimate and engaging, this powerful performance, which features live music from Eden Mulholland, was developed in collaboration with director Malia Johnston’s respected performance design company Movement of the Human.

A critically acclaimed dancer and performer, Rodney Bell is internationally renowned for his physically integrated performance. He has been dancing professionally since 1994 when he began as a founding member of Touch Compass Dance Trust.

Bell relocated to California in 2007 to join AXIS Dance Company as a principal dancer. Over a period of five years, he toured with the company to 32 states. After finishing with AXIS before his return to New Zealand, he faced some challenges, which included a period of homelessness on the streets of San Francisco. This however turned out to be a life changing experience - and one which inspired the creation of Meremere.

Bell and Malia Johnston have worked and danced together for many years. Johnston has a 20-year background in choreography and performance direction. She has collaborated with a diverse range of performers and arts organisations, and created new work for both the national and international stage. Johnston is widely acknowledged for her many years of working on the World of Wearable Art Awards show including a return in 2018 as Creative Director for their 30th anniversary show.

Meremere has seen Bell win the 2017 Arts Access Artistic Achievement Award and the 2016 Attitude Artistic Achievement Award.

The show opens at Gisborne’s War Memorial Theatre on Saturday 12 and 13 October.

ENDS

“This autobiographical, multi-disciplinary and life-affirming survival story drew the cheering opening night audience to its feet.” - Dominion Post

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival

From 4-20 October 2019, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will put a spotlight on the Gisborne region with more than 70 exceptional live performance events by over 400 performers, from both New Zealand and all over the world.

The region’s new flagship arts and culture event is a rich, diverse and thoughtful contemporary arts festival which reflects and celebrates the people of Tairāwhiti. Multi-artform, region-wide, and a mixture of paid and free events, shows and arts events, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival’s kaupapa embraces the richness of the Gisborne region, celebrates the abundance of artistic excellence connected to Tairāwhiti, and recognises the region’s place in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.

The festival celebrates the remote nature of its location and uplifts the unique community spirit and geographic identity which defines not only the Tairāwhiti region, but also Aotearoa.

DAWN

Presented by Bayleys

Conductor Tianyi Lu
Cirque Performers The Dust Palace
Artistic Director Mike Edward 

After sell-out show Midnight in 2017, the APO is collaborating again with The Dust Palace, Auckland’s leading Circus Theatre company. 

In an enchanted realm a young warrior searches for her father before the darkness consumes him. Fighting back the shadows, she is pushed to the limits of her bravery. In the darkest hour, we all fear the morning might not arrive...

While our hero searches in the darkness, encountering magical creatures and a dazzling display of cirque artistry, the orchestra sets the scene. From the subtle drama of Handel’s beautiful Sarabande, to Respighi’s quirky portrait of ‘The Nightingale’ and meeting the new day with the most famous sunrise ever set to music, Grieg’s shimmering ‘Morning Mood’ from Peer Gynt.

About the Conductor

Tianyi Lu is making a name for herself across the continents as Assistant Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, a Dudamel Fellow with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra and Principal Conductor of the St. Woolos Sinfonia in the UK. This international outset of her career includes collaborations with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, just recently including a programme with Dvořáks Symphony No.9, and also with the Hallé Orchestra, Dallas Opera Orchestra, Welsh National Youth Opera, Royal Welsh College of Music Symphony Orchestra, Bristol Metropolitan Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

Lu’s repertoire interests include late romantic (Mahler, Bruckner, Strauss), Russian composers (Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Stravinsky) as well as finding new interpretations of the Germanic canon (Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms). Her experience in opera is building, especially in French and Italian repertoire. Her broad musical interests and her passion for contemporary music led to her studying electronic music composition as well as to studies in baroque flute, viola da gamba and harpsichord. She has been involved in the Sistema Aotearoa programme in New Zealand, inspired by the Venezuelan model, and she is strongly committed to education and outreach projects.

Born in Shanghai, Lu’s family subsequently moved to New Zealand. She completed her Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours at the University of Auckland with Uwe Grodd and Karen Grylls, before studying at the University of Melbourne with John Hopkins. In 2015 Lu completed her Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting with Distinction at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, where she studied with David Jones

POWERFUL TRIBUTE TO WĀHINE TOA WHO INSPIRED  WITI IHIMAERA WILL OPEN INAUGURAL  TE TAIRĀWHITI ARTS FESTIVAL

Mere Boynton, Roimata Fox, Ani-Piki Tuari and Ngapaki Moetara will star in a theatrical celebration of some of the most formidable and inspirational female characters to have graced the pages of New Zealand fiction - the world premiere of Nancy Brunning’s Witi’s Wāhine

The new New Zealand play headlining the inaugural Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival in October has been written by Brunning, a highly regarded actor, director and playwright, and is based on excerpts from Witi Ihimaera stories, including Parihaka Woman, Medicine Woman and Waituhi.

Guided by their sharpness of wit, keen powers of observation and an ability the bend the elements, Witi’s Wāhine pays tribute to the true stars of Ihimaera’s novels - the powerful and poignant wāhine Māori characters.

“Witi has always acknowledged the women in his life are the reason he had stories to tell,” says Brunning.

But, she says, the usual treatment of wāhine Māori, particularly on screen, is to make them secondary characters. This powerful new play offers a wero to other playwrights, storytellers and filmmakers.

“Wāhine Māori are often dumbed down for the screen, and many have their stories altered or diminished in order to bring the male characters into the spotlight. They are portrayed as leaders by default rather than by design. They are the love interest not the hero; the support role not the lead; the victim not the instigator; the destroyer not the nurturer; or are so sacred they are inaccessible,” she says. 

“Our young women need honest role models and support in navigating the complex, raw and real messages they have been given about our wahine Māori. This play is about bringing forward wahine and offering a chance for young women to come face to face with wahine Maori performers presenting a wahine Māori worldview,” Brunning says.

