Brass Poppies, Shed 6 March 3rd – 6th

Vincent O'Sullivan

Music by Ross Harris, Libretto by Vincent O'Sullivan; featuring James Egglestone, Sarah Court, Robert Tucker, Anna Leese, Jonathan Eyers, Madison  Nonoa, Wade Kernot, Mary Newman-Pound, Andrew Glover, Stroma conducted by Hamish McKeich. Director: Jonathan Alver, AV Design: Jon Baxter, Lighting: Jason Morphett, Costumes: Elizabeth Whiting.

Recently, I saw John Psathas' 'No Man's Land' a very powerful reflection on the far reaching implications of WWI, which reached virtually every nation and deeply infiltrated the soul and culture of a hugely diverse cross section of humanity.  It was a global take on the Great War.  'Brass Poppies', by comparrison, is also deeply personal but it has a very small agenda.  It is a more simple tale of a few affected by much.  The story follows the Wellington Battalion at Chunuk Bair while simultaneously showing Wellington women at the Home Front, back home in Aro Valley.  Librettist Vincent O'Sullivan delights in namechecking long forgotten places of interest like Mitcheltown, once a thriving, independent community or walking up Brooklyn hill for the view.  A feat seldom undertaken by anyone - except students who'd missed the last bus.

Composer Ross Harris wanted his audience to leave with a deep human experience, so his snapping score is all about delivering emotional snapshots, something he achieves effectively throughout.

O'Sullivan intended to portray the impact of war, "one by one by one", which he does by revealing vignets of individual characters and the effects on each.  Their doubts, fears and elations, boredom and sorrow.  He shies away form the 'glory' cult of the fallen, so prominent in the RSA rhetoric and allows each character to fully question their role and situations.  .

"What we are trying to convey musically and dramatically is that war is always about one person at a time.  The real centre of war is an individual, or two people; husband and wife."

Brass Poppies focuses on four Wellington couples, depicting the men leaving for Gallipoli and engaging in battle, and the women waiting back in Aro St.

The writers were careful to avoid sentimentality and flag waving.  O'Sullivan was clear about this in recent interviews: "There's nothing to be sentimental about. These people aren't coming back."

The Turks don not get much voice in this production, however represented only by one figure, and one instrument (the dumbek, also known as the goblet drum).  Andrew Glover plays the part of the ever present spectre, the elusive enemy, hovering around in the early ecstatic recruitment days, as a an early warning - and later as a reminder. A sort of 'I told you so'. 

Musically, the show sits mainly in the category of 'singing speach'.  There are no arias or bacharoles to hang your hat on, as such.  Which is slightly sad, in a sense because whilst the story is rememerable the music, that there of, is simply a mechanism of which to deliver the text audibly.  Nevetheless this 70-minute, one-act opera is pretty punchy, without overbloated and protracted scales reconfigurations.  Also, importantly, is the deft use of white Pakeha 'Nil Ziland' colloquialism, al be them completely mangled in their artistic delivery.  That was a point of contention at tims when perfectly ordinary sentences got smashed up, into single words and expression, forced apart, beyond the single comma-breath like war torn children.  However, that said, it's still cleverly close in interval to the tonality of the everyday cobber.  And that goes for the orchestra, too, who are on stage for the whole show, in their khakis.  Their writing is witty, light, and ever so slightly 'clunky' - reminiscent of any amateur Edwardian band of the day. 

O'Sullivan, a long time local champion, clearly shows that this is very much a Wellington story.  Jonathan Alver's set fits well into the warehouse space. 
Long projection screen strips where images can be portrayed of battle scenes flowers and, of course home: Aro St. On stage, the cast who include James Egglestone, Sarah Court, Robert Tucker, Anna Leese, Jonathan Eyers, Madison  Nonoa, Wade Kernot, Mary Newman-Pound and Andrew Glover Are all convincing.  Their characters are quite nuanced given the limited spectrum they're working in, which all adds more depth to this thoroughly classy production.

Swing Symphony No. 3. - Jazz at Lincoln Centre Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Residency and The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra - Michael Fowler Centre - 10 March

http://www.festival.co.nz/2016/events/swing-symphony-symphony-no-3-jazz-lincoln-center-orchestra-wynton-marsalis/

The night kicked off with 'the opening act', the NZSO, running through their own erratic but yet pedestrian medley of Bernstein, 'West Side Story', and oddly, Copeland's Appalachian Spring (which Mingus would have easily worked up into a fine jazz piece).  For the programme in general, it all seemed completely out of step and unnecessary.  Given the theme of the night I would have thought there was more appropriate available.   

