By Ian Wedde
VUP, $30 | Reviewed by Jolene Williams

WESTERNERS often feel surprised, curious and intensely confused after their first encounter with Chinese opera. And so, after reading only the back cover of Ian Wedde’s novel Chinese Opera, it was apt that my sensitivities were equally awry. The blurb promised big things. Strange things. Things that would test boundaries of expectation. Like its musical equivalent, Chinese Opera proved suited for a very specific, very flexible, readership.

MARY CRESSWELL is a Wellington poet who lives on the Kapiti Coast. Her latest book, Nearest and Dearest, to be published by Steele Roberts in mid-2009, is a collection of satiric verse dealing with life in the workplace, with the ups and downs of romance, and with life in general.

CHARLOTTE SIMMONDS is a Wellington-based playwright. Her book The World’s Fastest Flower, was published by Victoria University Press in 2008.

Essay by Dr. Ann McEwan;
Photography by Anne Challinor
Ramp Press/Wintec, NZ$48 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

ONE NICE THING about photography books is that, often, there is little text. This leaves the photos – generally the reason the book exists – to be read without too much interference. A good introduction will give us a context in which to read the work in the book, and hint at what the photographer was trying to achieve. The photos can then, hopefully, be enjoyed/devoured/whatever with little distraction.

Issue Two: Stakeout
NZ$5.95 | Reviewed by Christine Linnell

‘STAKEOUT’ is the second issue of newcomer Hue & Cry, and from the very start, the journal seems designed to pull you in. The vaguely threatening scrutiny of the title, the issue number reflected and re-reflected across the cover, the wide margins and bold black-and-white of the layout – all of it suggests a kind of mirror, an invitation to project your own identity onto the pages.

Auckland Festival, Herald Theatre
March 18-April 11 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

WHAT HAPPENS when you send actors out into the city to collect stories? Backstory is an illustration of the idea that the whole is bigger than the sum of its parts. It’s a weaving together of stories that are not quite Auckland and not quite not Auckland, if you get what I mean. The result is a play that easily and deliciously embraces the universal.

By Warwick Brown
RH/Godwit, $55 | Reviewed by Andy Palmer

ACCORDING to the media release for this book, “In... Seen This Century – out just ahead of May’s Auckland Art Fair – Warwick Brown has come up with an up-to-the-minute list of the 100 “ones to watch” to have merged in our contemporary art scene throughout the country since the turn of this century.”

ALEXANDER BISLEY takes a sneak peek at this year’s Auckland Writers & Readers Festival.

AS A STAUNCH Wellingtonian, I hate to admit that Auckland has a better literary Festival, but there’s just no denying it. 2009 sees an impressive tight five lead the pack. “In those hands, everything seems like politics, and politics has never seemed more interesting.” Hendrik Hertzberg is one of the great political journalists. Currently at The New Yorker, he writes gorgeously and definitively nails issues, such as McCain-Palin’s “Socialist” slurs against Obama (newyorker.com/... /taco_talk_hertzberg). Stefan Aust is another godfather of political insight. The former Der Spiegel editor-in-chief cut his teeth investigating German terrorism, resulting in the landmark 1985 book The Baader Meinhof Complex. Rhonda Sherman is founding director of the intimidatingly good New Yorker Festival, the razor edge of cultural movers and shakers (festival.newyorker.com). Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie spearheads the African New Wave. Nigeria-raised, Baltimore-educated, the atmospheric author of Purple Hibiscus, Half of a Yellow Sun and The Thing Around Your Neck shows much promise. And there’s much more to former Dom cub Kirsty Gunn than the sensual, devastating short story Rain, you know.

Auckland Festival
March 5-22 | Reviewed by Alexander Bisley

“WE’RE GONNA spiegel for you tonight,” SJD opined. Despite creating some of the great songs of the last decade on Southern Lights and Songs From a Dictaphone, past SJD performances at WOMAD, the Big Day Out and the Big Night In have left me a dash disappointed. Alas, this performance at the Spiegeltent, nattily awash in red lights, joins that list.

Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth
March 13-15 | Reviewed by Alexander Bisley

NOTHING came anywhere near to Salif Keita and Mariza’s sensuous, mesmerising majesty at WOMAD 2008’s Brooklands Bowl. Though several bands, such as Fat Freddy’s Drop, clearly struggled with the main stage this year, Keita’s Malian compatriot Rokia Traore delivered a dazzling ninety-minute performance. Her third album Tchamantche, sets her beautifully textured, varied vocals against three ambient guitarists (standard, bass and ngoni, a four-string, lute-like Malian instrument). With a back-up vocalist/dancer added to Tchamantche’s guitar blend, Rokia gracefully commanded the stage. From her ‘The Man I Love’ cover to ‘Kounandi’, it was potent and intimate.

