Plays & Stories

Austrian actress Maxi Blaha is in the country, presenting the play 'Soul of Fire: She fought for Peace'. She tells Eva about her character Bertha von Suttner: recipient of the first ever Nobel Peace… Audio

Just before Norwegian Anders Breivik killed and injured more than 280 people four years ago, he sent out a 15-hundred page manifesto. The rambling document contained racist propaganda, philosophical… Audio

With Te Radar and Gemma Gracewood. Audio

Renee Liang's latest play, 'The Quiet Room', draws on her experience as paediatrician, examining the way young people deal with a cancer diagnosis. Eva speaks to actor Vanessa Rhodes and director Jane… Audio

'Miss Donnithorne's Maggot' is an unusual chamber opera by Peter Maxwell Davies, receiving a performance this weekend by the Auckland Chamber Orchestra and mezzo-soprano Claire Scholes. Eva talks to… Audio

Verbatim Theatre interviews people about their experience, then actors plug in little headsets and act out these interviews. Dunedin's Talking House Collective used the strategy in Hush: a play about… Audio

Former Wellington dancer now based in Brussels who has returned here with her latest show, All Ears, which uses the stage as an ad hoc laboratory for a series of unusual recordings and acoustic… Audio

With comedians Pinky Agnew and Te Radar. Audio

Kate McIntosh brings her unique brand of theatre back to Wellington this week, after living in Belgium for 15 years. She tells Eva about her work 'All Ears'. Audio

Choreographer and teacher Sofia Mavragani has taken her performance workshop 'playforPLACE' to cities like Athens, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, and Reykjavik. This week, she joins actor and director… Audio

One of Shakespeare's most famous plays is being given a make-over. Regan Taylor, the co-director of Te Rehia Theatre Company uses specially carved 'Maori performance masks' to re-work the Elizabethan… Audio

Upbeat Australian correspondent Vincent O'Donnell is on this side of the Tasman at the moment, visiting the Christchurch Arts Festival. He talks about some of the Festival highlights. Audio

The Christchurch Arts Festival and Free Theatre present The Mauricio Kagel Project this week, exploring the work and ideas of the Argentinian composer. Conductor Hamish McKeich and composer-pianist… Audio

A new play called The Black opens this week at Auckland's Basement Theatre. It's playwright Josephine Stewart Tewhiu's take on depression and uses acting, animation and live illustration to tell the… Video, Audio

A play inspired by the crowning of Moana Whaanga as the first Maori Miss New Zealand back in 1962 is among the new work that's part of a festival that's been revived after a 25-year hiatus. Auckland's… Audio

Playwright David Greig was born in Scotland but grew up in Nigeria. His award winning play The Events - opened at Auckland's Silo Theatre this week. The play features a different Auckland choir each… Audio

In this week's episode: Eva speaks to Australian conductor Simone Young about her passion for Bruckner Symphonies, before speaking to director Amanda Rees and her sister, actor Donogh Rees about their… Audio

With Te Radar and Elizabeth Easther. Audio

Playwright talks about his new work All Your Wants and Needs Fulfilled Forever. Audio

Actor/writer/director Josh Thomson chooses Electric Ladyland by Jimi Hendrix. Josh has recently been announced in the lead role for feature film Chief Gary. Audio