The 1980s musical smash Cats returned to Auckland last night. But it hasn't aged gracefully, writes Tess Nichol.

The show covers a pair of crimes, one murder, one hit-and-run, the victims a pair of striking young women. One investigation is federal, the other state, writes Duncan Greive. They're linked by tattoos and old friendships.

The spacious galleries at Northart are filled with paintings by the late Alan Gilderdale which give a telling insight into the stages of expression of his fine talents.

At the heart of Travel Man is a simple question, "we're here, but should we have come?" It's a question that Karl Puschmann believe applies to all travel.

Have you seen all the Star Wars movies? What about all six seasons of The Clone Wars?

What are the Black Keys to do when they're missing a Black Key? For Dan Auerbach, his bandmate Patrick Carney's troublesome shoulder injury caused the cancellation of an entire Keys tour, but freed him up to focus on something new.

Remarkable New Zealand playwright Eli Kent pulls off a difficult conceit: a show within a show, directed by an autocratic talking lightbulb.

This understated and delightful New York-based comedy starring Flight of the Conchords' Jemaine Clement as a guy grappling with single fatherhood is less weighty than writer/director James C. Strouse's earlier films.

Kody Nielson certainly is the master of musical reinvention. In his first outing as Silicon, he shrugs off many of the musical traits of the Mint Chicks and Opossom, and goes for something altogether more introspective and electronic.

The Monster of Mangatiti proves you can still work within the docu-drama genre to give the story the respect it deserves, and create devastatingly stunning imagery.

Imagine Dragons love New Zealand so much, they shot their latest music video here. Rachel Bache checks out the Las Vegas group's Auckland show.

Simone Young and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra returns with a monumental Bruckner Eighth Symphony.

HBO's Show Me A Hero makes gripping TV of council meetings and housing shortages, writes Karl Puschmann.

Well in the battle of the Rugby World Cup songs, clearly we've already won, writes Russell Baillie about Sol3 Mio's Rugby World Cup song.

If you're looking for blood, you've come to the right place. Until Dawn splashes the thick red stuff across walls and has it clotting on floorboards.

Louder, straighter, more pummelling, more forceful - that's the direction British rockers Foals have taken on their fourth album.

Made it. Not having ever contemplated reviewing a Miley Cyrus album before, I've just survived repeated plays of 23 tracks of her new one since it popped out of nowhere, timed with her hosting of this week's MTV VMAs.

If you are going to do fairies there can be no holding back, so wunderkind English choreographer Liam Scarlett unashamedly mixes.

Even if you're not a horror fan, you've probably seen a Wes Craven film. Dominic Corry picks his five favourite films from the Scream director.

There was a sense of celebration, marred only by the thudding beats of revivalist worship downstairs. A well-filled Town Hall Concert Chamber hosted an audience keen to welcome home some distinguished young Auckland musicians.

Calum Henderson previews some of the strange new shows screening on Sky TV's new channel, TLC.

Meryl Streep's rock'n'roll dysfunctional family drama makes Mamma Mia look authentic.

Glenfield's most famous export is funny and warm in her show that takes her around the world to talk to the locals about matters of style and beauty,

Many have tried, but few actors have nailed the Kiwi accent. Dominic Corry looks at the successful ones, and some of the failures.

Sun/Son by Eb and Sparrow is a whole-hearted, deep-hued Americana.

The man with the octopus dreadlocks is becoming a ubiquitous voice across pop, hip-hop and R&B, the go-to guy for sweet hooks on depressing sex jams.

Delaney Davidson is known for blues and country songs tinged with pathos, a wizened understanding of the human condition and a touch of humour.

The film version of a well-regarded stage play, which was itself based on a true story, was always going to be at high risk of being a weepie of cloying sentimentality.