Witi’s wāhine are charismatic heroes of Māoridom who understood the necessity of balancing life and death, tapu and noa, destruction and protection, law and lore. They maintained whānau ties honoured whakapapa, and education was paramount. Fighting for land, and identity, was key to their survival. 

In the play, they present as a group of women who come from te Tairāwhiti, but with unique characteristics and qualities. They step in and out of the written world while making real-time commentary on the context of each of the written characters, and their real life inspiration.

Produced by Hāpai Productions with the blessing, support and guidance of Witi Ihimaera and his whānau, the play will be a jewel in the crown of New Zealand’s newest arts festival, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival.

Festival Director Tama Waipara says, “This is a world premiere which honours a son of Te Tairāwhiti and the women whose lives and stories he has brought to life in award-winning books, plays and films.”

 Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival is the Gisborne region’s new major festival and flagship contemporary arts and cultural event, taking place for the first time in October this year. The event celebrates what it means to be of Tairāwhiti and of Aotearoa.

From 4-20 October 2019, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will deliver more than 70 exceptional live performance events by over 400 performers, from both New Zealand and all over the world. 

It is a rich, diverse and thoughtful arts festival which reflects and celebrates the people of Tairāwhiti, and further affirms the region’s strong position in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.  

With a programme packed full of paid and free events taking places across the region, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will premiere film, theatre, music, kapa haka, dance, story-telling, experiences and fun-for-all-the-whānau festivities.

SHOW INFO

Witi’s Wāhine
Hāpai Productions

DATES

8pm, Saturday 5 October
2pm and 5pm, Sunday 6 October

CREATIVES

Written by Nancy Brunning

CAST

Mere Boynton
Roimata Fox
Ngapaki Moetara
Ani-Piki Tuari 

TICKETS

A Res $35
B Res $25

LOCATION

Lawson Field Theatre
Fitzherbert St, Whataupoko, Gisborne 

MEDIA CONTACT

Siobhan Waterhouse | Mr. Fahrenheit Publicity | Ph: +64 22 126 4149 |
E: siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival

From 4-20 October 2019, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will put a spotlight on the Gisborne region with more than 70 exceptional live performance events by over 400 performers, from both New Zealand and all over the world.

The region’s new flagship arts and culture event is a rich, diverse and thoughtful contemporary arts festival which reflects and celebrates the people of Tairāwhiti. Multi-artform, region-wide, and a mixture of paid and free events, shows and arts events, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival’s kaupapa embraces the richness of the Gisborne region, celebrates the abundance of artistic excellence connected to Tairāwhiti, and recognises the region’s place in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.

The festival celebrates the remote nature of its location and uplifts the unique community spirit and geographic identity which defines not only the Tairāwhiti region, but also Aotearoa.

LARGEST PROGRAMME EVER FOR SHOW ME SHORTS FILM FESTIVAL 2019

New Zealand’s biggest little film festival opens at cinemas across Aotearoa from 5 October

Show Me Shorts Film Festival has revealed the 2019 programme, which includes their largest number of films ever: sixty short films and three music videos, chosen from a record 2040 entries.

The programming team scoured the world for their selection of the best new short films to deliver to New Zealand audiences. The programme spans a variety of genres, styles and topics.

Eight Kiwi films will make their world premiere during the festival:

·       Kino Ratten by Peter McCully

·       Elder Birdsong by Shuchi Kothari & Sarina Pearson

·       TIP by Jaya Beach-Robertson

·       #Collapsingempire by Cathy MacDonald

·       Number Two by Rachel Ross

·       One Hundred and Twenty Seconds by Connor Slattery

·       Te Whakairo - Ngā Kī o Te Tai Ao (The Carvings Carry the Stories of the World) by Vanessa Wells

·       Love Bytes by Sam Prebble

There are also more than 30 New Zealand premieres of international films in this year’s programme.

Festival Director Gina Dellabarca says, “This year, the quality of films overall was extremely high, which is why we’ve expanded the programme. Sixty-three films may not seem like so many when compared to some international film festivals that can run hundreds of films, but we deliberately try to keep the programme small for three reasons: 1. To ensure only the best films are selected; 2. To make deciding which films to see manageable for audiences; 3. Because it’s better to have fewer screenings that are full instead of lots of half-empty screenings. 

A total of 22 countries will be represented on screen this year: Australia, Austria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

Japanese filmmakers are in the spotlight in the 2019 programme, with a special Japanese Focus section. Two Japanese filmmakers, Fuyuko Mochizuki and Kimi Yawata will be taking part in screenings and events, while Eiji Shimada from Sapporo International Short Film Festival & Market joins the Show Me Shorts national awards jury.

Regarding trends, documentaries made up a large portion of this year’s entries, with a total of ten short documentary films selected for the programme. For fans of this genre, there is a section of the programme called Doc Station where most of them can be viewed together. Viewers can observe the beautiful banality on board a cruise ship, take part in a festival celebrating crawfish, experience a Mardi Gras in New Orleans, and follow the mayhem that ensues when a new traffic separation device is installed in Sweden.

The remaining six themed sections of the programme are: Better Work Stories showing people in unusual jobs or in boring jobs doing unusual things; Freaky Futures features sci-fi and dystopian stories; My Generation is for children and families; The Sampler is the travelling programme with shorts of wide appeal; Unconventional Families includes a wide variety of stories about whānau; and Love and Other Catastrophes has dating disasters, grand gestures and love gone wrong.

Show Me Shorts is an Oscar-accredited film festival, meaning the winners of the top two awards, Department of Post Best New Zealand Film and Best International Film, will become qualified to enter the Academy Awards.  

Eight prizes will be given out at the launch of the festival on Saturday 5 October at Auckland’s ASB Waterfront Theatre. Wellington Opening Night will follow on Friday 11 October at The Embassy. 

