Auckland Town Hall: There are — believe it or not — few things that can raise up your spirits close to the end of a working week in the way that sitting back and listening to a whole orchestra transport you to somewhere else does. Tonight, the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra takes concert-goers to Russia with music by Tchaikovsky — his Marche Slave and Violin Concerto — and fellow Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov's re-telling of the Tales of the Arabian Nights. Expect music of high passion and unbeatable appeal — true rippers of a tune!
Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Russian Tales, Auckland Town Hall, tonight at 7.30pm
ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre: As the world seems to tumble daily into further chaos, Bill Bailey, the UK's straggle-haired Renaissance man, returns to Auckland with his comedy and music extravaganza to make us laugh long and loud. Blending satire and surrealism, stories and dismantled jokes, sing-alongs, weird instruments and stories of Bailey's own personal experiences, the show runs the gamut from exploring Shakespeare's contribution to comedy to considering Britain's fortunes past and present. Bill Bailey, Earl of Whimsy, ASB Theatre, Aotea Centre, Friday and Saturday
The Bruce Mason Centre: Two bored kids; one rainy day. No, it's not a prophecy of what the school holidays may hold (school's out tomorrow for two weeks btw) but the start of The Cat in the Hat. Using just 200 words, Theodor Seuss Geisel — aka Dr Seuss — hit upon a winning formula which has seen his second children's book remain on the best-seller lists for more than 50 years. It's also been adapted for screen and stage and, this weekend, you can see the National Theatre of Britain's re-telling about the madness the ensues when The Cat in The Hat interrupts a rainy afternoon with his unexpected visit to Sally and her brother's cosy home. "It's fun to have fun, but you have to know how." Spoiler alert: things run amok very quickly.
Dr Seuss's Cat in the Hat, Bruce Mason Centre, Saturday 10.30am and 1pm
Powerstation
UK indie-rockers Wolf Alice just won the coveted Mercury Prize for their 2017 album Visions of a Life, a sprawling, emotionally mature blend of punk rock and dream pop. We're lucky to have the four-piece band visiting fresh off the back of their win, marking their second performance in New Zealand this year after a Laneway slot in January. The band's energy was high back then, with singer Ellie Roswell winning punters over with her fiercely confident stage presence. Fans will be lucky to catch the group playing a longer set at a venue of their own as they take to the Powerstation on Sunday night.
Wolf Alice, Powerstation, Sunday September 30, 8pm
