Material World is a meditation on perception, transformation, and place. In this body of work, Chris Melville continues his photographic exploration of everyday fabrics – linen, cotton, denim, and sheer textiles – using slow shutter speeds and natural light to create images that evoke vast, elemental landscapes. What appears at first glance as rolling mountains, tidal currents, or mist drifting across water is, in fact, an intimate study of material in motion. The familiar is dissolved into something expansive and atmospheric, inviting viewers to question where reality ends and imagination begins.
depot.org.nz/event/chris-melville-material-world
”Integration” from the Latin root meaning "to make whole” explores themes of belonging, transition and acceptance. The paintings emerge from the tension between these places- the landscape that forms us, the one we inhabit now and the one we are shaping. Each painting is built through a process of layering; early layers are informed by memory rather than direct observation and are loosely, energetically created. These are then covered and worked on with more layers, scraping back paint, revealing/exposing earlier marks or spaces in time. The square format of each painting is used to disrupt the traditional portrait/landscape expectations, leaving us with a contained field where geographies must co-exist. A space of negotiation rather than depiction. Alongside the theme of past and present, there is, of course, the question of future, the third element: the viewer. The landscapes are intentionally open and unresolved, inviting each person's lived experience to enter the painting.
depot.org.nz/event/louise-mair-integration
Thursdays, 14 May, 21 May, 28 May
The Mischief Company presents a one-of-a-kind improvised comedy! Live and unscripted... Book Club. Where fiction gets personal...
The audience creates a book title. The actors have to bring it to life. Romance. Adventure. Sheer bloody murder - no one knows, least of all the actors! Watch as fiction collides with the members of Book Club.
The meal ticket option includes a meal at Buona Sera Restaurant, 99 Victoria Road (opposite The Vic).
A choice of pasta or pizza with a glass of house wine, beer or soft drink. Bookings from 5.30pm
thevic.co.nz/movie/book-club-live-improvised-comedy
A much-loved Tāmaki Makaurau tradition is celebrating a major milestone in 2026, with Auckland Live Morning Melodies returning for its 25th season of monthly Monday morning concerts at the Bruce Mason Centre. Known for its relaxed atmosphere, loyal audiences and consistently high-quality performances, the 2026 season brings together many of the brass bands and ensembles audiences know and love, alongside special highlights marking the 25-year milestone.
Tickets: $7.14 per ticket, or $54 for a season pass.
Season passes and single tickets are available via Ticketmaster or at the Bruce Mason Centre Box Office. No booking or infrastructure fees apply when purchasing in person at the box office.
For full programme details, visit aucklandlive.co.nz
Programme:
• 25 May – AOTANGO Quintet
• 22 Jun – Society Jazzmen
• 20 Jul – Kumeu Vintage Brass
• 10 Aug – The Madeleines
• 7 Sep – Base Auckland Brass
• 5 Oct – NZTrio He Taonga Wairere
• 9 Nov – The Band of the Royal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery
• 7 Dec – The Royal New Zealand Navy Band
Presented by the Devonport Library Associates, 'Our Devonport' is an evening of Pecha Kucha-style presentations about various aspects of local history and local life. The event is a fundraiser for local charities.
Speakers: Richard Loseby, John Davy, Janet Mazenier, Geoff Chapple, David Kayrouz, Tony McNeight, Rob Drent, Innes Asher and Judy McGregor.
thevic.co.nz/movie/our-devonport-2026
Various times
Step into a hauntingly beautiful world where ancient myth meets modern music and youthful spirit. Hadestown Teen Edition follows the timeless story of Orpheus and Eurydice, two young souls searching for hope in a world divided between earth and the underworld.
With a spellbinding folk-inspired score and storytelling that feels both classic and alive, this reimagined version invites teen performers and audiences alike into a journey of love, trust and courage. When fate, temptation and doubt threaten to pull them apart, the question remains: can music carry a heart back from the darkness?
Experience a little StageAntics sparkle as powerful voices, bold movement, and theatrical magic bring this modern myth to life. Heartfelt, raw, and irresistibly theatrical, Hadestown Teen Edition is a story that reminds us that even in the deepest underground, hope can still grow.
pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/hadestown-teen-edition
You are warmly invited to a community meeting hosted by Bluegreens to discuss the future protection of our coastlines and marine ecosystems.
A two-year closure is now in place along parts of the Whangaparāoa Peninsula coastline, as well as Ōmaha Bay and Kawau Bay, banning the harvesting of shellfish, seaweed, and other rockpool species from the intertidal zone out to 200 metres offshore. The closure follows growing concern about overharvesting and the decline of fragile coastal ecosystems.
Fisheries New Zealand is consulting on proposed protection measures for coastlines across Auckland’s east and west coasts, Waiheke Island, and the Coromandel Peninsula. Options include full intertidal closures, partial closures, and reduced shellfish bag limits to help restore shellfish populations and rockpool habitats.
North Shore's coastline has been stripped of life from its rock pools and beaches and this is our opportunity to protect this space so it can recover.
To help our community better understand MPI's proposals and their implications, Bluegreens is hosting an evening with a panel of experts who will share knowledge and perspectives on:
Meeting Details
Monday 8 June
6.30pm for a 7pm start
Milford Bowling Club
MC: Hon. Simon Watts, our local MP, Minister of Auckland, Minister of Local Government
RSVP: northshore@national.org.nz
This will be an opportunity to learn more, ask questions, and discuss how we can support the recovery and protection of our coastal ecosystems.
