TSB Arena, Wellington
I’ve always liked Nick Cave, but wouldn’t call myself a true believer. I was more curious than excited to see him live, especially following the gruelling year he’d had (his son died under horrible circumstances and Cave dealt with his grief through music).
But 10 minutes into his astounding show at the Arena and I was born again. His energy, passion and straight up commitment to songs, some more than 20 years old, was undeniable, and the songs I’d previously merely admired were performed with all the fire and passion of a freshly converted zealot. Wonderful, gripping stuff.
No Man’s Land scene,
through the horrors of war, the Amazonian finally says enough is enough, takes up the heroic mantle, and steps onto the battlefield.
To some, it was just another impossible character doing something impossible in a ludicrous fairy tale for adults. But to me, it was the first time in my life I’ve ever seen a woman in a blockbuster not just leading the charge in the name of all that’s good and right, but inspiring others to follow her. Smashing through cynicism with compassion, righteousness and really, really good hair. The cinema I was in was filled with children of all ages. It’s delightful that that’s the powerful image of womanhood they will carry with them, into a bright and egalitarian future.
Honourable mentions: Zombie Ice Dragon Visirion melts the Wall and Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen doing the do on Game of Thrones; the unfolding of the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement.
James Croot:
needed with a three-hour set on the eve of the sixth anniversary of that terrible day in our history and in the immediate wake of the frightening events of the Port Hills fires.
From the first strains of No Surrender, it was clear that Springsteen and his bandmates were keen to entertain and engage. With a near permanent smile and a willingness to roam the full length of the front of the stage and then some, Springsteen drew the gathered community cross-section in like an old-time evangelist.
Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto
Not only did I travel halfway across the world to see the international queen of burlesque, but I also had to walk a number of kilometres just to find the lakeside theatre where she was performing.
But while the Queen Elizabeth was strangely sandwiched between a soccer stadium (home to this year’s eventual MLS Champions Toronto FC) and what looked like an abandoned World Expo park, its slightly faded charm was the perfect venue for this raucous and raunchy show.
Ably hosted by the high-octane Johnny McGovern, it did not disappoint, showcasing a range of performers, elaborate sets and exquisite costumes.
Dita von Teese herself delivered four stunning set-pieces, including her famous Martini Glass and Rhinestone Sure, she’s not yet appeared on screen and won’t until Boxing Day, when current doctor Peter Capaldi regenerates, but the casting announcement of a female Time Lord (in the form of the wonderful actress Jodie Whittaker) taking the helm of the Tardis after 54 years of white male control was the shot in the arm the long-running sci-fi series needed. With the departing creative team and lead actor Peter Capaldi leaving, all eyes were on new showrunner Chris Chibnall (of Broadchurch fame) to do something bold.
He’s delivered on this early promise, and while it remains to be seen yet whether the scripts hold up on this and prove it to be more a smart gambit than a cheap cry for publicity for a show that’s creatively been waning over the past few years, the sense of empowerment and excitement is more than palpable after the annus miserabilis that male sexual misconduct ushered in during 2017.
On PlayStation 4
Launching a IP in the gaming world is always a fraught experience, but Guerrilla Games (Killzone) got it so right with Horizon Zero Dawn, a postapocalyptic quest-fest that involved machine dinosaurs, tribes and the end of the world – and still made it accessible in creating its world, rather than miring it with backstory.
But key to Horizon Zero Dawn’s success was its protagonist, Aloy, a non-sexualised female lead who was smart, strong and engaging to be with. Throwing in a search for her true identity and place in the world without ever compromising her journey and character arc was also a masterstroke. Beautifully realised and graphically showcasing the best the PlayStation machine can visually achieve meant this was one immersive game and world I was sad to leave – there was nothing to beat it as you rode as Aloy through the world, atop robot horses and using strategy and smarts to win the day and rise above the machines.
Dani McDonald: BATS Theatre, Wellington
It had been a year of Harvey Weinsteins and lack of female directors and female friends with boy woes and crap Tinder stories. So the prospect of watching a production directed by females, with female actors telling female stories all the while ridiculing male written stories about what females feel and Hollywood’s portrayals of sex and love and all that mushed together was rather alluring.
I walked into BATS Theatre on opening night feeling awkward about what I was wearing and walked out with an air of Helen Reddy’s IAm Woman audaciousness. Eleanor