Marjan Nelson, a jazz and soul singer-songwriter, is performing at Pah Homestead on Sunday. Photo / Daniel Nelson, @ohhhshot
Looking for something to do? With holidays gearing up and the city coming alive, Auckland has lots on.
There’sno reason for languishing this weekend in Tāmaki Makaurau, the city is a veritable hotbed of activities and events. Live music, musical theatre, plays, exhibitions, a film festival and an e-waste collection day are all happening this Saturday and Sunday, plus two shows in the coming weeks that you should book tickets to now. Here’s our top selection of things to do in Auckland this November weekend.
There’s nothing like the rare treat of stumbling across a local musician who is supremely talented but somehow has flown under your radar. This weekend that treat could be Marjan Nelson, a jazz and soul singer-songwriter who is performing at Pah Homestead on Sunday. Raised in Aotearoa, the Persian-born artist recorded her debut EP – Noor – in New York City alongside some exceptionally talented musicians and producers from the Broadway sensation Hamilton. In addition to her dreamy vocals, Nelson’s music uniquely incorporates traditional Persian instrumentation within her modern jazz and neo-soul sound. On Sunday, she’ll be performing songs from the EP along with new music and some jazz classics, all accompanied by top-notch local jazz musicians. It’s bound to be a magical evening and a deliciously soulful way to close out your weekend.
November 17, 6pm. The Arts House Trust, Pah Homestead, 72 Hillsborough Rd, Hillsborough, Auckland. Tickets $25-$35 + booking fees from humanitix.com
Unlike fidget spinners, Cabbage Patch Kids or knucklebones, dinosaurs never go out of fashion with children, or adults for that matter. Our fascination with these prehistoric beasts has spawned movie franchises, a billion-dollar toy industry, museum exhibitions and more – including the newly opened Dinosaurs of Patagonia display at Auckland Showgrounds. Arriving from Argentina’s Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio, the exhibit features life-size casts of some very impressive dinosaurs discovered in Patagonia, including the Patagotitan Mayorum. Standing next to the 30m-long cast of one of the largest known dinosaurs certainly brings the Jurassic period (and Cretaceous and Triassic periods for the palaeontology nerds) into vivid perspective. Along with the casts, some fossilised bones are on display, including a 2.4m-long femur of a Patagotitan. The exhibit is open throughout the summer and provides a great way to distract the kids from the consumerism of Christmas over the next few weekends.
On now, 10am – 6pm. Logan Campbell Centre, Auckland Showgrounds, 217 Green Lane West, Epsom, Auckland. Tickets start at $14 from dinosaursofpatagonia.com or on-site.
It’s a bold move to write a sequel to a classic play that’s as revered as Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House but, with A Doll’s House, Part 2, Lucas Hnath has done a formidable job picking up the story of Nora Helmer 15 years after she walked out on her husband and children. The Plumb Theatre and Auckland Live production is the Aotearoa premiere of Hnath’s play, which he wrote well over a century after the original. Nora, played by Laura Hill (Shortland Street, The Brokenwood Mysteries), returns to see the family she abandoned and is confronted by the consequences of her actions. It’s a powerful and thought-provoking response to Ibsen’s ground-breaking original and received eight Tony nominations when it debuted on Broadway in 2017. Directed by Paul Gittins and also starring Stephen Butterworth, Maya Dalziel and Danyelle Mealings, A Doll’s House, Part 2 opened its three-week season on Thursday at the Herald Theatre.
November 14 – December 1. Herald Theatre, Aotea Centre, Mayoral Drive, Auckland Central. Tickets start at $25 + booking fees from ticketmaster.co.nz
We support keeping cinemas afloat by paying a fair price to see movies on the big screen as much as the next guy but when someone says free films in a charming theatre, we say “When? Where? Dibs a seat!” This weekend, that someone is the Consulate-General of Japan, which is putting on its annual Japanese Film Festival at the Academy Cinemas in the city. Two films are playing each day this weekend, including It’s a Summer Film, An Autumn Afternoon, Father of the Milky Way Railroad and The Zen Diary. Japan has a thriving film industry and each of these films is a unique insight into the creative culture of the country – visually stunning and precise, running the gamut from subtle familial stories to time travel. You’ll need to book a ticket to guarantee your seat.
