Stories

Here at Cityscape, we are all about getting you off the couch and out and about in our wonderful city, whether you're into the arts, events, culture, great food, cheap eats, cool bars or anything in between. But with many events being cancelled and people becoming wary of attending large gatherings, we realise it might not always be possible to get out and about as much as we would like. In times like this, following the 5 Ways to Wellbeing becomes a challenge but it also becomes even more important. Finding ways to continue to Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give will help us get to the other side of the COVID-19 pandemic in the best shape possible. Things have changed though, and in response we will be focusing on a new way to experience the city. We're still going to tell you about the best events that...

Tom Riley and Chris Kappely are at the helm of Green Dinner Table, a plant-based subscription box that brings local produce direct to your door. They tell Cityscape about their passion for healthy and sustainable food. What is the vision behind Green Dinner Table? How do you differ from other food subscription services? T: The vision was to show people how eating a plant-based diet can be delicious and simple – you will not miss the meat at all – and to teach people new cooking techniques that aren’t based around a piece of protein in the centre of the dish. This is how conventional cooking has worked for so long, but with plant-based cooking you’re focusing on the individual ingredients more. C: We differ because we’re a 100% plant-based service and don’t have to contribute to the harming of animals. We strive towards sustainability and looking after the environment and...

Christchurch will finally get to hear Julia Deans perform her Joni Mitchell tribute show, Both Sides Now, at the Jazz & Cabaret Festival. Julia tells Cityscape how the show came together, and how she prepares for a gig. What are your favourite Joni Mitchell songs and why? I’d have to say ‘Amelia’, as it’s the song that really opened my mind to the incisive honesty of Joni’s writing. When did you discover her music? About a week after Shane Bosher, producer of Both Sides Now, asked me if I’d be interested in doing the show in 2013. I’d somehow managed to avoid Joni Mitchell’s music my entire life. What were the challenges in taking on her songs? Her idiosyncratic phrasing and the MOUNTAIN of lyrics to remember! How did those challenges compare with your shows about Bowie, Brel and Billie Holiday? Every show has had its own challenges as each of...

The Goddess & The Saint: Juno gin No matter how wild or worldly life might get, this divine twist on the classic G&T will ensure some heavenly moments. Ingredients 15ml St Germain Elderflower Liqueur30ml Juno Gin Extra Fine45ml tonic (or more to taste)wedges of lime MethodSqueeze and drop the lime into a glass. Add gin and St Germain. Top with tonic, then ice. Stir and add garnish.   Curious 75: Curiosity Gin One of our favourites is still the first we ever developed for our own gin. It’s the Curious 75, a version of the classic French 75 using Curiosity Gin Recipe #23. Ingredients 30ml Curiosity Recipe #23 Gin15ml sugar syrup15ml lemon juicedash orange bitterssparkling roséorange peel for garnish Method Pour all ingredients except the sparkling rosé into a shaker over ice. Shake together and strain into a chilled coupé glass or champagne flute (150ml). Top up with the rosé.  ...

Get your diaries out as we look ahead to some sumptuous shows set to light up the city’s stages in 2020. Whether you’re after a laugh, thrilling theatre to the fringe and back or a musical spectacular, Christchurch is a hotspot for culture vultures. There’s nearly always something worth checking out somewhere on the city’s cultural scene. Comedy, dance, theatre, musical performances from pop to classical, and film from local and international artists are all well represented throughout the year. Among the highlights to come are a Showbiz Christchurch production of My Fair Lady that places Eliza the flower seller firmly in the #MeToo moment; and the songs and style of Tina Turner come to life on the Isaac Theatre Royal stage with TINA: Simply the Best. Add to that the magic of NZ Opera and the Royal New Zealand Ballet and there’s still plenty to keep our cultural hearts beating...

What is your role as interim artistic director? What is your day like? I oversee and manage all the art. I look at what plays we are going to do, when, how and who should do them. I spend my days doing a lot of talking! As theatre makers we bring together artists with different skills who collaborate to make something bigger than the sum of its parts. I make sure the right people with the right skills are supported to create magic. Can you give us an overview of the direction The Court Theatre will take under your leadership? No, I can’t. I can tell you that what we are doing now is starting to talk more and ask more questions. Of ourselves, our teams and our community. This theatre is here for Canterbury, to enliven the city. I think people already know what they want from their theatre company,...