Another disappointment came when the second half kicked off and the NZSO were accompanied on stage by eleven members of New York's JLCO, who squeezed in amongst the over-bloated ranks, but yet there was no sign of Marsalis.  Finally in the second movement of Swing Symphony No,3 he rises, with famous buffed brass in hand, to deliver an all too short, but blissfully sweet solo.  Other New Yorkians call and reply through the piece with a vast array of brass, alto and tenor sax and flutes. 

I have no doubt that for musicians this was a wonderful opportunity to play alongside the master in the low rains but for me I was somewhat disappointed not to see Marsalis out front, at least once in the show, given that he's returning after a long hiatus.  That opportunity may come on Saturday night. 

Critiquing music that was derived from one form and reinterpreted to another and then to another again is an interesting process.  Marsalis' homage to the big band era is an interpretation of juke joint jive, Basie orchestra strut and Gershwin.  Delivered in four distinct movements it comes across as a mash-up meddle of familiar references and touch points. Whilst the work doesn't follow any specific sonata format there is a certain structure about it, returning to themes and landmark points along the way, its best described as musical journey.

Any attempts to find out more about the work were scuttled.  The programme contained a lot of words, but little substance.  Much like the schedule, this left Marsalis’ actual appearance as an ambiguous event. 

However, the collaboration between the JLCO and the NZSO was flawless and the fifteen guests found air in the orchestral onslaughts to give us short but stunning solos.  One unanswered question was if those solos were 'scripted' in to the work or whether Marsalis left room for improvisation.  Either way, they were highlights.

The Wolf is coming…

 “Treachery exists in many forms. We can see the evil, the injustices, the crimes, and their sources can be located and defined. We identify the darkness in neglect, denial, misjudgements, dismissal of rights, the injustices led by Governance systems, insurance companies, thieves, bad neighbours, and those we know. But it's closer than that. It's not there: it's here. It dwells in our institutions, our systems, our families, friends, and ultimately in us. The lies we tell ourselves, live by, defend and act on are where it starts. The Werewolves we need to fear are very close. – writer Tim Barcode. 

Wolf; the tale of trust, betrayal, alienation, duplicity, secrets and lies, set against the background of the earth, the council, insurers, and the government, turning against earthquake hit residents in Christchurch. Oh and wolves. You can't ignore wolves.

L to R: Sam Fisher, Talia Carlisle (Cushla),
Susannah Donovan (Cassie), CoffeeBar Kid

Following a successful season in Christchurch in 2013, Oily Rag Theatre is bringing Wolf to BATS in time for autumn and Easter 2016. Be lulled into a civilised illusory bubble before the true nature of the world rips through to get you.

From Tim Barcode, writer of successful plays, including: Location Location; Triffic Travel; Cafe Dement; Interviews and other lies; Geeks Bearing Gifts; The Adjudicator (NZTF One Act Play winner).

WOLF, about betrayal that starts in the crust of the earth but spills into people’s lives and a world turned inside out and evil that lurks.

Director Sam Fisher says this play uses the Christchurch earthquakes as a metaphor and backdrop for personal stories, “This is a story set against the earthquakes. The quakes taught people a lot about each other and insurance companies and government, that perhaps they would rather not have known.  The failure of the land and of the institutions is mirrored in the failings of people.  The play is sharp, intense and we believe engrossing. The hardest thing is reproducing earthquakes in a theatre situation.”

For The Birds - Otari Bush - Festival Show

FOR THE BIRDS
Mark Anderson, Jony Easterby, Kathy Hinde, Marcus Mcshane and Tane Upjohn-Beatson, Johann Nortje and Cameron May, Ulf Pedersen, and Esther Tew England/Wales/New Zealand

In a strange twist of reality, I'm walking down a steep path, lit only by the nearest of LED lamps.  Over head are the squeals and screeches of digital bird calls.  Zooming past at eye level a flashing box of chatter heading off into the darkness like the passing of a No.8 bus.  In a valley suspended above the stream are metalic origami paper cranes, flying in a delicately choreographed formation and in the undergrowth are nests of ping pong ball sized lights that are holding a hug on the future prospects of the Huia.  It would be fair to say that this interpretation of all things avian is quite distinctively different.  The mere fact that nearly all physical material are man made or acquired speaks volumes about how humankind has plundered the natural world and fore sakes the bird's natural habitats, and even their feathers in the process.