With more than 25 cinema locations across Aotearoa there are ample opportunities to get friends and family together and enjoy the range of films and events on offer. Full dates, locations and booking information is available at www.showmeshorts.co.nz/programme.

About Show Me Shorts Film Festival Trust

Show Me Shorts Film Festival Trust exists to connect New Zealanders with short films and share New Zealand short films with the world. The Trust also creates opportunities for aspiring filmmakers. The resources needed to achieve this are provided by a small staff, supported by dedicated volunteers, industry partners and corporate sponsors. The core of the Trusts work is the annual Show Me Shorts Film Festival. However, the Trust also creates wider opportunities for New Zealand short films to be viewed by audiences outside the festival.

Audiences are invited to join Dave Dobbyn, Anika Moa, Annie Crummer, Maisey Rika, Rob Ruha, Teeks and some of New Zealand’s most iconic musicians Under An East Coast Moon, as they share their music on the magical shores of Tūranga-nui-ā-Kiwa. With a special guest appearance from contemporary Hawaiian musician Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole, this is a night of wonderful waiata for the whānau.

For more information, images and interviews, please contact Siobhan Waterhouse at Mr Fahrenheit Publicity on siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz or +64 22 126 4149.

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival

From 4-20 October 2019, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will put a spotlight on the Gisborne region with more than 70 exceptional live performance events by over 400 performers, from both New Zealand and all over the world.

The region’s new flagship arts and culture event is a rich, diverse and thoughtful contemporary arts festival which reflects and celebrates the people of Tairāwhiti. Multi-artform, region-wide, and a mixture of paid and free events, shows and arts events, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival’s kaupapa embraces the richness of the Gisborne region, celebrates the abundance of artistic excellence connected to Tairāwhiti, and recognises the region’s place in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.

The festival celebrates the remote nature of its location and uplifts the unique community spirit and geographic identity which defines not only the Tairāwhiti region, but also Aotearoa.

NEW TAIRĀWHITI ARTS FESTIVAL ANNOUNCES FIRST EVENT IN 2019 PROGRAMME

New Zealand’s newest arts festival, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, has revealed the first event in its inaugural programme.

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival is the Gisborne region’s new major festival and flagship contemporary arts and cultural event, taking place for the first time in October this year. The event celebrates what it means to be of Tairāwhiti and of Aotearoa.

From 4-20 October 2019, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will deliver more than 70 exceptional live performance events by over 400 performers, from both New Zealand and all over the world.

It is a rich, diverse and thoughtful arts festival which reflects and celebrates the people of Tairāwhiti, and further affirms the region’s strong position in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.  

With a programme packed full of paid and free events taking places across the region, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will premiere film, theatre, music, kapa haka, dance, story-telling, experiences and fun-for-all-the-whānau festivities.

The inaugural Festival Director Tama Waipara says, “Anchored in Tūranga-nui-ā-Kiwa/ Gisborne our Festival celebrates our whakapapa connections right around the coast, from Pōtaka to Mōhaka. This Festival will centre itself in the heart of the East Cape, but stretch its arms far and wide; globally acclaimed, proudly local and unashamedly accessible.

“We will celebrate the first stories of our whenua, and our whakapapa connections across the Pacific. We want people to know who we are and where we come from. We want to champion the stories and voices of our place amidst the most glorious backdrop of our home, Te Tairāwhiti.

“When you think of the wealth of talent connected to Tairāwhiti, you come to realise that our creativity as a region provides connection for all New Zealanders, both here and overseas. We see Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival as an opportunity to celebrate that.

“Tairāwhiti also boasts the highest number of Te Reo Māori speakers in the country. My own personal journey with te reo Māori is deepened by living in a community where the vibrancy and potency of language flourishes.

“We’re very proud of the journey we’ve taken so far, and even more excited to welcome people to our place in October,” Waipara says.

The first show to be announced in the 2019 Tairāwhiti Arts Festival is a new work by respected actor and playwright Nancy Brunning, Witi’s Wāhine, based on excerpts and characters from Witi Ihimaera stories.

Developed and written by Brunning and produced by Hāpai Productions with the blessing, support and guidance of Witi Ihimaera and his whānau, this new New Zealand play shines a light on the female characters in Ihimaera stories, including Pounamu, Pounamu; Waituhi; The Matriarch; Medicine Woman; Woman Far Walking; Whale Rider; Bulibasha; The Dream Swimmer; Sky Dancer and Parihaka Woman.

Brunning says, “Witi has always acknowledged that the women in his life are the reason he had stories to tell. Wāhine Māori are so often dumbed down for the big screen and many have their stories altered or diminished in order to bring the male characters into the spotlight. They are portrayed as leaders by default rather than by design; they are the love interest not the hero; the support role not the lead; the victim not the instigator; the destroyer not the nurturer; or are so sacred they are inaccessible.

“Our young women need honest role models and support in navigating the complex, raw and real messages they have been given about our wāhine Māori. This play is about bringing forward wāhine and offering a chance for young women to come face to face with wāhine Māori performers presenting a wāhine Māori worldview.”

Waipara says, “This is a world premiere which honours a son of Te Tairāwhiti and the women whose lives and stories he has brought to life in award-winning books, plays and films.”

The full programme of events in the inaugural Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will be announced in mid-2019.

For more information, images and interviews, please contact Siobhan Waterhouse at Mr Fahrenheit Publicity on siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz or +64 22 126 4149.

Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival

From 4-20 October 2019, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival will put a spotlight on the Gisborne region with more than 70 exceptional live performance events by over 400 performers, from both New Zealand and all over the world.

The region’s new flagship arts and culture event is a rich, diverse and thoughtful contemporary arts festival which reflects and celebrates the people of Tairāwhiti. Multi-artform, region-wide, and a mixture of paid and free events, shows and arts events, Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival’s kaupapa embraces the richness of the Gisborne region, celebrates the abundance of artistic excellence connected to Tairāwhiti, and recognises the region’s place in the creative landscape of Aotearoa.