Turning a Shakespeare classic into a contemporary Kiwi comedy makes for a lot of fun at The Court Theatre. Characters from one of Shakespeare’s most loved plays go for a walk in the woods and end up in modern-day New Zealand – that’s the unlikely premise for Lysander’s Aunty, the next production at The Court Theatre. Lysander is one of four lovers in the Shakespeare play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. His aunt gets only a fleeting mention at the start of the play as being someone who can help Lysander and his lover Hermia elope. They set off to find her but are immediately distracted from this quest and the aunt is never mentioned again. For writer Ralph McCubbin Howell, filling in the aunt’s story was too great a temptation. Who is this law-snubbing, free-loving aunty? Why is she living remotely in the woods? And what’s she doing helping runaway lovers...

Orana Wildlife Park is getting on board with Whio Awareness Month – these delightful ducks are one of the most endangered waterfowl, and are found only in New Zealand. The awareness month is a DOC/Genesis initiative and provides an opportunity to highlight the plight of these feathered friends. The species is classified as nationally vulnerable and numbers are sitting at fewer than 3,000. These ducks have a fleshy lip on their bill that protects them when hunting for insects on rocks, and the greatest risk to them is introduced animals such as stoats. The Whio is one of the few waterfowl that live year-round on fast-flowing rivers, and they’re an important indicator of healthy rivers and streams. Orana Wildlife Park is involved in the breed-for-release programme for the South Island. The programme involves breeding the ducks and releasing the ducklings on the West Coast. You can visit the cute ducks at...

Naming his cosy Christchurch bar gin gin. makes it clear where Luke Dawkins’ affections lie. He tells Cityscape his ideal food matches, and his recipe for a perfect martini. What is the exciting news for your bar? A new era! We're moving from Victoria Street to a beautiful heritage building in New Regent Street. Why gin? Gin is the thing right now, with global growth in its category. Plus it is fun to work with as there are so many flavour combinations, not to mention the fun tonics to go with them! Why do you think gin has come back into favour so much? I think the younger generations have given it a little buzz again, along with social media. That has caused a knock-on effect and a renaissance among the older generations, who have always known of it. What do you see as the interesting trends in gin? More and...

Making the base alcohol from scratch sets Peter Hall apart from many other artisan gin makers. He tells Cityscape how a talk among friends turned into a plan to set up a small still and give it a go. Tell us what is special and different about your distillery? We make our own alcohol from scratch. Many competitors buy in whey alcohol or neutral spirit and further distil. I don’t think you can truly say your customer is getting a ‘grain to glass experience’ if you are not making your own alcohol using grain. Why gin? How did you get interested in making it? It grew out of a discussion with friends during a long weekend in 2016 spent at Bannockburn in Central Otago. My partner Marie is Irish-born and for a reason known only to her she turned the discussion from Felton Road pinot noir (the drink of choice that...

Having been a fan of gin all her adult life, Jo James needed little encouragement to try her hand at distilling it. She tells Cityscape about new flavours she is working on, and her favourite gin and food matches. Tell us what is special and different about your distillery? It’s family-owned and operated, located in New Plymouth, and proudly supported by the people of Taranaki. We designed and built our 400-litre copper still locally and are working with local horticulturalists and Massey University to grow the essential gin botanicals here in New Zealand. We are seeing international recognition for our signature gin, Juno Extra Fine, which uses these locally grown botanicals and has won seven international awards. Why gin? How did you get interested in making it? I have loved gin all my adult life – and the process of distillation was part of the degrees that Dave and I did....

Gin is back in vogue, and with such a variety it’s easy to see why. Deriving its predominant flavour from juniper berries, gin dates as far back as 1688 England, and was a popular cocktail option in the US during Prohibition. Today, we see brands experimenting with flavours including native New Zealand botanicals, and you can even find a vegemite and buttered toast-flavoured drop, courtesy of Archie Rose Distilling Co in Sydney. Known once as mother’s ruin, this modern tipple’s resurgence has been credited to a rise in the popularity of cocktails, the endless flavour combinations available, a number of moody boudoir-style bars popping up, including Christchurch’s very own gin gin, and festivals such as Gindulgence. Cityscape catches up with the crème de la crème of the city’s ginthusiasts. They share with us their best cocktail recipes, why gin has come back in fashion, what the future holds and the perfect...