This particular project will be immediately familiar to any one who saw Power Plant, their last work, at the 2014 Festival.  Once again, their's a strong thematic presence and a quirky embracing of humanity's need to duplicate the natural withthe artificial.  Early on we encounter bird cages and 'sound machines' that play like ancient music boxes.  A similar technique was used with gramophones reading says mic reports in Power Plant - humanity trying to exploit nature for their own ends.

The themes range from kiwi's to Sirocco the superstar, kākāpō to Angry Birds and Twitter, all in an attempt to reconnect us with our feathered friends.  This is a very different experience from Power Plant but one worth the journey and also a new look at a space we may have taken for granted.  I went to Scouts there about 100 year's ago and have only returned a couple of times but never in the dark.  An experience like this was, for me at least, a welcome reconnection.

All photos by Tim Gruar 

All photos by Tim Gruar

http://www.festival.co.nz/2016/events/birds/

Dunedin Double - The Chills Tuesday 9 March/ The Verlaines 10 March - both at Shed 6. Part of the NZ Festival of the Arts.

Festival.co.nz

By the second week of the Festival the focus changes from the classicals to the classics with the next two nights reserved for the 'Dunedin Double', featuring individual concerts by the Chills and the Verlaines.  These are two bands from the original Flying Nun EP that pretty much kicked off the label's career, their own and, as legend will have it, the 'Dunedin Sound'.  First up are Martin Phillips' crew. "It's pretty odd playing to a seated crowd", he notes, looking around at the room of well heeled mature punter, wearing their pearls, jeans and velvet jackets.  If ever there was a Mastermind topic, it would be on The Chill's lineup, a list longer than the passenger list of the Queen Mary.  But tonight there was some stability with crazy-as drummer Todd Knudson and bassist James Dickinson (who both joined in the early 2000's) and more recent recruits violist/keyboardist Erica Scully and keyboardist Oli Wilson.

Photo fro the Festival Facebook page

Over the years, The Chills have 'suffered' from a mixed level of professionalism on stage and in the studio but tonight's performance was an exceptionally tight. Almost clinical delivery, save for the deranged antics of Knudson behind the kit, reminding us of Jack Black's exaggerated rock star performances in 'School of Rock'. 

Phillips, himself, now 53 and slightly greying, was looking in pretty good shape.  Sharply dressed, but still keeping to his customary black, he was chilled and relaxed on stage.  Signs of his condition (Stage 4 cirrhosis of the liver) and his shy edginess have been all shucked away as he quipped with the band and engaged is a little audience banter.  It was good to be back in the birth town. 

The set was always going to be a crowd pleaser, a mix of oldies and newbies from a huge repertoire.  Phillips is and always has been a prolific songwriter.  However, with the exception of one or two flourishes nearly everything has that same psychedelic, jangly continuity to it - from the latest release 'Silver Bullets' reaching way back to 'Kalaedescope World'. 

It was good to hear the new stuff sit so comfortably with the rest.  "Silver Bullets", "Eazy Peazy" and "Warm Waveform" in particular work well played live.  An updated version of "Pink Frost" May have been polished up but the core tune still stands up well.

Groove at the Festival : The ACB with Honora Lee - By Kate De Goldi, Adapted and Directed by Jane Waddell

Kate De Goldi is one of New Zealand’s most loved authors, popular with both adults and children. Quirky humour, playfulness and intergenerational love are at the heart of this adaptation of her 2012 novel, The ACB with Honora Lee.

A charming exploration of kindness, patience and acceptance, it follows the relationship between young Perry and her eccentric Gran, Honora Lee, who’s losing her memory. 
As more and more words slip from Gran’s grasp, Perry furiously gathers them up, turning them into an illustrated and disorderly alphabet book, which becomes a gift of love to her grandmother.

