Culture Compass

The collective cultural compass might currently point toward egg shells with their insides blown out for Easter crafts or baked goods that commemorate Jesus’ brutal execution but ours is firmly directed at the Petrels, Shearwaters and Prions taking off and the Naked Samoans coming home. This week’s Culture Compass is an Easter basket of art, comedy, music and environmental nightwatch. Consume in moderation.

The paintings of Naomi Faifai are a beautiful mishmash of traditional and contemporary symbolism, exploding with colour, and speaking to the many layers – cultural and otherwise – of the artist’s identity. Her first solo show – Inner Workings – is opening on May 2nd at The Frame Workshop & Gallery in Herne Bay, Auckland and is a stunning collection of 30 new works that explore “place, connection and the mahi she’s done on self-acceptance.” Raised in Timaru in the 90s, Faifai has both Māori and Samoan heritage and her connection (and intermittent feelings of disconnection) to that heritage is present throughout her work. Using paint, ink and pastel, Faifai’s pieces have a living energy and transform any space they’re in. Thirty in one room? Prepare to be destabilised for a moment. The artist will give a floor talk at the opening event on May 1st, 5pm – 7pm.

Not to point fingers but the fledgling seabirds that are crash-landing beneath streetlights, next to office buildings, on sports fields and suburban porches, weren’t disoriented by lights they installed themselves. Every autumn, like they have for millions of years – since long before we humans invented electricity – fledglings begin their long-haul maiden flights to sea, and BirdCare Aotearoa, Auckland’s native bird hospital, is inundated with rescued birds that have crash-landed and need urgent rehabilitation. They’ve launched a Givealittle campaign to help them continue this important work and they’re also hoping to find longer-term partnerships with environmentally conscious businesses. Importantly, BirdCare Aotearoa urges the public to dim outdoor lights, look out for uncommon birds and if you find one in need, gently contain them in a ventilated box using gloves and a towel, and call DOC for advice.

Jimmy Carr probably has a joke about disoriented birds and if that makes you bristle, his boundary-pushing humour may not be for you. For the rest, who are among his millions and millions of fans, he’s heading to Aotearoa in January of next year with his new show Jimmy Carr: Laughs Funny. He’ll be touring thirteen cities from Invercargill to Tāmaki Makaurau. Tickets have just gone on sale and already they’ve had to add several extra shows.

Carr might be coming to Aotearoa but Taylor Swift didn’t and isn’t. Shannon Beresford, however, is and she does a pretty mean and entirely legal impression. The Canadian is coming to Aotearoa next month with her Taylor Swift tribute show, Taylor’s Story. Tribute shows are inherently campy, but so is Taylor, so this show might be enough for Swifties to suspend disbelief for a couple of hours and get the closest thing to the Eras experience you can get this side of the Tasman. Plus, little Swifties could easily be hoodwinked into believing she’s the real deal if that’s something you can live with. The tour starts in Auckland on May 1, followed by Hamilton, Napier, Paraparaumu, Wellington, Masterton, Dunedin, and finally Christchurch.

From one tribute show to another, Atomic! 2.0: Hailing the Pioneering Women of Rock sees some of our finest female vocalists take on some of the most iconic female rock singers of the late 20th century. There are no impersonations here, just legends singing legends in their own unique ways. The lineup features Julia Deans, Boh Runga, Dianne Swann, Jazmine Mary and Vera Allen and the nostalgia-laden setlist includes hits from Blondie, Eurythmics, Pretenders, Patti Smith, Garbage, Alanis Morissette, Hole and Joan Jett among others. There are just three shows – Christchurch on May 2, Wellington on May 8, and Auckland on May 9 – and they’re going to sell out.

The NZ International Comedy Festival returns in May and this year the highlight is not an international big name but six local big names: David Fane, Oscar Kightley, Mario Gaoa, Shimpal Lelisi, Robbie Magasiva and Iaheto Ah Hi aka the Naked Samoans. Since becoming world famous in New Zealand with bro’Town and Sione’s Wedding, these talented actors, comedians and writers have become simply world famous. Between them they’ve starred in Disney’s Moana and Moana 2, Fox series Rescue Hi-Surf, Tinā, Next Goal Wins, Apple TV+ series Time Bandits and HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death. The best buds are reuniting for a much-anticipated new comedy show The Last Temptation of the Naked Samoans. The five-night season at Auckland’s Herald Theatre carries the following serious advisory: “This show could contain strong language, comic violence, irreverent themes, traces of nuts, dubious pronunciation and illegible English.”