Latest news with #BoySwallowsUniverse
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Prepare To Fall In Love: Trent Dalton's Love Stories Comes To The Civic, Auckland, This October
Press Release – 818. Auckland Live, in association with Auckland Writers Festival, proudly presents the New Zealand exclusive season of Love Stories — the critically acclaimed stage sensation by Trent Dalton, direct from standing ovations and five-star raves in Australia. This heart-expanding theatrical gem plays just five performances at The Civic, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, from Thursday 16 October to Sunday 19 October. Adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright Tim McGarry and directed by Sam Strong (the creative team behind the smash-hit page-to-stage adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe), Love Stories invites audiences into Dalton's world: a city street corner, a battered Olivetti typewriter, and a single question posed to strangers passing by – ' Can you please tell me a love story?' ' In a time when we need joy more than ever, Love Stories lifts the spirit.' – Arts Hub From strangers to soulmates, parents to children, friends to lifelong companions, the stories collected and celebrated in this remarkable production traverse the full spectrum of human love. Weaving real-life encounters with music, laughter, movement, and tenderness, Love Stories is an unforgettable tribute to the beauty, fragility, and fierce resilience of the human heart. 'It dives into the chaos of love – the joy, the pain, the laughter, the heartbreak … sending you back to the streets feeling just a little more alive' – The Guardian Trent Dalton reflected on the production's journey from the streets of Brisbane to The Civic in Auckland: 'Early this year, the extraordinary gang from Auckland Live walked me into that hallowed Civic theatre in the heart of that glorious city. They showed me exactly what it will feel like to walk into Love Stories come showtime. The theatre ceiling literally shimmered with a blanket of stars. That theatre – that city, their writer's festival – embodies everything the play is about … community, dreams, storytelling, connection, love in all its tricky and wondrous forms. I kinda lost my mind with the joy and possibility of it all. It's a dream come true for me, to create a piece of art that adds to a history of NZ culture – theatre, books, film, music, art – that has inspired me since I was a teenage writer wannabe who could only dream of having something he wrote travelling across the ditch, all the way to paradise. Thank you Auckland Live, from the bottom of my heart. And thank you dear Auckland!' Daniel Clarke, Director of Performing Arts at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, leading Auckland Live commented: 'I saw the very first pitch of this work at idea stage and knew that it would be a winner. And it has been. Thousands of people across Australia have seen this play since its world premiere at Brisbane Festival. This is a beautiful work, full of heart and innovatively staged; we can't wait to share this stunning production with the audiences of Aotearoa. It is the perfect spring show – love will be in the air!' Love Stories was originally commissioned and produced by Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre. The production features additional writing and story by Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann, with choreography by Nerida Matthaei, design by Renee Mulder, lighting by Ben Hughes, and original music and sound design by Stephen Francis. Don't miss this moving celebration of humanity, connection, and the stories that bind us. Presales are on now, ahead of the general onsale on Thu 3 July, 9 AM. With just five performances, audiences are encouraged to book tickets early to secure their seats for this strictly limited season. For more information, go to Auckland Live is the premiere organisation for performing arts, culture, entertainment and events in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. As Aotearoa New Zealand's largest performing arts entity, we proudly present a programme of live arts and entertainment across our iconic venues: Aotea Centre, The Civic, Auckland Town Hall, The Cloud, Shed 10, Viaduct Events Centre, Bruce Mason Centre, and Aotea Square. Auckland Live is part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, a Council-Controlled Organisation.