The festival celebrates the remote nature of its location and uplifts the unique community spirit and geographic identity which defines not only the Tairāwhiti region, but also Aotearoa.

The Kensington Swan season of

Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

By Tom Stoppard
Directed by Benjamin Henson

11-26 September, 2019
ASB Waterfront Theatre, Wynyard Quarter
www.atc.co.nz

What if two minor characters in Hamlet were given centre stage? In a dashing reversal of misfortune, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet’s student friends, now find themselves as the headline act in Shakespeare’s greatest play. There’s still no escaping their fate as pawns in Hamlet’s game of thrones, but before they are outwitted, the duo grab the spotlight and seize the moment as fearlessly funny commentators on their absurd predicament and the chaos of the universe.

From Oscar-winning playwright and screenwriter Tom Stoppard (Shakespeare in Love), this immensely innovative work is a fresh inside-out perspective on Shakespeare and the comedy of tragedy itself. Delivered in a bantering, bickering style with wit and wisdom to burn, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead is one of the savviest plays ever conceived – a dazzlingly irreverent modern classic every theatre lover must see.

Please find more information and tickets here.

 Aroha’s Way - clearing bookshelves wherever she goes

Soaring demand for a Kiwi picture book aimed at helping children manage anxiety and other “big emotions” has led to a second print run just three months after it was first published, and may sell out again, with hundreds of copies already swallowed up by waiting lists. 

The Mental Health Foundation, who helped launch the book through the Media Grants programme they run with Like Minds, Like Mine, believe Aroha’s Way – A Children’s Guide Through Emotions could be a useful tool for parents who want to help children manage their emotions and open up about their mental distress experiences.

In June this year, 2000 copies of Aroha’s Way sold out in less than three weeks after being released. The most recent print run of 4000 copies was nearly fully booked via waitlist, which included bookseller Whitcoulls – the first major book store to stock the book. Other buyers include individuals, independent booksellers, and schools, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori and Early Childhood Centres across the country.

Aroha’s Way takes readers on a young girl’s journey through four emotions associated with anxiety – nervousness, fear, worrying thoughts and apprehension – and provides simple yet effective ways to help manage them.

Aroha helps children understand they are never alone and teaches them breathing techniques, mindfulness and how to connect with others by sharing their worries.

Bex Lipp, who owns publishing company Wilding Books and created the book with award-winning author and illustrator Craig Phillips, is delighted with the book’s success and believes it is working to empower New Zealand tamariki.

“We’ve had feedback from parents who say their children are now ‘breathing like Aroha’. Even kids with selective mutism - anxiety so severe the children can’t speak - have been recognising themselves and opening up conversations around their feelings. However, this book is for all children, as we all experience these emotions.

“By normalising anxiety, we hope this book helps children before their often everyday emotions and worries spiral into something more serious,” Lipp says.

According to the Ministry of Health, eight percent, or around 57,000 Kiwi kids, experience “significant” social, emotional and behavioural difficulties[1]. Living with anxiety can sometimes go hand-in-hand, or be a part of, these challenging experiences. 

Research shows that early intervention can reduce the risk or severity of certain types of mental health issues in later childhood, adolescence or adulthood. This can also improve children’s developmental, emotional, academic and social outcomes[2].

This is why Lipp, who has openly shared her own story about being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, along with experiences of clinical depression, anxiety, self-harm and several suicide attempts, wanted to produce the book - to help kids before they have to go through what she did 

“Aroha’s Way is the book I wish I had. I had very big emotions as a kid, many of which I didn’t know how to control. That’s what led me towards a crisis. Thankfully, I learned to rewire my brain, and to think differently, so I wasn’t drowning in my negative thoughts. I wanted to help kids understand that process as early as possible.”

Lipp says although the book is recommended for five to 10 year olds, some parents have been reading it to children as young as two and three, and she has been receiving feedback that even teenagers and parents alike are benefiting from the book. 

The New Zealand Mental Health Media Grants were first established in 2007 as a partnership between the Mental Health Foundation and the Like Minds, Like Mine Programme.

Previous projects have been successful in challenging people’s perceptions of the experience of mental distress and the journey to recovery by producing emotive and thought-provoking current affairs packages, plays, music, art exhibitions, magazine articles, documentaries and more.

Applications for the 2019 Like Minds, Like Mine and Mental Health Foundation Creative and Media Grants opened on 26 August and close on 11 October. Registrations are here.  

Ends

Media information

For further media information, images and interviews on Aroha’s Way, please. Contact Siobhan Waterhouse, Mr Fahrenheit Publicity in +64 22 126 4149 or siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz

For further information on the Mental Health Foundation Media Grants programme, please contact Danielle Whitburn on info@mediagrants.org.nz

[1] https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/social-emotional-behavioural-difficulties-nz-children-summary-findings-jun18-v2.pdf

[1]https://www.health.govt.nz/system/files/documents/publications/social-emotional-behavioural-difficulties-nz-children-summary-findings-jun18-v2.pdf

The MiNDFOOD season of

Six Degrees of Separation

By John Guare
Directed by Colin McColl
Starring Jennifer Ward-Lealand

14-29 August, 2019
ASB Waterfront Theatre, Wynyard Quarter
www.atc.co.nz

Suave and sophisticated, wealthy Manhattan art dealers Flan and Ouisa Kittredge are all about keeping up appearances in high-society New York. But suddenly their world of comfort and respectability is turned upside down.

Only once they begin to piece together the truth do the cracks in the veneer come into sharp relief – and with it, a whirlwind introduction to the question of human connection.

A cultural touchstone, Six Degrees of Separation not only gave rise to a popular modern catchphrase but also stunned audiences with its blistering satire of class and race relations in 1991. Adapted into an acclaimed film, this multi Tony Award-winning work has lost none of its brilliant intellect and whip-smart humour – and, viewed today, is more strikingly relevant than ever. Book now to experience the play everyone will be talking about.

