Screams erupted from the crowd as singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran stepped into the spotlight and plugged in his guitar.

John Steinbeck's classic American tragedy-in-miniature has had five screen adaptations (including an Iranian film) but the only theatre version was the author's own, published and first staged in 1937, the same year as the novel.

The NZSO brought out one of its 2015 stars on Saturday and was duly rewarded with a full house.

Existential loneliness is writ large in the three short Samuel Beckett solos presented here by actor/producer Edward Newborn and director Paul Gittins.

Thomas Monckton is forging an international reputation with a style that has acrobatics, clowning and mime bouncing off each other in a wildly imaginative piece of absurdist comedy.

In the black-and-white photograph of her that appears briefly during the end credits of this true-life melodrama, Maria Altmann looks somewhat more interesting than her screen version.

The new film by the writer-director duo behind the 2011 hit The Intouchables is not as formulaic and manipulative but it lacks the single-minded coherence that was so crucial to that film's success.

Wearing a plain white T-shirt against an colourful street art backdrop, Paolo Nutini was a simple but eye-catching figure as he took the stage at the Powerstation for his first ever New Zealand concert last night.

The patient, deeply humane tone that distinguished Conversations with My Gardener and My Afternoons with Margueritte is on show in the new film by veteran French director Becker.

Courtney Barnett's debut album is the perfect follow-up to the Australian rock chick's 2013 double EP, The Double EP: A Sea Of Spilt Peas.

If you're looking for reference points, AWOLNATION bridges the rather large divide between Nine Inch Nails, Meatloaf and LCD Soundsystem.

Hidetaka Miyazaki is a genius. The auteur behind Demon's Souls, Dark Souls and now Bloodborne approaches video games like an artist does a canvas, crafting broad strokes of rich gameplay, in-depth lore and innovative level design.

Last night's Auckland premiere of Fast & Furious 7 left movie-goers in tears. Reviewer Chris Schulz explains why.

Connan Mockasin performs Why Are You Crying?, during a very special Barkers Sundae Session performance, recorded and filmed on an Auckland CBD rooftop.

Nominated for a Golden Globe, The Book of Life is directed by Jorge Gutierrez but also carries the creative imprint of producer Guillermo del Toro.

Frederic Tcheng, who co-directed Diana Vreeland: The Eye Has to Travel and co-produced Valentino: The Last Emperor, steps out with his solo directing debut, Dior and I.

Shaky cameras, gnarly character actors, gritty storylines and grisly crime scenes. You could mistake Battlefield Hardline's opening scenes for a reboot of the late, great cop show NYPD Blue.

They kicked their career off with an almighty hiss and a roar, thanks to breakneck 90s dance anthems Breathe and Firestarter.

Best Bits is a cheery addition to a Thursday night, taking the worst bits of television and making some pretty damn good TV, writes Alex Casey.

Oldies tours make big money on the concert circuit, and gaming oldies can go the same way when they're done well.

The latest season of The Walking Dead shambled to an end this week. Robert Smith kicks at some zombie carcasses and asks, where to from here?

Any screen, anywhere, any time is becoming a reality for NZ TV and movie viewers. Lydia Jenkin runs through the increasing options.

Unsolved true-life crime as entertainment is hot stuff.