A jewel of a classic theatre production receives an update, and an indie folk band returns after a long hiatus.
Head to a workshop
The Crushes Social Club is up and running again this winter, opening the event space above the hot spot shop on Karangahape Rd for a wide
Next week, Crushes will also hold one of their monthly book club meetings. Keen readers are invited to discuss a book that fits within a specific theme. This month, the discussions will focus on “classics written by female authors”. The book club starts at 6pm on June 28, and occurs every last Wednesday of the month.
Head to a gig
Boy & Bear returns to Aotearoa this weekend to tour their latest album. The self-titled record is the fifth release from the Australian indie-folk band and comes after a long break (their fourth album, Suck on Light, came out in 2019). According to frontman Dave Hosking, the album explores the difficulties of the pandemic, mental health and a love of art. The band will visit San Fran in Wellington and the Powerstation in Auckland this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Tune into a sound-based exhibition
The Pyramid Club in Wellington will open a solo exhibition from Sally Ann McIntyre this weekend, which engages with a sonic fieldwork project that the artist has been conducting in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara. The full title of the exhibition is Post-extinction huia soundings, Te Whanganui-a-Tara 1912-1924 (moments of history torn away from the movement of history, then returned; no longer quite life, not yet death). Previously, the artist has played with historical records of humans imitating the call of the huia, recording the audio on a new, fragile device. In the latest phase of the project, Sally brought the recordings into spots in Te-Whanganui-a-Tara, playing them in spots where huia had reportedly been spotted after their official extinction date in 1907.
The project experiments with the use of media and “the poetics and politics of listening” with reference to the extinct bird. The exhibition is sure to offer intriguing insights into the role of media forms in documenting historical phenomena and creating awareness of an absence. Drinks will be provided at the opening by the Garage Project. The exhibition will run from June 24 to July 29.
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See a superhero movie
The Hollywood Avondale will screen a formative superhero film this Sunday, bringing the 1978 Superman: The Movie to the big screen once again. It’s considered by some to be an incredibly influential film for the Marvel and DC era of today, due to its use of new-fangled special effects (read: dangling on wires). The movie stars Christopher Reeve as the titular hero, wearing an incredibly iconic iteration of the super suit. The film will play at 4pm on June 25. Tickets are available through the cinema’s website.
See some Shakespeare
King Lear has taken the stage at Auckland Theatre Company, with some of our best local theatre talents enacting the Shakespearean tragedy with contemporary staging and costuming. Michael Hurst, who has previously been cast as The Fool (twice) and as the Earl of Glouchester in productions of Lear, has received rave reviews for his performance in the role. Likely due to the recognisable contemporary aesthetics (including extravagant evening dresses, office chairs and ties), the piece has earned plenty of comparisons to Succession in reviews — siblings fight for control of the family wealth, as the patriarch’s health begins to decline.
See an exhibition
Scores for Transformation opens at Artspace Aotearoa this weekend. The exhibition showcases works from five artists, who all employ a process-based practice with their given medium (working with textile, film sculpture and collage). Among the artists set to be featured are visual artist Özlem Altın, Aotearoa-based textile artist Quishile Charan, multimedia artist Judith Hopf, director and film-maker Laida Lertxundi and feminist conceptual artist Rosemary Mayer. Scores for Transformation opens this Saturday and closes on August 18.
See a show
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Advertise with NZME.Antidisciplinary artist Daley Rangi will take the stage in Basement Theatre with Takatāpui, performing with “only a microphone, a vocal processor, and a killer pair of heels”. Through the show, Rangi explores the events of a single evening through “visceral lyricism, cavernous soundscapes, disco outbreaks, and macabre humour”, with forms of storytelling sure to stick with you after the curtain drops. Takatāpui will play at the Basement Theatre from June 27 to July 1.
Book ahead
Book in for a show
The Q Theatre is gearing up to premiere Basmati Bitch in July. It’s a new piece by screenwriter and first-time playwright Ankita Singh, that’s backed by SquareSums&Co, Oriental Madiens and Auckland Theatre Company. The genre-bending theatre piece follows Shiva, a retired fighter turned illegal MMA fighter, in a futuristic Aotearoa. Shiva becomes embroiled in a contraband black market trade, leading to a chaotic and action-packed romp. The piece is directed by Ahi Karunaharan (A Fine Balance, My Heart Goes Thadak Thadak, Tea), with Nathan Joe (Scenes from a Yellow Peril, I Am Rachel Chu) and Jane Yonge (Scenes from a Yellow Peril, The Basement Tapes) serving as the production’s dramaturges. The play will run from July 11 to 23. Tickets are available from Atc.co.nz
Enter an art competition
Wynyard Pavillion will host a live painting competition called Art Battle on June 29, with artists squaring off in a high-pressure contest. There will be 12 artists competing for the top spot, putting their brushes to paper and showcasing their talents live. The first round starts at 7pm. Registration is open to both artists and spectators now. Food and drink will also be available at the event.