Please note that submissions on the proposed closures close at 5pm on Friday 12 June 2026.
We hope you can join us and spread the word for this important community conversation.
If you can’t attend or you want to make a submission prior to the meeting, and want to support the strongest protections for our intertidal areas, you may wish to explore Option 3 in the consultation.
Quick submission form:
https://form.jotform.com/luellabartlett/mpi-auckland-coromandel-review
Full Fisheries NZ consultation information:
MPI's media release
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/feedback-sought-auckland-and-coromandel-shellfish-gathering
The Bluegreens are a special interest group within the National Party.
I look forward to seeing you on the June 8
Kind regards,
Karleen Reeve
Mobile: +64-220-337-583
Various times
Company of Giants presents a wild and wonderful collection of acts celebrating the extraordinary and the ordinary in our own backyard. Songs, poetry, mime performed by a troupe of puppets, animals, clowns and flowers. Explore the familiarity of the domestic and the mundane, draped in a blanket of glitter. An untamed ride of wonder and delight. Your heart will quicken, and your eyes will glow. Wear your best dress! There’ll be hats at the door.
pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/a-vaudeville-of-flowers
Roll up to The Biggest Drag Carnival Circus, returning with a brand new, supercharged spectacular!
After three years of sold-out crowds and rave reviews, this year’s production raises the bar with even more glitter, thrills, and fabulous chaos. Expect a high-energy blend of comedy, jaw-dropping daredevil acts, dazzling drag performers, powerhouse vocalists, and electrifying dancers. This is a show designed for everyone – from circus lovers to drag fanatics to anyone who just wants an unforgettable night out in Takapuna.
Plus $500 worth of prizes will be given away on the night!
pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/biggest-drag-carnival-circus
Actor, director, and New Zealand Arts Laureate, Michael Hurst has enjoyed a successful career in theatre, film, and television spanning over 40 years. He is a well-known name in the arts. Michael also has a long-time connection with The PumpHouse Theatre. In 1991, he played Richard in Richard III, produced by the PumpHouse Winter Shakespeare Committee. Michael will be sharing some of his acting anecdotes and memories of performing at The PumpHouse over the years.
pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/creative-talks-michael-hurst
7.30pm - Fri 18, Sat 19, Wed 23, Thurs 24, Fri 25, Sat 26, Wed 20 Sep, Thurs 1, Fri 2 Oct
2pm - Sat 19, Sun 20, Sat 26, Sun 27 Sep
Fifty years since its first performance, Phoenix Theatre proudly presents Roger Hall’s smash hit Glide Time, the play that inspired the TV classic Gliding On. Step back into a time when office chairs squeaked, memos were handwritten, and the tea break was sacred. This beloved Kiwi comedy brings the quirks of 1970s public service life to the stage with razor-sharp wit, painfully familiar characters, and laugh-out-loud moments that still hit home today. Whether you once worked in a government office or just love a smart, character-driven comedy, you’ll recognise the personalities, politics, and passive-aggressive paper shuffling that define life behind the desk. It’s a workplace time capsule full of charm, chaos, and classic Kiwi humour. But this is more than just a comedy; it’s a slice of New Zealand’s cultural history. First performed in 1976 and still as relevant as ever, this play captures a moment in time with humour, heart and honesty. It’s a celebration of everyday people, of workplaces that frustrate and comfort in equal measure, and of finding laughter in the small moments. As we mark 50 years since its debut, this is your chance to experience (or re-experience) a true Kiwi classic, live on stage.
pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/glide-time-by-roger-hall
South Island-born Darrell plays the cornet, trumpet and flugelhorn, and is a member of the North Shore Concert Band. For 35 years, he worked for a Swiss engineering company, which researched, manufactured and marketed joint replacement prostheses, requiring travel to Switzerland once or twice each year. At various social functions and events, there were Swiss alphorn players. He got to try and play one on a few occasions, and so it became his dream to own one… In 2019, the dream came true. Darrell will share the story of the Swiss alphorn, how he became a very proud owner of one and bring his ‘prized possession’ to show and even play for us!
pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/creative-talks-darrell-daglish
Richard is a Councillor for the North Shore on the Auckland Council and Chair of the Policy, Planning and Development Committee. He has led much of the Council’s major policies and strategies, such as the Future Development Strategy, Economic Development Strategy and Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan. Richard is a big supporter of the arts across Tāmaki Makaurau and the Shore. He credits his background in communications, some very amateur stand-up comedy experience, and even winning the drama cup in high school, for setting him up with many creative skills that help him do this job, respond to media, and chair a passionate bunch of personalities around the council table. He says, “There is theatre in everything, and there sure is a lot in politics!”
pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/creative-talks-richard-hills
Three performances: 11am, 2pm and 4pm
Returning to The PumpHouse Theatre just in time for Hallowe'en! An all-new show along with some old favourites, like the Doves, Chihuahua and Rabbits. But watch out for the Monkeys! A fast-paced show full of Magic, audience participation and comedy, plus spectacular Illusions. Dress up in your favourite costume!
Prizes and Giveaways: Every ticket sold is in the draw to win a Magic Set! (5 per show).
pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/tricks-n-treats-2026
