At just 21 years old, Zac Johns plays a pivotal role in the latest production of Evita. You won't see Johns on stage, though.

Stephen Jewell talks to British author Chris Cleave about bravery, racism and how he avoids getting stuck in a writing groove.

Experiencing Stephen Hough's magisterial Brahms Second Piano Concerto brought back a conversation in which the Englishman talked of the power that came from the work's sense of emotional containment.

When it comes to crime fiction, New Jersey-based writer Harlan Coben is Big Business.

Gates' 2016 list of reads, complete with an animated video describing his picks.

Kiwi ballerina Hannah O'Neill has been named dancer of the year at the prestigious Benois de la Danse competition, often described as the Oscars of dance.

The 34-year-old son of a Samoan church minister has done TV, film and stand-up comedy but says theatre is his first love.

It goes to show, as Hare says, the audience - the way it reacts and responds and its current concerns - shapes theatre.

At 82, Gloria Steinem - the woman who spearheaded the women's liberation movement in the United States and beyond - was smoking hot.

The Auckland Writers Festival, under way at civic centre venues this week, is a testament to the continued value of the written word.

Courtroom drama has a peculiar capacity to grip an audience.

Decades of hard work for Stephen Daisley, a former shearer, farmer and soldier turned author, have paid off.

Doris is a housewife and businesswoman taking her first steps in the corporate world; George is an accountant away from home at a conference.

The works, for the most part small statues and ceramics, are displayed on carpet mats on the floor.

There are two Block Parties happening in Auckland: which is the one for you?

COMMENT: You know life can change for a few people to something unrecognisable. But I don't think the basics change, at least with most, writes Alan Duff.

COMMENT: We thought we knew who Americans were, but this year we have seen a new side to their character that has set me wondering about its origins.

Simon Prast graduated from the University of Auckland with a law degree before the lure of the stage proved stronger than that of the bench.

Ralph "Karate Kid" Macchio was happy to oblige with an interview or two to promote the performances of Flashdance, the musical his daughter Julia stars in.

An inspirational drama teacher who travelled from Gisborne to England to see actor Jeremy Irons perform in a play had a welcome surprise at its conclusion.

COMMENT: Four hundred years after the writer's death it's time to acknowledge Shakespeare has less to offer the modern world.

Hollins doesn't patronise her young audience by sanitising these pivotal scenes, so parents may want to consider how easily frightened their children are.

This week marks 400 years since the death of our national poet. And yet his characters, the worlds he created, the thoughts he expressed are for all people and all time.

Ian McGuire's story of brutality, greed and whaling - set aboard a boat off the coast of Greenland - is worth seeking out, especially for those of you who are not squeamish.

Listing racist remarks and restrictive stereotypes may seem simplistic at first, but this is mere preparation for some smart theatrics.

COMMENT: It sounds weird but this Broadway musical is a reminder of what is truly great and inspiring about America.