CULTURE CLUB

Liam Stretch Culture Editor

It was an auspicious day when my parents bought our family’s first (and last) Handycam. When other kids were off filming Jackass-like stunts, their sporty adventures, or family holidays, I took to documenting my creative outlets. I coordinated full puppet operas, made stop-motion clay films with my brother (the screenplays of some are worthy of Aardman), and would film my lip-syncing prowess. I’m so glad I did this. It steered me towards the creative career I find myself in now and instilled unwavering confidence in my sense of self and my creative identity. That’s how many creatives get their legs – most far more capable than I – by just doing what they love, and maybe, just maybe, they end up getting paid for it! Don’t worry, though. I’m not ‘unsporty’. I have a black belt in Karate – so watch out!

Germany’s Milky Chance, Clemens Rehbein (guitar/vocals) and Phillip Dausch (bass/ percussion), have released their brandnew mixtape Trip Tape II. In this album, the duo takes the listener on a cosmic journey with eleven new indie hits spanning a selection of new original songs, demos, and covers. I fell in love with their covers of Do You Really Want To Hurt Me? and Harry Styles’ As It Was.

Gaslit portrays the Watergate scandal and a band of maniacal manipulators. Sean Penn and Julia Roberts play John and Martha Mitchell – US attorney general and his wife. These two give impeccable yet disturbing performances, capturing the discourse of those under the Nixon administration amid war and domestic turmoil. A thriller with black comedy elements.

Crying on the Phone is a wonderfully modern and relatable collection of poetry. Penned by Johanna Cosgrove – an award-winning actor, comedian, and entrepreneur – this book perfectly captures contemporary conflicts, confusions, and crushes, in a way that many children of the ‘80s, ‘90s, and ‘00s will identify with. The poems are accompanied by artworks by Darien Fisher. My favourite is Grief in the Garden. Simple. Brilliant.

If you’ve been anywhere on the internet, you’ll know of ASMR (Automatic Sensory Meridian Response). ASMR refers to the scientifically recognised ‘tingling’ sensation some people experience from seeing or hearing certain ‘triggers.’ These can be whispering, the tapping of wood, the crinkling of paper, or even factory machines’ rhythmic beat. Award-winning theatre-maker Amy Atkins takes her most loved ASMR videos and adapts them for theatre with the help of her ASMRtist persona Letitia Lickkit, live on the Little Andromeda stage. This is set to be a brain-tickling comedy. 3 & 4 November, Little Andromeda littleandromeda.co.nz

How do you measure a year? RENT is finally at the Court! RENT is an iconic late 20th Century musical. This ground-breaking Pulitzer and Tony award-winning production follows a group of artists struggling and striving to follow their dreams in New York City against a backdrop of poverty, looming gentrification, and the AIDS crisis of the 1990s. Featuring the hits Seasons of Love and Take Me or Leave Me.

19 November 2022–21 January 2023 Court Theatre, courttheatre.org.nz

The Killers are coming back to New Zealand for nine incredible shows with their Imploding the Mirage Tour 2022. They are set to blow off the roof of Christchurch Arena this month. Led by frontman Brendan Flowers, the Killers are an American indierock band hailing from Las Vegas. Sing your lungs out to tracks like Somebody Told Me, Mr Brightside, and Human. 25 November, Christchurch Arena frontiertouring.com

Ronald McDonald House and the Port Hills Polo Club are delighted to bring back A Day at the Polo, presented by Miles Toyota. This highlyanticipated event is set in a stunning garden marquee in Tai Tapu, where guests will enjoy a day of exciting polo, beautiful food, and the traditional stomping of the divots. All proceeds raised will go towards supporting the families that stay at Ronald McDonald House Charities. 3 December, Port Hills Polo Club Tai Tapu rmhsi.org.nz/events

COSMETIC MEDICINE Tel: 03 351 3241

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Onstage, the magic that is created within The Court Theatre is easy to see in the talented people who create memorable characters. But creating the world that these characters inhabit are many talented artists and craftspeople working behind the scenes.

The Court Theatre is the largest producing theatre company in New Zealand, meaning that it creates all of its production elements itself. Costumes are sourced or sewn on-site, props are foraged or created from scratch, and sets from 18th century France to 1960s Ohoka are constructed into the same small space.

Currently, the team is building the world of the East Village of 1990s New York to transport people in time and place for RENT, the summer musical.

RENT follows a group of artists struggling and striving to fulfil their dreams in New York City. Set against a background of poverty and looming gentrification, this beloved musical is a pop-culture phenomenon that celebrates love, friendship, and living life to the fullest every day, despite (or because of) life’s challenges and tragedies.

Leading the creative team are Lara Macgregor (director), Richard Marrett (musical director), Mark McEntyre (set designer), and Tina Hutchison-Thomas (costume designer). The Court’s resident creatives are helping to bring their collective vision to life with bespoke costumes and props, and intricate sets.

Having lived and worked as an actor in New York in the 1990s, Macgregor notes that the city itself is a major character in RENT – a place where punk, performance art, and drag performance grew and flourished, and which was a vital social environment as much as a physical one.

Her vision, developed with McEntyre and brought to life by his designs, is inspired by the iconic club CBGBs. Theatre-goers will experience first-hand the multi-layered vibrancy, rawness, and emotion of this unique time and place.

Practically, this means that The Court creatives must build a world that moves through multiple places, as well as a range of seasons, all within the confines of the theatre’s small stage. Those who have seen Court productions before know that they will deliver and, quite possibly, surprise. Step inside a 1990s New York winter this summer, and live “La Vie Bohème”.

RENT plays at The Court Theatre from 19 November 2022 – 21 January 2023.

Book at courttheatre.org.nz

What’s your favourite exhibit at Canterbury Museum? The horse in the Christchurch Street? Ed Hillary’s tractor in the Antarctic Gallery? The Huia in the Bird Hall? One of the taonga in Ngā Taonga Tuku Iho o Ngā Tūpuna? Whatever your top pick is, the time has come to visit it before the Museum closes for its long-awaited redevelopment. The Museum’s $205 million revamp will see the heritage buildings protected and enhanced, the earthquake-damaged 20th-century buildings replaced, facilities modernised, and most of the site base-isolated to protect Canterbury’s taonga against future quakes. The Museum will be closed for up to five years, although a smaller, temporary Museum will pop up in the central city next year. Staff have already started packing down the galleries, and some of the upstairs galleries, including Geology, Discovery, Our Mummy, and Ivan Mauger Speedway King, have closed. November will see the remainder of the upstairs section close, with the pack down starting on Asian Arts and Living Canterbury on 7 November and the Antarctic Gallery closing on 21 November. Work on the downstairs galleries will begin in December. Many of the Museum’s much-loved taonga (treasures) will return in the new Museum, so this isn’t goodbye – just ‘see you later’. Visit the Museum’s website for updates.

canterburymuseum.com/redevelopment

Swimming with & watching Kaikoura’s Dusky Dolphins!

Enter the world of the dusky dolphin and experience the grace and beauty of the most acrobatic of all dolphin species. Kaikoura is the best place in the world to see multiple species of albatross. Enjoy close up views of these majestic wanderers of the Southern Ocean just minutes from shore.