Please find more information and images here.

Gaze into an imagined future with The Crystal Ball, a unique large-scale installation created by experiential artist Lakshman Anandanayagam and sonic and visual artist Suren Unka.

Dreams of our future city are brought to vivid life, and for a brief moment you’ll see the world our young ones expect to inherit: their hopes, their concerns, and the lives they imagine themselves creating.

June

St George St, Papatoetoe

Free

AUCKLAND COMES OUT TO EAT, PLAY AND SKATE THIS WINTER

This July, Aotea Square is being transformed into the Elemental Hub – a base camp bursting with entertainment, food and unique interactive experiences, and all part of the city’s sizzling new winter festival, Elemental AKL.
 
Hot in the Hub will be the Aotea Square Ice Rink and Ice Slide, the perennial magical winter playground for kids and grownups, taking its place smack bang in the middle of the city for the eighth year.
 
From 21 June until 28 July, the Ice Rink will light up the Square with icy adventures, themed parties, skating lessons, plus the enormously popular 35-metre, multi-level ice slide complete with inflatable tubes for guaranteed super slip-sliding fun.
 
For the coolest new private dining experience in Auckland, foodies should look no further than The Snugs,in the Hub from 1 – 28 July.
 
Resembling igloos from the outside, the five geodesic domes are kitted out with furniture, blankets and heaters providing the perfect cosy spot for sharing an intimate winter catch-up with friends, team lunches, birthday parties or pre-show meals. People can book a Snug, and pre-order platters, tasting plates, desserts, beverages and even kids’ meals.
 
Nights in the Hub will be especially chill with the arrival of the Auckland Night Markets for the very first time in Aotea Square.
 
Visitors can hang out with friends or family over a warming winter post-work snack, or shop ‘til they drop. The city’s favourite immersive food experience will offer authentic cuisine from all over the world, at street-food prices.
 
Complementing the experience, Auckland Live’s bright red BOX Container Bar will serve tasty morsels and a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, both hot and cold. People can grab a table in the new covered courtyard and sit back to the sounds of live house band Fortress Europe, the latest project by Auckland-based musician/composer Leon Radojkovic (Dr Colossus, Live Live Cinema, Silo Theatre’sPeter & The Wolf). 
 
For an interactive experience even the kids will want to sit through, the Auckland Live Digital Stage will screen throughout the day and into the evenings visual delights from the world of the arts, from New Zealand across the globe. The weekly screening schedule is here.
 
Auckland Live director, Robbie Macrae, says the Elemental Hub is the perfect one-stop, inner city mid-winter experience, offering Aucklanders a little bit of everything of what makes the season so special.

“It’s all about getting together, sharing experiences and enjoying the array of fun, food and camaraderie that comes from getting out and making the most of what winter has to offer.
 
“Auckland Live is delighted to be in the middle of the Elemental AKL mix,” Macrae says.

Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED) General Manager Destination Steve Armitage says the Elemental Hub is an excellent addition to the vibrant and diverse Elemental AKL programme.
 
“Auckland is going to be the place to be in July, with Elemental AKL providing the stage to showcase the best of our cuisine, creativity with dazzling lighting shows, entertainment and culture,” he says. 

ELEMENTAL HUB
Open daily until late, 1 – 28 July

Aotea Square
For more details and booking information, visit aucklandlive.co.nz
 
Elemental Hub, in association with Auckland Live and Auckland Tourism, Events, and Economic Development (ATEED), is proud to be part of Elemental AKL. Elemental AKL is a new region-wide festival illuminating Tāmaki Makaurau during winter from 1-31 July 2019.

Further information can be found here: elementalfestival.co.nz.

A Fine Balance

A co-production with Prayas Theatre
Adapted by Sudha Bhuchar from novel by Rohinton Mistry
Directed by Ahi Karunaharan

14 June - 6 July, 2019
Q Theatre, Auckland
www.atc.co.nz

Directed by: Ahi Karunaharan
Cast: Ravikanth Gurunathan, Rashmi Pilapitiya, Jatinder Singh, Mustaq Missouri, Mayen Mehta, Mel Odedra, Aman Bajaj, Kalyani Nagarajan

In 1975, a struggling Parsi widow, determined to keep her independence, sets up shop in a tiny apartment, hiring two Hindu tailors and taking on a boarder to make ends meet. From this unlikely gathering of strangers, an accidental family forms, each member fleeing the bondage of their past while creating rich – yet perilous – new bonds over their shared experience of a country in political flux.

Based on Rohinton Mistry’s celebrated, Booker-shortlisted novel, A Fine Balance is a sweeping panorama of India’s tumultuous State of Emergency, punctuated with breathtaking moments of human compassion, spirit and heroism.

A monumental saga of ordinary people resilient through extraordinary change, this vibrant and thought-provoking play sees history come to life – and the stories of the voiceless resonate more powerfully than ever. Don’t miss this epic theatre event.

Prayas, Aotearoa's leading South Asian theatre company, is committed to promoting South Asian talent. We are excited to reach out to a new audience by presenting alongside Auckland Theatre Company this enduring tale of the human spirit in an inhuman state.

Please find more information and tickets here.

TICKETS ON SALE TO BRIAN COX’S UNIVERSAL 2019 WORLDWIDE TOUR

Tickets are on sale for the New Zealand leg of Prof Brian Cox’s first world tour, Professor Brian Cox Universal World Tour 2019: Live On Stage. Prof Brian Cox will be embarking on his first World Tour, visiting North America, UK, Europe, Asia and the Asia Pacific. Brian Cox will return to Auckland on 15 June 2018 and Wellington on 11 June, and travel to Christchurch for the first time on 13 June.