This is director Jane Waddell's delicate but unpretentious interpretation of Kate De Goldi's short novel of inter-generational love and acceptance.   It's the story of Perry (Lauren Gibson), a young precocious ‘only child’ who's well-meaning helicopter parents, Mum (Amy Tarleton), an over-bearing psychologist,- and Dad (Nick Dunbar), a typical corporate worker bee, are too focussed on professional solutions for teaching their child and raising her skill standards, not realising that the best opportunities lay right under their nose.   Like many of us, they dismiss elderly parents as cantankerous and superfluous.  So they’re somewhat surprised when Perry insists on spending time with her gran (Ginette MacDonald) instead of taking tennis lessons.  Gran, aka Honora Lee, an ex-teacher and private tutor is becoming utterly eccentric as her mid breaks down.  But to Perry, this is an education unlike none other.  Honora holds fast to her 'old school' tools like 'rote-learning' and quick phrases - ''I' before 'e', except after 'c' or 'pie' in 'piece'.  MacDonald, best known to the outside world as ‘Lyn of Tawa’, is superb as the grumpy, disorderly Honora, and utterly believable, too.  She dollops her empathy subtly, avoiding the heavy handed trowel.  A relationship, which seems all too one sided, ensues between Gran and Perry, who scrambles to scoop up words, like dead bees, and capture them in a book of illustrations before Honora loses them forever.  "What's 'A' for?", Perry asks.  " 'A' is for 'Anything!' ",Honora replies, illustrating De Goldi's love of words.  Throughout the play, this gentle humour emerges and bubbles to the surface. 

 

"Equally important, the festivals have also allowed many different audiences to gain an insight into cultures other than their own through the enjoyment of music. Music is a universal language, it draws people together and proves, as well as anything, the stupidity of racism." Peter Gabriel

 

 

 

Only 3 weeks til' WOMAD!

Groove will be featuring a special show on 16 March 7.00 PM
featuring music, interviews and info on the festival - stay tuned

 

A little about the festival : WOMAD - World of Music, Arts and Dance the internationally established festival, which brings together artists from all over the globe. The central aim of the WOMAD festival is to celebrate the world's many forms of music, arts and dance.

At the WOMAD campsite 2015 Photo Tim Gruar

As an organisation, WOMAD now works in many different ways, but their aims are always the same - at festivals, performance events, through recorded releases and through educational projects, they aim to excite, to inform, and to create awareness of the worth and potential of a multicultural society.

Peter Gabriel was one of WOMAD's co-founders: "Pure enthusiasm for music from around the world led us to the idea of WOMAD in 1980 and thus to the first WOMAD festival in 1982. The festivals have always been wonderful and unique occasions and have succeeded in introducing an international audience to many talented artists."

2008   Image: Taranaki Newspapers Ltd

WOMAD festivals are family-oriented, diverse and active musical events; sometimes offering as many as seven stages within the festival site. Since the first festival in the UK in 1982, WOMAD has held more than 160 festivals, creating events in twenty-seven countries and islands all over the world, including: Abu Dhabi, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Portugal, Sardinia, Sicily, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, UK, and the United States of America.

WOMAD has presented more than one thousand artists at their festivals, bringing the expression of more than 100 different countries to a live audience of over one million people.

Estere - New Plymouth WOMAD 2015 Photo Tim Gruar

WOMAD New Zealand 2014 was the 10th anniversary for WOMAD held at the stunning New Plymouth site in Taranaki. Prior to shifting to New Plymouth WOMAD NZ occurred twice in Auckland, but now takes pride of place at the TSB Bowl of Brooklands, New Plymouth.

This year the line up is spectacular St Germain, De La Soul, Calexico, Tami Neilson, Thomas Oliver, Katchafire, Louis Baker, Hazmat Modine, Tiny Ruins, The Jerry Cans, Ester Rada and a whole host more - for the full story go to www.womad.co.nz

 

McKenzie interviewing Estere last year

 

 

 

 

Tickets at https://tickets.womad.co.nz/event/view/womad2016

Review: World Premiere: 'No Man's Land' - Composed by John Psathas. With Filmakers Jasmine Millet/Mathew Knight

 

"A Hugely inspiring piece - Dazzling!"

 

To date a fair amount of Great War commemorative project shave focussed on the ANZAC experience.  But John Psathas' work, No Man's Land, is initially different an considerably more inclusive of the participation and scale of the event.  Back in January John told me that it was the intention of himself and his co-collaborators to capture many different cultural perspectives and stories.  "80% of the world's population was involved in WWI. There are so many everyday stories from other ethnicities: Turkish, Polish, Armenian, Russian, Belgian, Greek, Indian.  So we decided to move away from 'Euro-centric' stories...chose places that aren't as well covered, like Poland, for example - so ravaged by the war.  We filmed on the Ukraine border; on the Somme, Passchendaele, Belgium."


