A NIGHT ON THE TOWN
DEAD TELL TALES: Every family has one: the aunt, the grandparent or the cousin whose antics are the subject of tales told and retold across breakfast tables, at barbecues, campfires and drunken dinner parties. Now Flaxworks Theatre brings their epic and incredible family stories, passed down through generations, to the stage and, through yarns about warriors, princesses, ratbags, preachers and visionaries, ask the question, "what are our obligations to our ancestors. Is it enough just to tell their stories?" Conversations with Dead Relatives, Basement Theatre, Tuesday-Saturday DANCING SHOES ON? Flamenco ones, to be specific. Flamenco Dancer Isabel Rivera Cuenca has a strong following in New Zealand; she’s says she’s always amazed by the enthusiastic welcome she gets here when we’re so far away from Flamenco’s Spanish homeland. She’s back with a new show and lineup of friends with fiery Flamenco rhythms which hark back to Spain’s ancient past and Gypsy, Jewish, Arabic and Christian influences. Love and life expressed through dance, songs and guitar. The Flamenco Project, Loft at Q Theatre, Thursday and Friday
AT LEISURE: Kiwi music collective Leisure put on a thumping good live show; anyone who was at their Crystal Palace concert in 2016 can vouch for that. Their blend of R&B and pop is sublimely groovy listening and this weekend it’ll be given a royal treatment by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. Leisure will be performing their hits and new songs reimagined with full orchestral arrangements played by the 72-piece APO. This will be one special gig.
Leisure and the APO, Auckland Town Hall, Friday
ACTING UP: Australian RuPaul’s Drag Race star Courtney Act postponed her Auckland Pride Festival shows due to winning Celebrity Big Brother UK. We’re sold on that sentence alone. Now, the drag star is following through on her promise to bring her new show, Under the
Covers, to Auckland with a rescheduled date. It’s described as “a little bit sexy, a little bit naughty and a whole lot of fun”, which seems to be the way she rolls given her last show, The Girl from Oz, sold out in Auckland and received rave reviews. Courtney Act: Under the Covers, Rangatira at Q Theatre, Friday