Using state of the art graphics and imagery from ground-based telescopes and space probes, presented using ultra-high-resolution LED screen technology, Brian will explore the latest missions to the planets, the nature of space and time from the Big Bang to black holes and the origin and fate of life and intelligence in the Universe. He will also address questions about the value of science, how we acquire scientific knowledge and why we should trust it. Visual highlights will include a journey around and into a black hole, created in partnership with Double Negative, the four-time Academy Award-winning visual effects company responsible for creating the black hole effects in the movie Interstellar.

Whether an avid science reader or a total novice, Universal will make the latest scientific discoveries and ideas accessible to all, exploring the vast, possibly infinite universe from earth to the edges of the cosmos; it will also challenge the audience to think about our value as human beings and our place amongst the stars.

Brian will be joined by co-host of The Infinite Monkey Cage and award-winning comedian Robin Ince to oversee an audience Q&A, giving fans the chance to ask any questions they have and making every show unique.

“On the last tour I loved talking about astronomy and cosmology with vast, state of the art screens to display images of the cosmos as we’ve never seen them before,” Prof Brian Cox said.

“Thirty metre-wide images from the Hobble Space telescope are certainly something to behold. On this tour, I’m going to go a step further with the technology, to the horror of Lateral Events because it’ll be expensive. But it’ll be spectacular as well, and I hope it’ll offer people a completely new perspective on our place in the universe.”

Brian Cox is one of the preeminent physicists in the world and is Professor of Particle Physics at The University of Manchester, The Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science and a Fellow of the Royal Society. As a broadcaster, he has presented a number of highly acclaimed science programs for the BBC, boosting the popularity of subjects such as astronomy and physics and garnering a host of accolades, including two Royal Television Society awards and a Peabody Award for Wonders of The Solar System. He has also authored a series of best-selling books, including the widely acclaimed Human Universe and most recently, Universal: A Guide to the Cosmos, and is recognised as the foremost communicator for all things scientific. His critically acclaimed BBC series Forces of Nature aired in 2016 and he co-hosts Stargazing Live in the UK and Australia.

TOUR SCHEDULE

WELLINGTON
Date: Tuesday 11 June 2019 at 7.30pm
Venue: TSB Arena
Bookings: 0800 111 999 or ticketmaster.co.nz

CHRISTCHURCH
Date: Thursday 13 June 2019 at 7.30pm
Venue: Horncastle Arena
Bookings: 0800 842 538 or ticketek.co.nz

AUCKLAND
Date: Saturday 15 June 2019 at 7.30pm
Venue: The Trusts Arena
Bookings: 0800 842 538 or ticketek.co.nz

Media enquiries, please contact Siobhan Waterhouse, Mr Farenheit Publicity at +64 22 126 4149 or siobhan@mrfahrenheit.nz

www.lateralevents.com

New Zealand’s most prestigious international music competition returns 31 May to 8 June 2019

A young Michael Hill had big dreams of being a concert violinist. Instead, he was encouraged into the family jewellery business by his father and uncle, and the rest is New Zealand business history. 

In 2001, Sir Michael decided he wanted to offer young violinists across the world the chance to do what he didn’t – pursue a successful career in violin performance – and the Michael Hill International Violin Competition was born.

Seventeen years on, the biennial “Michael Hill” is recognised as one of the most sought-after international violin prizes and the careers of some of today’s classical music legends have been launched right here in New Zealand. 

From 31 May to 8 June 2019, sixteen 18 to 28-year-old violinists from across the world will again go head-to-head for a prize package valued at over $100,000.

The winner of the Michael Hill receives NZ$40,000, a recording contract with the Atoll label, an intensive performance tour across New Zealand and Australia, a personalised professional development programme, and a tour outfit by either Kiri Nathan or Working Style. 

The winner is also invited to perform on Sir Michael Hill’s magnificent personal violin, a 1755 Guadagnini named “The Southern Star”, on their Winner’s Tour.

All live rounds are open to the public. Tickets will be on sale in February 2019.

The entire event is also live-streamed on www.violincompetition.co.nz, YouTube and the world’s leading online classical music news source, The Violin Channel. In 2017 online activity exceeded one million views throughout the 10-day period, of which over 70 per cent were unique views/users.  

For more information, please visit the web site, the Competition’s Facebook page or Youtube channel.

COMPETITION SCHEDULE

Rounds One and Two of the prestigious competition (Quarter-Finals) take place in Queenstown from 31 May to 3 June 2019. From there, six Semi-Finalists will be selected to head up to Auckland for Round Three, which takes place on 5 and 6 June at the Town Hall. Leading New Zealand musicians, drawn from the country’s top ensembles, will perform with the competitors.  

The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra will perform with the three finalists at the Grand Finale on Saturday 8 June, with Music Director Giordano Bellincampi conducting.

As well as establishing the careers of some of today’s most renowned violinists, the “Michael Hill” is acknowledged for its superstar judging panel. Every year, Queenstown and Auckland play host to some of the world’s greatest violin soloists and teachers. 

In 2019, this includes:

Dale Barltrop, Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony and First Violin of the Australian String Quartet, who competed in the very first Michael Hill as a mere 18-year-old.  

Canadian soloist James Ehnes who has secured rock star status in the classical world.  

Mauricio Fuks from Uruguay/USA who is a renowned pedagogue while Clara-Jumi Kang of Germany/South Korea is a brilliant young soloist. 

Anthony Marwood is a very popular violinist from the UK who has many ties to Aotearoa, as does his Judging Panel peer New Zealander Wilma Smith, who now lives in Australia.

Ning Feng from China is another popular international soloist. He won the 2005 Michael Hill International Violin Competition.

Dr Robin Congreve is again the Chair of the Jury – a job that is often much more difficult than expected, given the sheer calibre of the young performers and how close the Competition so often gets. 

PLANET EARTH II LIVE IN CONCERT

Due to popular demand, BBC Studios, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (APO) and Auckland Live have announced a second show for Planet Earth II Live in Concert, on Thursday 23 May 2019.