BATS Theatre
March 11-28 | Reviewed by Helen Sims

AH, teenage angst. I usually find it so funny. Mark Schultz’s treatment of it in A Brief History of Helen of Troy is so sharply observed that it is often hilarious. But substantial tragedy underpins the bratty behaviour of main character Charlotte, and the result is a rich production imbued with myth and pop culture, deftly delivered by Playground Collective and GladEye Productions.

By Elizabeth Knox
VUP, NZ$35 | Reviewed by Christine Linnell

FOR ME, reading New Zealand literature is as much a therapy for culture shock as anything else. I moved here from America two years ago, and since then I’ve been looking for local writers – particularly women writers – who can help me figure out what I’ve signed up for. Last winter’s project, predictably, was Katherine Mansfield. This summer it was Elizabeth Knox.

Auckland Festival
March 5-22 | Reviewed by Alexander Bisley

ROBERT LEPAGE’s wondrous The Seven Streams of the River Ota was a transformative experience. The Andersen Project (Aotea Centre, March 19-22) demanded I got on a plane to the Auckland Festival and I highly doubt I will see better theatre this year.

Downstage Theatre
March 16-21 | Reviewed by Kate Blackhurst

Strange Resting Places is a great name for this play, but it might just as well be called Strange Bedfellows. When a young Mãori soldier and an Italian are trapped together in a barn in Monte Cassino in 1944 with Germans outside, they really are the ‘salami in the panini’ and they must try to surmount their language and cultural differences to survive.

Auckland Festival, Herald Theatre
March 13-April 10 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

TAKE the words of a 17th Century Spanish playwright, translate into English and then stage in a modern theatre setting with some up and coming young NZ actors and what do you get? Not quite a dream, but the play does make for an interesting night out.

Circa Theatre
March 3-21 | Reviewed by Helen Sims

Hatch is a multilayered production – it is a period piece, a philosophical debate, an imaginative biographical portrait, masquerading as a town hall slide presentation to garner sympathy for the aggrieved Joseph Hatch. Hatch has been stripped of his license to produce oil on Macquarie Island – from penguins. According to Wikipedia (somewhat unreliable, I know) J Hatch & Co dispatched about two million penguins over nearly 30 years. It also notes what a persuasive and entertaining speaker he was – and this is definitely presented in this production. Roundly condemned by popular history, Hatch shows there are two sides to the story (as the title would seem to indicate).

MICHAEL BOTUR hails from the South Island. He has been published in Takahe, JAAM, Bravado, Blindswimmer, Deep South, Catalyst, A3, Critic, Debate, NiL, Her and F*nk, and the literary phenomenon Prima Storia. He lives in Auckland and works for the literacy mafia.

KATY GIEBENHAIN is an MPhil candidate at University of Glamorgan in Wales. Poems have appeared in Bordercrossing-Berlin, American Life in Poetry, and Prairie Schooner and are forthcoming in The SHOp and Writing by Ear. She works in the non-profit communications sector and lives in Pennsylvania.

Auckland Festival
March 5-22 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

The Arrival (The Civic, March 12-15) is much more than a theatrical adaptation of Shaun Tan’s award-winning graphic novel. Whilst remaining faithful to the story, its characters and even its images, this magical piece by Kate Parker and Julie Nolan has taken on a spirit of its own.

Auckland Fringe, The Basement
March 10-13 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

SOLO PERFORMER, multicharacter pieces have a venerable tradition in this country, but seldom have they been performed with such in-your-face madcap energy as Morgana O’Reilly injects into this piece. A familiar face on the Auckland independent theatre scene, O’Reilly also reveals her talent for writing in this story about a down-but-definitely-not-out white trash family, the Hulmes. Annaleise is sixteen, pregnant and full of attitude while her brother Nathan is a gawky thirteen and trying to figure out... well, everything. The only thing he’s got sussed is how to annoy Annaleise. Older sister Emma is overseas in London, being taken for a ride by a variety of weirdos, while the older brother has trouble keeping his apparatus in his pants, with predictable results. Meanwhile, downtrodden mother Terri tries to entertain an old school friend, overacheiving Rachel, with hilarious results.