It’s one of the most popular 2020 buzzword ingredients around anti-ageing, but how does collagen really work? Collagen is a protein that already exists in our body – it gives structure and strength to our skin, bones and muscles. Despite this, the natural production of collagen in our body slows down with age, illness or lifestyle factors. This is when wrinkles, weak joints, brittle nails and lacklustre hair begin to emerge. Thankfully, there are now several collagen-boosting products available to naturally improve our skin, hair and body. Powdered collagen is full of energy-boosting amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein, and helps to increase skin strength and elasticity for plumper, younger-looking skin, as well as helping with joint, muscle and bone health. However, not all collagen powder is created equal, and you’ll want to ensure you’re consuming amounts that will actually make a difference. Kiki Health Marine Collagen Beauty...

By now you’ve probably heard of microneedling, but do you know the difference when it comes to Dermapen, the revolutionary treatment for signs of ageing, pigmentation and acne? Microneedling has fast become one of the most popular beauty treatments thanks to its ability to improve a wide range of skin concerns. It creates a clearer, plumper and younger-looking complexion by using the skin’s natural repair process. It is, however, important to do your homework on the clinics and treatments – the device type and products infused into your skin are crucial to the success of your skin rejuvenation. As with most things in life, you get what you pay for, and when it comes to your face do you really want to be skimping on quality? Dermapen is the original microneedling device – the first to be used by clinicians over 10 years ago – and after years of research and...

Curated wine flights and the fresh flavours of the Mediterranean make Cellar Door, in the Arts Centre, perfect for a night of culinary adventure. Sometimes a meal out is just that; other times it’s an adventure. Working our way through a curated wine flight while revelling in the flavours and textures of the Mediterranean at Cellar Door, the Arts Centre’s new wine bar, was definitely an adventure to repeat. Cellar Door is in the same location as the legendary Annie’s Wine Bar, where for several decades Annie Edmond helmed one of the city’s hottest haunts. Her legacy is alive and well in the hands of Tim Ogle and Kate Hide, who see themselves as guardians of the room’s past as well as steering it to a new future. Honouring that past goes all the way back to when the room formed part of Canterbury College’s School of Art – among the...

Body Mind Spirit – HEALTH EXPO returns to Christchurch in October. Cityscape talks to its driving force, Sunyar, about what’s featured this year and how a car accident prompted his own spiritual journey. What can people expect at the upcoming Body Mind Spirit – HEALTH EXPO? At every Body Mind Spirit – HEALTH EXPO you will see the latest A-Z range of health products and holistic services for a happier and healthier lifestyle and future. What’s new at this year’s expo? 2020 has been a stressful year with continuing uncertainty in these unusual times. We have many exhibitors who can assist and teach you how to relax, de-stress, find new direction with wellbeing, success, abundance and to tap into your full potential. Which speakers are you most looking forward to seeing? This is a tough question to answer as we have 64 free workshops on subjects from mindfulness meditation, yoga, detox...

Kira Josephson presents an Eliza for the #MeToo age in the Showbiz Christchurch season of My Fair Lady. She tells Cityscape it’s not a rewrite, just a return to the musical’s dramatic roots. What is the relevance of My Fair Lady to a modern audience? My Fair Lady deals with a lot of universal themes – education, class structure, inequality of the sexes. I think those are all very important issues that unfortunately are still relevant. The play is set in 1912, but even now in society women are marginalised and denied opportunities. I think it is inspiring to see how, through hard work and determination, Eliza can rise above her station despite everyone’s expectations. In the film My Fair Lady it’s all happily ever after but the original George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion is much more ambiguous – which way does this production lean? Without giving too much away, I...

The Royal New Zealand Ballet continues to deliver beauty and grace across the stage for 2020. This season represents a new era in dance – the full repertoire is choreographed by women. Showcasing inspirational and internationally renowned female choreographers, Venus Rising (August 28/29) will be headlined by contemporary dance legend Twyla Tharp. This programme of four ballets includes the New Zealand premiere of Waterbaby Bagatelles, which showcases 27 dancers leaping and spinning across the stage in an ever-changing ocean of light. The last gem of the season is quintessential classic The Sleeping Beauty (November 19 – 21). The Christchurch Symphony Orchestra will accompany the dancers, performing Tchaikovsky’s gorgeous orchestral score. One for ballet lovers young or old. Unfortunately, Royal New Zealand Ballet has had to cancel performance of Venus Rising.rnzb.org.nz