The concerts on 22 and 23 May mark the New Zealand premiere of this spectacular event that brings to life breathtaking footage from the award-winning BBC series Planet Earth II. Accompanying all the action on the big screen at the ASB Theatre, the 70-strong Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra will transport audiences with a full symphonic treatment of the score by Academy Award ® winner Hans Zimmer, and his composers Jacob Shea and Jasha Klebe from Bleeding Fingers Music.

Alongside the announcement of a second show, organisers are delighted to reveal that Planet Earth II Live in Concert will be narrated live by broadcast personality and New Zealand’s ‘First Bloke’, Clarke Gayford. Gayford’s recent presenting credentials include his documentary series Fish of the Day, for the National Geographic Channel, which has screened in 83 countries.

In 2018, Planet Earth II Live in Concert has toured more than 28 cities worldwide, and in each city, a guest narrator has appeared alongside the live orchestra to tell the story.

Gayford says he is looking forward to taking on the challenge. “I grew up watching Sir David Attenborough, and I’m a huge admirer of his work and his contribution to natural history,” he says. “Narrating the Planet Earth II concert is an enormous honour, and I’m incredibly proud to be part of this special event. I can’t wait to present some of the breathtaking footage from this iconic series alongside a live accompaniment by the incredible Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.”

Chantal Bindley, Head of Live Entertainment, BBC Studios, Australia and New Zealand, says: “New Zealanders clearly have a real affection for the ground-breaking television series Planet Earth II, and this concert takes that enjoyment to the next level, showcasing all the power and drama of nature in an incredible cinematic experience with a live orchestra.

“We’ve been overwhelmed by the popularity of the first show, and tickets have been selling incredibly fast. We’re thrilled to be able to offer a second show in New Zealand, ensuring more people can witness this extraordinary event,” she adds.

Produced by BBC Studios’ acclaimed Natural History Unit, the television series Planet Earth II was filmed over three years using state-of-the-art advanced technology, and in the process, elevated natural history to a whole new level. Now, Planet Earth II Live in Concert will transport audiences to the spectacular landscapes and habitats of some of Earth’s most remarkable wildlife, where they can race alongside wild lions in the remote sandy deserts of Namibia, face stormy Antarctic seas with a family of penguins, and relive the raw drama as a baby iguana tries to escape the clutches of deadly racer snakes.

Planet Earth II Live in Concert
7.30pm, Wednesday 22 May 2019

SECOND SHOW ADDED:
7.30pm, Thursday 23 May 2019

ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre

Produced by BBC Studios and presented in partnership with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra and Auckland Live

Planet Earth II is a BBC Studios Natural History Unit production co-produced with BBC America, ZDF, Tencent and France Télèvisions

Conductor David Kay
Narrator Clarke Gayford

Tickets and more information: www.aucklandlive.co.nz  

Tickets for both shows of Planet Earth II Live in Concert are available from Auckland Live aucklandlive.co.nz.

Purchase four tickets or more to become an APO subscriber and save at least 10% on public ticket prices plus pay no booking fees at apo.co.nz. 

Digital press materials including high resolution images: click here

Please refer to photography captions document in this folder for usage rights and all applicable photo credits.

EMILY WRITES’ HILARIOUS RANTS IN THE DARK NOW A SUCCESSFUL PLAY AND ON ITS WAY TO AUCKLAND

Book a babysitter, because tickets to the most hilariously unfiltered theatre show about parenthood, Emily Writes’ Rants in the Dark, go on presale today.

The brilliant new play based on popular writer Emily Writes’ blog-turned-best-selling-book, Rants in the Dark: From One Tired Mama to Another, opens at Auckland Live’s Bruce Mason Centre on May 16for a strictly three-day season.

Honest, authentic and laugh-out-loud funny, the play revels in the raw truth of parenthood (and grandparenthood) and its ‘mess of contradictions’. It is a biting antidote to judgmental supermarket-tutterers and plane-smirkers everywhere.

The play has been adapted for the stage by writer and performer Mel Dodge, award-winning director Lyndee-Jane Rutherford and Good Times Company producer Bevin Linkhorn, and stars three of New Zealand’s top actors, Renee Lyons (Funny Girls, 800 Words), Bronwyn Turei (Go Girls, Shortland Street – The Musical) and Amelia Reid-Meredith (Shortland Street).

Emily Writes is the editor of The Spinoff Parents and has been a columnist for media outlets includingStuff, NZ Herald and NZ Women’s Weekly. She edits her own website emilywrites.co.nz, has written two books, and has two children. Her writing, which often focuses on issues related to parenting but also includes features and reviews, is hugely popular due to its eloquence and candid style – a charm which is replicated in the play.

The book Rants in the Dark: From One Tired Mama to Another was the natural progression from the successful blog Writes started in the wee small hours while feeding her first baby, in a valiant attempt to reclaim her adult brain. Following her first post – Fuck off, I’m grateful – Writes woke to nearly a million hits and over 15,000 emails in her inbox.

The Auckland season of Rants in the Dark follows a four-week premiere season at Wellington’s Circa Theatre earlier this year and, prior to that, a five night sell-out preview season at the 2018 Women’s Theatre Festival.

The Auckland Live season of Rants in the Dark runs May 16-18 at Takapuna’s Bruce Mason Centre.

Ends

Auckland Live and Good Times Company presents
Rants in the Dark

Based on the book Rants in the Dark: From One Tired Mama to Another by Emily Writes
Adapted for the stage by Mel Dodge, Lyndee-Jane Rutherford, Bevin Linkhorn
 
DATES                                                  
Thu 16 May, 8pm | Fri 17 May, 8pm | Sat 18 May, 2pm (babes in arms performance) | Sat 18 May, 8pm
 
CREATIVES                                         
Directed by Lyndee-Jane Rutherford
Produced by Bevin Linkhorn 
Starring Renee Lyons, Bronwyn Turei, Amelia Reid-Meredith
 
TICKETS                                               
$42 Adult
$38 Group price (groups 5+)
 
LOCATION                                          
Bruce Mason Centre, Takapuna
 
BOOKINGS                                         
www.aucklandlive.co.nz
 
DURATION                                        
100 minutes + interval
 
IMPORTANT INFO                          
Recommended for 16+,  Please note the play is not suitable for toddlers or older children. The play contains strong language and adult themes.