John Psathas

I was astounded at how far across the globe the war reached, touching not only Kiwis or Americans and Aussie's but Africans, Indians and Chinese as well.  Photos in tonight's show portray Chinese work forces in Congee Hats, for example. 

The technical scale of the production tonight was also quite astounding.  A small deft orchestra of drums, zither, strings, guitar and keys surrounded by a massive screen and a series of seven pod screens that fade in and out distant individual musicians like ghosts to play alongside the live and present crew.  They in turn play alongside a montage of drummers, keyboardists, guitarists, a bagpiper and many more who have been filmed individually or together on the battle field sites of Europe and in India and Turkey.  Editing is so seamless, between the co-ordination of the stage musicians and those on film that it's almost impossible to differentiate between recorded and live.

Part of the project's scope was to find stories of everyday people,  affected by the Great War. Women's stories, for example, are represented by series of singers - Ariana Tikau (NZ); Oum (Morroco/France); Meeta Pandit (India); Hungarian Márta Sebestyén (who sung in the "The English Patient") and Jolanta Kossakowska (Poland).  "All from very different cultures but singing this continuous song, handing it over to each other as we move across a No Man's Land...singing to their beloved across the distance...from all the sweethearts, mothers, sisters who were left behind across the world - sometimes forever."  This comes in their song and in a short clip of children walking across Waikanae beach, interspersed with another clip of SerjTankin singing on the top of a Turkish beach head, somewhere near the ANZAC cove.  It's amazing how similar the terrain is.

Sebestyén features prominently in the show, playing violin and singing, sometimes in a whisper, sometimes screaming or echoing the voices on the screens.  Meeta Pandit sits on her left, playing a lap steel harp, with beautiful harmonies entwining with the many layers of sound.. 

Psathas's music builds on swirling and chanting chorus with the same attack and release method used successfully by club land DJ's - especially those from the Ministry of Sound and Renaissance school popular in the 1990's from Brixton to Ibiza.  He might be classically trained but that's only the start of his platform - more a guide to how things work.  Moreover, his Mediterranean background and his collaborations with Tankin provide the strongest themes to his compositions.  Sure, it's world music, but centred and focussed.  My friend thought it sounded a little like Pink Floyd, Alan Parsons or Danny Elfman but to put a finger on the exact reference points would simply do a disservice.

The footage, by Jasmine Millett is stunning.  Many walk-throughs of the original tunnels, some still in tact, interspersed with photos of the events that happened.  And an interesting after shot of each: before - a ravaged wasteland' and now - dense, greenery and creepers, slowly reclaiming the devastation and repairing the scars from 100 year's earlier.

On the whole, this work was dazzling.  To have met John and seen his vision made live was a real privileged and I totally got in to it.  My friend needed a little coaxing and more info.  Perhaps a title or two? Or a hidden sign or other clues to help us along.  And what an opportunity to bring in new voices and sounds.  But that's a minor point.  The real shame is that this is only a one off.  Hopefully crowds at WOMAD and The Auckland Festival will also appreciate this as much as tonight's audience did.  We were all on our feet, at the end, wiping back tears and smiling from ear to ear. 

Listen to the Coffeebar Kid interview with John Psathas. 

Visit the festival site:  http://www.festival.co.nz/2016/events/no-mans-land/

Visit the 'No Man's Land' Site:  http://www.nomanslandproject.org/

At the Festival: 'Chalk About' - Curious Seed - At The Hannah Playhouse 1 March 2016

Reviewed by the CoffeeBar Kid

As soon as I got home I was asked to describe the show I'd just seen, Curious Seed's production of Chalk About, from Scotland and on currently on during at the Hannah Playhouse.  The best 'elevator description' I can come up with is that it's a show of dance - with talking and drawing.  Before starting proper the cast, Christine Devaney and Neils Weijer, invite the young members of the audience on to the stage, really just a huge blackboard, to draw chalk outlines.  This segues into the opening 'piece', a frantic, and chaotic explaination of the results from a children's survey about what what makes good theatre.  The answers are predictable, and quirky - Elsa from 'Frozen' must appear; there must be dinosaurs, explosions, the Queen, super heros and a list too long to go into here.  That leads into a quick animated sequence demonstrating in dance and 'text' what a play featuring all this would look like - very funny - and a statement: "we won't be doing this!"  No, indeed.  Instead the show unravels to reveal set pieces about the performer's life stories, family trees and other things.  Relationships, really. Devaney Tells us about herself and growing up in Scotland, in which both illustrate with unique and creative choreography.  Weijer then joins in With his version, told entirely in a Scandinavian language and cleverly translated through pictures in chalk on the floor.  This technique is very clever, showing how it's possible to get across a message even when languages bar us. 

