Culture calendar for the Wellington region: March 31 to April 6

Estère

Meow, April 1, 8pm, to $34.90

Estère brings her beat-laden Mākara Peak EP to life on her release tour, featuring a choreographed show of incredible dancers, stunning outfits, saturated lights and a multitude of beats. Tickets: moshtix

Cringeworthy – Swinging in the 60s!

Circa Theatre, April 1-29, Tues-Thus 6:30pm, Fri & Sat 8pm, Sun 4pm, tickets $30-$55

Cringeworthy is back, transporting you to the swinging ’60s with this tribute to Kiwiana music and culture in the ’60s. Four talented performers will belt out chart-topping singles from each year of the 60s, wowing you with four-part harmonies, righteous dance moves and hilarious commentary. Tickets: circa.co.nz

The Barden Party: Much Ado About Nothing

Old St Pauls, 34 Mulgrave St, April 2. 1.30pm, $25

The Barden Party is bringing its hilarious musical Shakespeare to the Old St Paul’s lawn. Settle in for some family-friendly magic with a ‘rockabilly retelling’ of Much Ado About Nothing. Tickets: eventbrite.co.nz

Michael Endres – Piano Recital

Anzac Hall, Featherston, Mar 31, 7.30pm, $15-$35

Memorial Hall, Paekākāriki, April 2, 2pm, $15-$35

German pianist, Michael Endres will perform Schubert Impromptus Op 142, Beethoven Moonlight Sonata, Chopin Barcarolle, and Gershwin Songs. Tickets: [email protected]

Retrospective by Crows Feet Dance Collective

Little Theatre, Lower Hutt, April 1, 3pm & 6pm, $20-$25

Crows Feet Dance Collective revisit favourite works from the past 23 years, including ‘Woman’s Work’ to Ravel’s ‘Bolero’ and ‘Requiem’ by Welsh composer Karl Jenkins. Join them for an afternoon of joyous and uplifting dance. Tickets: eventfinda.co.nz

Music at the Begonia: Capital Harmony Chorus

Begonia House, April 2, 11am, koha

Capital Harmony Chorus sing mainly 4 part acappella in the barbershop style with a side helping of free harmony with an emphasis on creating harmonies and sharing stories.

Wellington City Orchestra

St Andrew’s on the Terrace, April 2, 3pm

Autumn concert: MacCunn – Land of the Mountain and the Flood. Mozart – Piano Concerto No 23, with Otis Prescott-Mason. Hanson – Symphony No 2, ‘The Romantic’. Conductor Ian Ridgewell. Tickets: humanitix.com or at the door.

East Coast Relief Show

San Fran, April 2, 4pm-10.30pm, $30+

Kita, mara TK, Wallace, Arahi, Casual Healing and special guests put on a benefit show to help the East Coast after Cyclone Gabrielle. Tickets: moshtix

Colours of Futuna Concert Series

Chapel of Futuna, April 2, 2pm, $10

As part of the Colours of Futuna Concert Series, a series of concerts from exceptional musicians will perform each Sunday. The series opens with a retrospective concert for composers who have a connection with Lilburn Residence Trust. Tickets: eventbrite.co.nz

Songwriters’ Showcase #64

Moon, Newtown, April 2, 6pm, $15

Our first show for 2023 on 2 April will feature Bill Lake, The Godwits and Grace Duncan. Tickets: eventfinda or at the door.

Dope As Sunday Comedy

Fringe Bar, April 2, 7pm, $10-$20

Regular hosts Anya Rzhevitskaya and Daniel John Smith present the dopest monthly Sunday comedy show around. Featuring: Lucy Roche, Jules Daniel, Sri Nair, Laura Bruce, and Advait Kirtikar. Tickets: kiwiticket.co.nz

Queen Margaret College presents Mamma Mia! The Musical

Queen Margaret College Hall, Mar 30-April 1, 7pm, Sunday matinee 2pm, $20-$45

QMC is going to the island of sun, sand and sea for its 2023 School Production – Mamma Mia! The production is described as a jukebox musical, featuring ABBA’s hit songs and performed by a cast of exceptional student performers from around the region. Tickets: trybooking.co.nz/MVJ

Coming up

SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival

Wellington East Girls’ College Hall, April 3, 4, 5, 7pm, $6-$14

Innovative approaches to scenes from Shakespeare as envisaged through the eyes and minds of young people will be presented in 5 and 15 minute ‘bites’. Come and see the currency and connectivity across the cultures and communities involved from schools, homeschool clusters and community drama groups throughout the Wellington region. Tickets: iticket.co.nz

Interrupting Cow

Bats Theatre, April 4-6, 11-12, 7.30pm, $20-$25

Two women plagued with annoyance. Shoelaces and global starvation are set to push them over the edge. Cake and music kept behind red tape. We’re waiting for God knows what; lost in a puzzle of 395 million 729 thousand 346 pieces that’s the size of a mini KitKat. A new surreal comedy about existence by award-winning playwright Sarah Delahunty. Tickets: bats.co.nz

Author Talk: Bee Dawson on Ōtari

Unity Books, April 4, 12.30pm-1.15pm, free

In Ōtari, Bee Dawson has dug into the history of a place special to Wellingtonians, who have picnicked there and visited the unrivalled collection of native plants since the city began. She will talk with Ōtari trustee Jane Humble about the place and the people who have created it and continue to treasure it.