FOLLOW 
@aucklandlive #RantsInTheDark

’Rants in the Dark is a laugh-cry, get up in your realness, ode to mamas out there everywhere. Get your tired self along and feel heard. Brilliant work!’ - Litcrawl Wellington

’Anyone who has ever been a baby needs to see this play… laughter is the predominant audience response as we empathise with it all.’ - Theatreview

’Every parent has to see it. I had alternate tears from laughing and crying. Such a brilliantly pulled together work with three kickass wahine actors.’ - Booksellers NZ

’Rants in the Dark - a hilarious play for anyone, not just new mothers… a must-see for new parents and infinitely enjoyable. Even if you're not a parent, you're guaranteed a great show and will come away with the urge to call your mum and say thanks.’ - Stuff.co.nz

ABOUT EMILY WRITES
 
Emily Writes is a mother of two boys. She lives in Wellington with her husband and rescue greyhound Twinkle. She has written two books: Rants in the Dark: From One Tired Mama to Another and Is it Bedtime Yet: Tales of Parenting...the Hilarious, the Hair-raising, the Heart-breaking. She is the editor of The Spinoff Parents and regularly writes for other publications. She is a patron of PND Wellington and a supporter of the Neonatal Trust and Wellington Children's Hospital.  She is an activist, advocate, volunteer, public speaker and bleeding heart.
 
ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
 
Lyndee-Jane Rutherford is the director and co-adaptor of Rants in the Dark. She has worked extensively in theatre and television since starting her career in the comedy series Skitz, The Semisis and Telly Laughs in the 90s. She’s performed in over 50 professional theatre productions around the country, including Who Wants to be 100?, Troy the Musical and In Flame, for which she was nominated for Chapman Tripp Actress of the Year in 2003. Lyndee-Jane directed Ache, Midsummer, Miss Bronte and The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Wellington’s Circa Theatre. She won the Chapman Tripp Award for Most Promising Director in 2006 with her production of Love Puke.
 
ABOUT THE ACTORS
 
Renee Lyons has appeared in a number of New Zealand television series, including Funny Girls II, 800 Words and Filthy Rich, and has a strong body of theatre work. Renee has 18-month-old twins, Darcy and Ralph.
 
Bronwyn Turei is perhaps best known for her role in the popular TV series Go Girls. She most recently played Nurse Jaki Manu in Shortland Street – The Musical.
 
Amelia Reid-Meredith – also a mum – most recently played Bella on Shortland Street for over six years.

Forty-one children with and without disabilities will share the limelight in Auckland this May in New Zealand’s first ever fully-inclusive children’s musical, Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr.

Based on the rip-roaring DreamWorks animated motion picture, and featuring the movie’s original music and lyrics, this fully inclusive production is being presented by New Zealand’s leading professional, integrated performance company, Touch Compass, at The Rose Centre, Belmont.

The cast includes children aged 6 to 18, almost half of whom have some kind of disability or learning difference - including Autism, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome and Spina Bifida. Performers who require full-time support will be accompanied by support actors on stage – in costume.

Madagascar tells the story of Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe, Gloria the hip hip Hippo and, of course, the hilarious, plotting penguins as they escape from their home in New York's Central Park Zoo and find themselves on an unexpected journey to the madcap world of King Julien's Madagascar.

Alex the lion is the king of the urban jungle, the main attraction at New York's Central Park Zoo. He and his best friends have spent their whole lives in blissful captivity before an admiring public and with regular meals provided for them. Not content to leave well enough alone, Marty lets his curiosity get the better of him and makes his escape to explore the world.

Filled with outlandish characters, adventure galore and an upbeat score, Madagascar - A Musical Adventure Jr and its delightful cast will leave audiences with no choice but to "Move It, Move It”.

The show is being directed by Touch Compass’ General Manager, Charlotte Nightingale. She says audiences should be prepared for the children to steal the show…and their hearts.

“All the children are working together so beautifully; it’s been incredibly moving to see and an honour to direct. They show they’ve created is profoundly funny and their talent is immense,” Nightingale says.

The show will also be fully accessible, including Deaf signing by a young interpreter who is Deaf herself, hence, rather than interpreting what’s on stage, will be learning the entire script word for word. While this does happen from time to time overseas, it is very unique in New Zealand.

There will also be a special relaxed show for young theatre-goers with autism and sensory sensitivities.

About Touch Compass

Touch Compass is New Zealand’s leading professional inclusive performance company and has been creating experiences for audiences, and for disabled and non-disabled performers since 1997.

They work creatively with world-class choreographers and directors to draw out narratives that challenge perceptions about what performance is and who can do it.

Their live performances, film, digital, site specific work and collaborations act against barriers to reach diverse audiences. By continuously moving beyond difference, Touch Compass encourages society to do the same.

SHOW INFO

Touch Compass presents

Madagascar – A Musical Adventure Junior

Venue: The Rose Centre, School Road, Belmont, North Shore

Dates:

Note: Everyone is welcome at all shows, however some accessibility features are noted below for specific shows.

Thursday 16 May | 7:00pm - Gala Opening night – Theatre sign language interpreted

Friday 17 May | 7:00pm -

Saturday 18 May | 11:00am - Relaxed show for those with autism and sensory sensitivities

Saturday 18 May | 6:00pm - Theatre sign language interpreted. Audio described.

Sunday 19 May | 11:00am

Sunday 19 May | 2:00pm - Theatre sign language interpreted

Please find more information and tickets here.