Auckland Fringe, The Basement
March 7 | Reviewed by Ezra Low

THE FIRST THING one notices when stepping into the setting of Funky Oriental Beats is the mandatory red Chinese Lanterns. But that’s where the “oriental” connotations end. Guitar amps, DJ turntables, a bright yellow drumset bore no resemblance to the evening’s theme, save for the Asian, yet very diverse lineup.

Auckland Festival
March 5-22 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

BILLED as “an extraordinary evening of cross-cultural collaboration and innovation,” The Wide Alley (Festival Club, March 6-7) doesn’t quite live up to this promise, but instead resembles a comfortable jam session. This isn’t so bad. Being a fusion of jazz and traditional Chinese street music, it was always going to be more comfortable in a lounge than in the Festival Club which turned out to be too large a space for this gig.

Auckland Festival
March 5-22 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

AUCKLAND is known as a rainy city, but it put on a (mostly) sunny disposition for the start of Auckland Festival 2009. But there was no lack of challenging weather in events on offer. In Little Rain (March 3-28, City Art Rooms), one of the many visual arts exhibitions opening during the Festival, artists Cat Auburn and Karena Way use rain as a metaphor for how ideas and images pervade people’s lives. Rain creeps up almost without noticing, getting under the skin. In Rest Cure, featuring a life-size sculpture of a horse bound to a bed, Auburn explores ideas of Victorian repression and artifice and how this hides deeper issues such as freedom and independence. Way’s installation piece Paradise, as far as we know focuses a diffuse light on a white wall above a thin metal rail, encouraging us to escape beyond our own horizons. The other sculptural and photographic pieces work around these themes, while a soundscape created by Way from fragments of poetry, music and environmental noise lulls us into a false sense of security at first. Both artists seem to engage us lightly, drawing us into a world that seems innocent, almost flippant on the surface. But linger a while and the darkness becomes increasingly evident. The exhibition runs until March 28 and is part of the Artlink bus tour on March 21, when Way will invite members of the public to create a sound work with her.

Wellington Jazz Festival, Town Hall
March 7 | Reviewed by Catherine Bisley

“I LOVE YOU,” a woman shrieked. Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca considered this declaration a moment before responding with a gravelly “Thank you.” No response was needed for the slightly strangled “YES” that issued from a male audience member at the end of Fonseca’s Saturday night performance.

Circa Theatre
March 1-28 | Reviewed by Helen Sims

WHEN I HEARD that Circa had programmed Tom Stoppard’s Rock ‘n’ Roll on its main stage I was both excited and worried. Excited because it’s great to see a full-scale production of a Stoppard play, and this one happens to be one of my favourites due to its setting and subject matter. I was worried because large scale productions at Circa have a tendency to rob plays of their dynamism. So I approached opening night with mixed feelings – were they borne out? Well, yes, I am sad to say they were. This is an incredibly challenging play, and despite some excellent performances by the cast, it doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Auckland Festival, Herald Theatre
March 5-8 | Reviewed by Renee Liang

Te Karakia opens with a provocative premise: what if a couple, a Maori woman and a Pakeha man, were on opposite sides of the fence during the 1981 Springbok Tour? With the world today preoccupied by other threatening issues, it is easy to forget the impact 1981 had on our sense of nationhood. (Some of us were too young or uninformed to notice.) Cannily timed to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the Tour, Te Karakia is a timely reminder of what happened. But it doesn’t quite go far enough in exploring the racial and colonial issues which lay at the heart of the Tour protest, and which still grumble on today.

BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM asks film programmer Richard King about the documentaries showing at this year’s WOMAD.

WHILE WOMAD is known for its music and dance, there is a little growing aspect of the festival which might interest audiences heading up to the Festival in New Plymouth. Programmed by Richard King, a former programmer of the New Zealand International Film Festivals, WOMAD also presents a number of musical-themed documentaries for those who want to get away from the music for a little bit. King says “it was never going to be a big thing. Last year was the first year. But some people like to chill out and sit under a tree and watch a film and have a space away from everything. Last year it was so low-key. A lot of people aren’t going to go to WOMAD to watch films.”

ALEXANDER BISLEY asks Madeleine Sami a few quick questions ahead of upcoming WOMAD and Auckland Festival engagements.

MADELEINE SAMI’s performance of all nine roles in Toa Fraser’s 1999 play No. 2 was a dazzling tour-de-force that garnered worldwide acclaim. Now the effervescent Irish-Indian actress you may remember from Sione’s Wedding has joined forces with her sisters Anji and Priya, forming The Sami Sisters. The Onehunga trio will be singing at WOMAD 2009 and Auckland Festival 2009.