Expressions Live Series

Whirinaki Whare Taonga , Upper Hutt, April 4, 1-2 pm, koha

A series of lunchtime concerts given by performance students from Te Koki New Zealand School of Music from Victoria University . This concert will feature a programme presented by students who are focussing their current studies on violin and cello.

HighLight Carnival of Lights

Brewtown, April 6-9, $10

This major event is known for delivering immersive experiences that include performers, artists, and light installations colliding to create a fun carnival atmosphere. Tickets: highlight.org.nz

Tuatara Open Late

City Gallery, April 6, 5pm-10pm,

Start your long weekend with Open Late. Hear Sour Grapes artist Martin Basher’s reflections on painting, discover insights with a tour of Reuben Paterson: The Only Dream Left, and get hands on with still life drawing before dancing the night away with a silent disco. All this along with Tuatara beers, delicious wine, food truck and sounds from RadioActive DJ.

Exhibitions

Friends of the Botanic Garden

Treehouse, Botanic Garden, to March 31

Meet artist in residence Hannah Schickedanz and discuss her art and the influence of nature.

O&P works present ‘Call/Waiting’

106 Courtney Place, Mar 31 & April 1& beyond, daily at 8-10am, 12-2pm and 4-6pm, with a different 30-min experience in each of the time slots.

O+P Works is an award-winning collaboration between Olivia Mahood and Poppy Serano, who make live performance and installation work with a focus on interaction, accessibility and public spaces, Olivia & Poppy present the public experience that is ‘Call/Waiting’ to the people of Pōneke.

Alice Vallance Hosking and Kirsty Gardiner: Conversations through Time

Aratoi, Masterton, to April 2

There are a few threads weaving their way around this exhibition. The first is the work of Hosking (1860 – 1920) held in the Aratoi collection, and secondly the work of Gardiner, contemporary ceramic and textile artist, who was inspired by seeing Hosking’s sketch books on their return from the Turnbull Library.

Fun and Happiness

The Kiwi Art House Gallery, to April 5

An exhibition of small 300mm x 300mm Wellington themed textured oil paintings by Vincent Duncan.

Context – Photography by Liam Farrell

Academy Galleries, to April 10, open daily, free

A photographic exhibition – a collection of photos taken over 15 years of living and travelling throughout the Middle East region.

Elected Artist Showcase

Academy Galleries, to April 16, open daily, free

An exhibition showcasing the works of our Elected Artists, Life Members and Fellows of The Academy

Under Heaven’s Heel

Toi Poneke, to April 21, 10am–8pm weekdays and 10am–4pm weekends, free

Under Heaven’s Heel is an eclectic survey of the oppressive economic and social practices of capitalism. Paintings and sculptures by Sam Clague muse on the origins of our political landscape.

Burn It All Down

Aratoi, Masterton, to May 14

Burn it all down brings together the work of six artists who use fire, destruction, and obsolescence in their work to highlight the fragility of our world, ourselves, and our memories. From domestic objects to black holes the final artworks reveal that it is the very fragility of these things that make them precious.

Kura Pounamu: Our Treasured Stone

Pātaka, Porirua, to June 11, open daily

‘Kura Pounamu’ tells the story of hundreds of years of Māori invention, innovation, imagination and spirituality with pounamu – New Zealand greenstone.

Vicki Fanning – Passenger

Pātaka, Porirua, to June 11, open daily

Steering technology, history, and abstraction into ethereal bodies of glass, ‘Passenger’ features two recent bodies of sculptural work by Vicki Fanning.

Print Council of New Zealand: Celebration

Aratoi, Masterton, to June 4

The exhibition brings together the work of printmakers across the country to honour 20 years of Print Council of Aotearoa NZ and celebrate the bright future of printmaking in this country.

Ans Westra: 1936-2023

Te Papa, Level 5 landing, to Sep 17, free

Featuring 10 iconic Ans Westra prints and her old Rolleiflex 2.8F camera – from the 10,000 Westra items in Te Papa’s collection – this small exhibition celebrates the life and work of the late Dutch-born New Zealand photographer.