Latest from Russell Baillie

Russell Baillie

Arts & entertainment editor

NZ Listener Arts & Entertainment Editor Russell Baillie has worked at the Listener since 2017 and was previously the editor of the NZ Herald’s TimeOut section.

The listener.co.nz is the website of the award-winning New Zealand Listener, which has been covering the political, cultural and literary life of Aotearoa New Zealand for 80 years with features on current events, politics, social issues, health, technology, arts, food, culture and entertainment.

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Reviews

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Gin Wigmore, Adam McGrath, Mel Parsons and more

New and intriguing playlist suggestions from writers at the NZ Listener magazine.

03 May 04:47 AM

Listener

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Gin Wigmore, Adam McGrath, Mel Parsons and more

Split Enz through a long lens, Part 4: Noel Crombie, the man who made every Split Enz tour something to see

Split Enz through a long lens, Part 1: Tim & Neil Finn, Eddie Rayner, and Noel Crombie reflect ahead of mega-tour

Tonight on Grand Designs NZ: Poo walls in the Port Hills as young couple turn first home into a sustainability statement

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Prince, Beck, Sombr, Lucy Dacus, Delaney Davidson and more

The Michael Jackson biopic: A Bad movie that can’t find its own rhythm or point of view

Behind Grand Designs NZ’s latest episode: Host Tom Webster on an outbreak of Modernism in Kiwifruit country

Listener’s Songs of the Week: Olivia Rodrigo, Madonna, Tom Waits with Massive Attack, and Lana Del Rey’s new Bond theme

Sgt. Haane: The story of a Māori Batallion hero and the Victoria Cross he was denied hits the big screen

How acclaimed director Terrence Malick helped launch a Kiwi film composer’s career

Grand Designs NZ’s big-budget season opener: Host Tom Webster on the extravagance of Earnscleugh Castle

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Aldous Harding, The Strokes, Kurt Vile and more

David Lomas’ Iranian investigation leads new missing-family series

Songsmith Ron Sexsmith: Leonard Cohen, Warren Zevon, and me

NZ-inspired film follows blokes on long trek through Scotland

NZ Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by two Beatles, Tami Neilson, Pulp, Nick Cave with Flea

Queen of the castle: Comedian Hayley Sproull to present new home improvement show with an old name

On a first-name bassist: Flea interviewed

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Reb Fountain, Office Dog, Anna Calvi with Matt Berninger, and more

Natascha McElhone on her NZ horror experience, podcasting with Jacinda Ardern and playing Sherlock’s mum

Cosmic, comic and hopeful: Ryan Gosling’s end-of-the-world movie is a blast

Listener’s Songs of the week: Te reo anthem on Project Hail Mary soundtrack, Bruce Springsteen sings the Pogues, new ones by Tali, Amy Shark, Dave Grohl’s kid, and more

Austen’s plain Jane: Kiwi screenwriter on giving Pride & Prejudice’s wallflower Mary her own show

Madeleine Sami on being the new Paul Henry, her return to Deadloch and her crocodile co-stars

Outlander star Caitríona Balfe on her final highland fling - and her role in the Ed Hillary-Sherpa Tenzing movie

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks from Aldous Harding, Harry Styles, Al Green, Teeks ... and the ghost of Lou Reed

Doco on Samoan singing siblings the Pati brothers hits a high note

Is the ballet lost or won?: Our reviewers’ verdicts on Macbeth, the RNZB’s epic new production

Life of the Pati: Behind the revealing Sol3 Mio bros opera doco – and how hard is it to sing Nessum Dorma, really?

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Raye, The Veils, Reb Fountain, Kneecap, Gorillaz and more

Listener’s Songs of the Week: New tracks by Pulp (with thoughts on Auckland show) , Foo Fighters, U2, Lana Del Ray and more

Bewitched and bewildered: What clan Listener thought of the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Eden Park

Nat Boltt’s Holy Days brings Joy Cowley back to NZ cinema and gets Miriam Margolyes to a nunnery

Chris Hemsworth’s heist caper has star power but lacks grunt

Listener’s Songs of the Week: Cricket legend Glenn Turner turns protest singer inspired by his late brother, plus Vera Ellen, Hemi Hemingway, Iggy Pop & Norah Jones

In Mārama, Yorkshire Gothic meets te ao Māori as Victorian England gets a bloody reckoning