Latest fromArts & Literature

Review: <i>Marriage of Figaro</i> at the Aotea Centre
NBR New Zealand Opera's The Marriage of Figaro is as engrossing a night of theatre as one could wish for.

A mother of a year
Michele Hine is revelling in a trio of rich maternal roles _ from Go Girls' downtrodden parent, to fading theatrical star, to hell-bent control freak in the Auckland production of The House Of Bernada Alba.

Tributes flood in for pioneering actress
Dame Pat Evison, a much-loved stalwart of New Zealand radio, television and theatre who died at the weekend, will long be remembered for her colourful contribution, colleagues say.

Liz Caughey's favourite things
Liz Caughey has curated an affordable exhibition to raise money for her Braveheart Youth Trust.

<i>Review:</i> The Wallfisch Band at the Auckland Town Hall
There was a spirit of an end-of-semester concert permeating the town hall during the Wallfisch Band's Venetian Carnival.

Review: <i>Pear Shaped</i> at The Pumphouse Theatre
This debut work by local drama teacher Andy Saker shows an easy familiarity with the North Shore's casual backyard culture.

<i>Review:</i> Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's <i>Discover New Zealand Music</i>
There was a buzz and a bustle in the Town Hall foyer as punters collected tickets for Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra's Happy Hour concert.

Book review: <i>The Night Book</i>, by Charlotte Grimshaw
There's something buttoned up and restrained about Charlotte Grimshaw's writing, something as middle class as the characters whose stories she tells and, I imagine, as the people who tend to read them.

Love story at heart
Angels and the supernatural aside, Singh's books are each a unique emotional journey.

<i>Review:</i> William Dalrymple at the Writers & Readers Festival
Dalrymple, a towering figure who spoke with the brio of a great orator, used imagery of paintings and photos to reinforce his compelling tale of the last Mughal.

The bigger picture
The complicated and sensitive world of artists is explored in Sarah Thornton's new book. She talks to Stephen Jewell.

Review: <i>Avenue Q</i> at The Civic
Opening with the eternal question - 'what do you do with a BA in English?' - Avenue Q dispenses a bright and breezy antidote to the pressures of life in the big city.

Book review: <i>Telling Tales: A Life in Writing</i>, by William Taylor
This memoir by New Zealand children's author William Taylor is, I am delighted to report, an endearing collection of his experiences.

<i>Review:</i> Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at Auckland Town Hall
Poets of their Age presented three first-generation Romantic composers coming to terms with the expressive potential of the symphony orchestra.