CULTURE CLUB

Liam Stretch Culture Editor

Irecently discussed with a friend the television shows that have shaped us. One that we mutually agreed on was Whose Line is it Anyway. Ritualistically, I would watch it each afternoon upon my return from high school, having picked up a milkshake from the local dairy and microwaved far too many two-minute noodles. Full of sodium and lactose, I would be transported away from my day at school, no matter the events of the past six hours. The quick-witted, intelligent humour of the cast (Ryan Stiles, Colin Mochrie, Wayne Brady, and usually, Greg Proops) had me transfixed. This clever humour made me a more discerning viewer. It gave me the conviction to watch films that my peers didn’t think were in vogue and be open to media from times gone by. It expanded my palate, and I think it eventually led me to be able to review what I do today. Thanks to that, before you is a range of content filtered by yours truly.

I’ve always had a soft spot for Nicolas Cage. And it is films like Pig that make me love him. Nic Cage plays a truffle hunter and former famed chef who goes on a mission to locate his stolen truffle-finding pig and best friend. Director Michael Sarnoski’s ability to transform a fairly ordinary story into a mafioso-style epic, with Cage delivering existentialism whenever he speaks, deserves to not go unnoticed. Perhaps too arthouse to receive an Oscar nod, though.

Country music icon Alisson Krauss teams up with Robert Plant, from Led Zeppelin fame, to create the album Raise the Roof. There are elements of rock, country, folk, and bluegrass. For me, stand out tracks are Trouble with My Lover, Can’t Let Go, and the rousing toe-tapping High and Lonely. You will find yourself listening to this album from end to end while you strut on your morning walk to the dairy to fetch your milk.

The mark of a successful book is its ability to stimulate your imagination easily, thus transporting you into the party of the characters. This can be said for The Buried Giant by Nobel Prize-winning writer Kazuo Ishiguro. It follows an elderly Briton couple, Axl and Beatrice, searching for their long-lost son throughout a fictional post-Arthurian England. For some curious reason, people of the time can’t recall their long-term memories, and the pair set off on a journey guided by patchy flickers of times gone by. You’ll be on this journey yourself; it’s a fairy-tale for adults.

Jacob Yikes ‘Even In Darkness’, April 1 - April 30

Dinosaurs are descending on Canterbury Museum in a new exhibition that will be a hit with families and dinosaur enthusiasts alike. Dinosaur rEvolution: Secrets of Survival features skeletons, fossils casts, and huge animatronic dinosaurs. But these aren’t dinosaurs as you know them – new fossil finds in China, including dinosaur skin, feathers, and quills, have forever changed our image of these primeval giants. Discover how horns, spikes, quills, and feathers helped dinosaurs survive and learn about the true evolution of the dinosaurs. Entry is $10 per adult and $5 per child, with family passes available. Opens 15 April canterburymuseum.com

Hawdon Street’s Fiksate Gallery is launching its first exhibition for 2022, which features the iconic styling of Christchurch street artist Jacob Yikes. Even in Darkness is long-awaited and Yikes’ first solo exhibition in four years. Viewers can expect a series of progressive, abstract, and mind-bending paintings that explore an altered reality where the subconscious and memories collide.

1–30 April, Fiksate Gallery fiksate.com

This is sure to be a performance like you’ve never experienced. With no rehearsal, no director, a different actor each night, and a script waiting in a sealed envelope on stage, the internationally acclaimed improv absurdist show White Rabbit, Red Rabbit, by Iranian writer Nassim Soleimanpour, is an audacious theatrical experiment and a potent reminder of the transgressive power of theatre. 13–17 April, Little Andromeda Theatre littleandromeda.co.nz

Camille Solari is a veteran US comedian who has starred on both the stage and screen. She’s heading to Lyttelton’s Wunderbar to perform two slots of her show My Life In Pink. This is your chance to have your laughter cemented in history with the filming of her comedy special. Camille is supported by cult Kiwi veteran comedians Dan Brader and Corey Humm. 9 April, Wunderbar Lyttelton fb.com/wunderbarlyttelton

The Girl on the Train is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com