November 14 – 17. Academy Cinemas, Lorne St, Auckland Central. Free tickets available from academycinemas.co.nz
Now that we’ve had some days hinting at the summer to come, we’re high on the possibility of outdoor events and catch-ups. Top of our list is Sculpture in the Gardens, which opens on Saturday at Auckland Botanic Gardens. Spring flowers are still in bloom, with the gardens providing a delightful setting for this collection of sculptures by some of Aotearoa’s most talented artists. Throughout the gardens, you’ll find large-scale artworks including light and sound installations, sometimes providing new ways to see the environment and always making you pause to think. Pack a picnic and enjoy the dual pleasures of art and nature. There’s a cafe on site if prepping food is too much effort and don’t forget to exit through the gift shop, aka the indoor gallery, where you can find smaller sculptures and ceramics for sale.
November 16 – March 2, 8am – 6pm (except Christmas Day). Auckland Botanic Gardens, 102 Hill Rd, Manurewa, Auckland. FREE.
With Christmas around the corner, now is a great time to do some decluttering, and this weekend in particular, it’s time to tackle that web of unused cables and that drawer of dead and dying electronics. E-waste company Echo, One NZ and Tātaki Auckland Unlimited are hosting a large-scale e-waste collection day on Saturday at Go Media Stadium (Mt Smart). Shockingly, according to Echo, Aotearoa generates about 98,000,000kg of e-waste every year and only 2% of that gets properly recycled. Much of it comes from workplaces and Echo urges Kiwi businesses not to send their out-of-date and unused electronics to landfills but bring them down to the E-Day. Electronic waste is an ever-increasing scourge on the Earth and responsible disposal and recycling is one of the most vital things we can do for the planet. Swing by on Saturday and clear out your e-waste and your conscience at once.
November 16, 9am – 3pm. Go Media Stadium, 2 Beasley Ave, Penrose, Auckland. FREE.
Nearly 20 years since Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens had tweens and teens belting out We’re Breaking Free, the Disney film High School Musical has become a favourite stage show for young musical theatre lovers everywhere. This Saturday, Harlequin Musical Theatre opens its production of the modern classic about high school lovebirds Troy and Gabriella who are cast as the leads in their school production, which for Troy is quite the departure from his usual role as captain of the basketball team. With themes about identity and expressing your true self, High School Musical is a wholesome production with some irresistible bops that we’re pretty certain you’ll be humming all the way home from the theatre.
November 16 – 30. Harlequin Musical Theatre, 563 Pakuranga Rd, Howick, Auckland. Tickets $28 – $38 + booking fees from iticket.co.nz
If you’re in need of a good giggle this week then get yourself tickets to see the solo comedy show Baby Gorgeous Build Ups by Marshall Lorenzo, which opens at the Basement Theatre on Tuesday. Lorenzo is a very charismatic and unique performer. He trained at the legendary Second City Conservatory, an improvisational comedy programme in Toronto and was a writer on the first season of Canada’s Drag Race. Now that he’s back home in Aotearoa, he’s been creating a name for himself on the local festival circuit. His (queer) sketch show, Baby Gorgeous, has been nominated multiple times at the NZ Fringe Festival and this latest iteration, Baby Gorgeous Build Ups, is loaded with new material that he describes as “not about embracing your flaws, it’s about burying them in Skims™ and chugging a wine.”
November 19 – 23. Basement Theatre, Lower Greys Ave, Auckland Central. Tickets $18 – $28 from basementtheatre.co.nz
Enter a familiar world, with characters you know and some you don’t, in a brand new and original musical by the team from the National Youth Theatre: Alice, A Wonderland Musical. Written by James Doy, MNZM, and Jonathan Alver, it’s the story of Alice, her sister Bea, the White Rabbit, a grumpy Queen, the Tweedle-twins, the Cheshire Cat and kittens, knights, frogs, dodos and more in a whacky and conflict-ridden Wonderland. Performed by more than 200 young people aged 7–21, there’s some exceptional talent and bright futures on this stage, along with some unprecedented cuteness from the youngest cast members. Featuring 25 original songs, it’s a super fun end-of-year show for the whole whānau to enjoy.
Saturday November 30, 1.30pm and 7pm; Sunday December 1, 11.30am and 4pm. Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre, Auckland Central. Tickets start at $34.95 + booking fees from ticketmaster.co.nz
Plans include Harry, Meghan, and their children in the King’s funeral arrangements.