There are many other clever moments, the use of LifeSize paper dolls, balloon and blow up clouds, all adding a sense of fun and imagination to a show that' sloth for kids and adults.  Devaney and Weijer, work exceptionally well together.  Their rapport is hand in glove perfect and it shows.  A quick survey and eavesdrop told me that, on the whole the punters appreciated all this, although a little befuddled.  The younger ones remembered specifics, especially the giggly moments.  For them moments matter.  It was a good night for those. 

Chalk About is on at Hannah Playhouse until March 6.

WOMAD 2016 - The CoffeeBar Kid Interviews Nancy Mike from the Jerry Cans

The CoffeeBar Kid talks with Nancy Mike from the Jerry Cans.

Nunavut is one of the iciest, arctic most remote places on earth. It's the largest, northernmost, newest and least populous territory in Canada.
The local lifestyle, firmly fixed in Inuit traditions and ways of life, rely on remote grocery runs and imports from nearby cities.
Among the various prohibition laws, wandering youth and daily struggle to preserve their native culture, one little folk band from Iqaluit, Nunavut's largest city, is making a whole lot of racket.
The Jerry Cans are described as part folk, part country, part reggae and part Celtic, with a unique Inuit point of difference – duet throat singing. They are one of the more 'exotic' acts to play at WOMAD in March.
Most of their music The Jerry Cans' music is written and sung entirely in Inuktitut.  "For me, Inuktitut is my mother tongue," says Mike. "I find that writing and singing in Inuktitut, it's much easier for me to express myself, to express what we're trying to say – the stories we're telling."

"It's a combination of square dancing and folk dancing," explains Nancy Mike, the band's resident throat singer and accordion player.  "When the Scottish whalers and Missionaries came in the early 1900's, they brought with them their own traditions."
"For me, Inuktitut is my mother tongue," says Mike. "I find that writing and singing in Inuktitut, it's much easier for me to express myself, to express what we're trying to say – the stories we're telling."
Mike, who helped teach partner and fellow band member Andrew Morrison how to read, write and speak in Inuktitut, believes preservation is paramount for younger Inuit generations.
"Audiences can expect to have fun. That's the goal here – to get people up and dancing. When people hear our sound, they're interested. They hear lyrics in Inuktitut and say 'wow, what is that, what do you call that?' they're curious," says Mike.

Having visited New Zealand twice before, The Jerry Cans resonate with our little part of the world, just as WOMAD audiences will no doubt resonate with theirs. "We visited Rotorua, beautiful. very special.  Hot.  Geysers and hot water all the time.  Magic.  Mind,  to be anywhere where it's out of the snow all year is special."

The Jerry Cans are set to perform at the WOMAD Festival 2016, Friday 18 - 20 March, New Plymouth.

www.womad.co.nz

Festival Show. The Coffee Bar Kid interviews Michele Amas and Amy Tarleton from the show The ACB With Honora Lee

Kate De Goldi is one of New Zealand’s most loved authors, popular with both adults and children. Quirky humour, playfulness and intergenerational love are at the heart of this adaptation of her 2012 novel, The ACB with Honora Lee.
A charming exploration of kindness, patience and acceptance, it follows the relationship between young Perry and her eccentric Gran, Honora Lee, who’s losing her memory.
As more and more words slip from Gran’s grasp, Perry furiously gathers them up, turning them into an illustrated and disorderly alphabet book, which becomes a gift of love to her grandmother.

The Kid talks with actresses Michele Amas and Amy Tarleton about the show.

For more info go t: http://www.festival.co.nz/2016/events/acb-honora-lee/

Plenty of book reviews on the Coffeebar Kid's Pages

Check out the Kid's review of Gregory Kan's new poetry book "This Paper Boat' and many others :  http://adventuresofthecoffeebarkid.blogspot.co.nz/2016/02/this-paper-boat-gregory-kan-auckland.html