Wellington Jazz Festival, Town Hall
March 8 | Reviewed by Brannavan Gnanalingam

THOSE OF US who have worked retail in our lives, will no doubt have had horrific experiences with jazz pianists playing popular songs on endlessly repeating muzak CDs as if it was some sort of special circle of hell. However, when jazz pianist Brad Mehldau cranks into his Radiohead or Sufjan Stevens, he manages to retain his own distinctive sound and showcase his breathtaking virtuosity – while also paying homage to the music. An excellent Wellington Jazz Festival closed with another stellar performance, as the Brad Mehldau Trio showcases some exceptional skill and musicianship.

Wellington Jazz Festival, Town Hall
March 7 | Reviewed by Peter Bisley

THE LEGENDARY Polish trumpeter, with his exceptional quartet, provided a genuine treat for the Saturday night audience at the Pacific Blue Note. Tomasz Stanko and his quartet moved slickly through a greatly varied set. Stanko was a subtle front for the band, at times crouching down to the side of the drum kit or wandering away while they dabbled in ethereal soundscapes. He built a broad palette of tonal effects, with clean long peals, and fuzzy runs which resisted the temptation to dominate the set with flagrant soloistic displays, while there was enough mellow virtuosity to anchor the set around him.

Wellington Jazz Festival, Town Hall
March 6 | Reviewed by Alexander Bisley

“BONSOIR, bonsoir Wellington,” from the moment Mélanie Pain opened her mouth with that classic Parisian inflection; the Pacific Blue Note audience was charmed. They lapped up everything she did. With big, expressive eyes glinting mischievously, immaculately coiffured hair and a chic white dress, there’s no denying Mélanie looks “top”, a cultural archetype purer than Bordeaux Baguette.

Sam Trubridge is producer and director of Auckland Festival show Sleep/Wake (March 7-10, Auckland Town Hall). He talked to RENEE LIANG about the concepts around the show.

Wellington Jazz Festival, Town Hall
March 5 | Reviewed by Brannavan Gnanalingam

THE SET DESIGN for the Town Hall was impressive. The stately room, too infrequently used as a music venue given its wonderful acoustics, had been transformed into a jazz club through an elevated stage, impressive lighting, and a constructed, intimate atmosphere. Which was perfect as Otis Taylor, the highly regarded singer-songwriter from Colorado, threw down his blues to a near capacity audience. With able support from his daughter Cassie Taylor and Jonn Richardson (plus a bit of New Zealand assistance), he forced the crowd to throw off their Steve-Buscemi-from-Ghost-World-shyness and sing and hoot and dance.

BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM interviews punk/alt. country legend John Doe, in New Zealand next week to deliver three shows with Jim White.

Tenor saxophonist Wayne Escoffery chats to BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM about playing in one the Wellington Jazz Festival’s main drawcards, the Mingus Big Band.

Ahead of a performance at the Wellington Jazz Festival this week, Otis Taylor talks blues with BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM.

BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM trawls the local music calendar to bring us the month’s best gigs. This March: Old Crow Medicine Show, Wellington Jazz Festival, The Dead C w/ So So Modern, Amanda Palmer w/ Battle Circus, John Doe and Jim White, WOMAD, The Kills.

BRANNAVAN GNANALINGAM talks programming world music festival WOMAD with Artistic Director Roger King.

ROGER KING has a job which would make most music fans jealous. He gets to programme WOMAD, and sift through mountains and mountains of the best music from around the globe. The festival is noted for its eclectic taste, from a former Miles Davis/Mahavishnu Orchestra drummer (Bill Cobham) to the legendary Malian musician Salif Keita, from Portuguese fado music to the French/Argentinian electronic tango mixers, The Gotan Project. This year’s line-up is similarly diverse, and there are plenty of hidden gems and key figures frolicking in the programme.

Fringe 2009, BATS Theatre
Feb 26-March 3 | Reviewed by Melody Nixon

IT’S NOT MUCH to ask of a theatre piece that it stimulate your imagination. In order to do this it might be suggestive, but add substance and story to that suggestion. Wolf’s Lair, by accomplished young director Willem Wassenaar and sterling performer Sophie Roberts, gives us plenty of suggestion, and plenty of symbolism, but fails to have a cohesive, interesting and worthwhile narrative to justify its flakiness. The unfortunate effect is that, in the end, Wolf’s Lair comes across as a whole lot of hollow pontification.