Scoop
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Prepare To Fall In Love: Trent Dalton's Love Stories Comes To The Civic, Auckland, This October
Auckland Live, in association with Auckland Writers Festival, proudly presents the New Zealand exclusive season of Love Stories — the critically acclaimed stage sensation by Trent Dalton, direct from standing ovations and five-star raves in Australia. This heart-expanding theatrical gem plays just five performances at The Civic, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, from Thursday 16 October to Sunday 19 October. Adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright Tim McGarry and directed by Sam Strong (the creative team behind the smash-hit page-to-stage adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe), Love Stories invites audiences into Dalton's world: a city street corner, a battered Olivetti typewriter, and a single question posed to strangers passing by - ' Can you please tell me a love story?' ' In a time when we need joy more than ever, Love Stories lifts the spirit.' - Arts Hub From strangers to soulmates, parents to children, friends to lifelong companions, the stories collected and celebrated in this remarkable production traverse the full spectrum of human love. Weaving real-life encounters with music, laughter, movement, and tenderness, Love Stories is an unforgettable tribute to the beauty, fragility, and fierce resilience of the human heart. 'It dives into the chaos of love – the joy, the pain, the laughter, the heartbreak ... sending you back to the streets feeling just a little more alive' - The Guardian Trent Dalton reflected on the production's journey from the streets of Brisbane to The Civic in Auckland: 'Early this year, the extraordinary gang from Auckland Live walked me into that hallowed Civic theatre in the heart of that glorious city. They showed me exactly what it will feel like to walk into Love Stories come showtime. The theatre ceiling literally shimmered with a blanket of stars. That theatre - that city, their writer's festival - embodies everything the play is about … community, dreams, storytelling, connection, love in all its tricky and wondrous forms. I kinda lost my mind with the joy and possibility of it all. It's a dream come true for me, to create a piece of art that adds to a history of NZ culture - theatre, books, film, music, art - that has inspired me since I was a teenage writer wannabe who could only dream of having something he wrote travelling across the ditch, all the way to paradise. Thank you Auckland Live, from the bottom of my heart. And thank you dear Auckland!' Daniel Clarke, Director of Performing Arts at Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, leading Auckland Live commented: 'I saw the very first pitch of this work at idea stage and knew that it would be a winner. And it has been. Thousands of people across Australia have seen this play since its world premiere at Brisbane Festival. This is a beautiful work, full of heart and innovatively staged; we can't wait to share this stunning production with the audiences of Aotearoa. It is the perfect spring show - love will be in the air!' Love Stories was originally commissioned and produced by Brisbane Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre. The production features additional writing and story by Trent Dalton and Fiona Franzmann, with choreography by Nerida Matthaei, design by Renee Mulder, lighting by Ben Hughes, and original music and sound design by Stephen Francis. Don't miss this moving celebration of humanity, connection, and the stories that bind us. Presales are on now, ahead of the general onsale on Thu 3 July, 9 AM. With just five performances, audiences are encouraged to book tickets early to secure their seats for this strictly limited season. For more information, go to Auckland Live is the premiere organisation for performing arts, culture, entertainment and events in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. As Aotearoa New Zealand's largest performing arts entity, we proudly present a programme of live arts and entertainment across our iconic venues: Aotea Centre, The Civic, Auckland Town Hall, The Cloud, Shed 10, Viaduct Events Centre, Bruce Mason Centre, and Aotea Square. Auckland Live is part of Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, a Council-Controlled Organisation.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Ageing like fine wine! Simon Baker, 55, shows off his buff body as he takes a dip with a male pal in Sardinia after his age gap romance with Bridgette Clark, 30, was revealed
He is set to turn 56 in a matter of weeks, and Simon Baker proved he is ageing like fine wine as he went for a dip in Sardinia over the weekend. The Devil Wears Prada hunk, 55, flaunted his chiselled abs and muscular biceps as he went swimming with a male pal. Simon seemed to have forgotten to top up his sunscreen and appeared slightly sunburnt on his body. He wore a pair of trendy boardshorts that complemented his buff body as he continued to enjoy his summer break. Not seen with Simon was his girlfriend Bridgette Clark, 30. Daily Mail Australia revealed in September last year that Simon had rekindled his romance with Bridgette after the couple took a brief break from their relationship. The north Bondi local is several months younger than his daughter, Stella, who turned 31 in August. The blonde originally hails from Melbourne and is a popular fashion and lifestyle photographer. She is also the co-founder and creative director of Terry, a resort-wear label inspired by 'European summers and 70s poolside attire'. She has been dating the actor - who rose to fame with his hit US TV show The Mentalist and more recently starred in the hit Netflix drama Boy Swallows Universe - on and off for the last two years. The couple had a brief hiatus, but were seen moving furniture into his van at his home in Tamarama in Sydney's east last year and have been seen on subsequent outings since. They were first spotted together at Tamarama Beach in November 2022 and were later seen with his sons - Claude, 25, and Harry, 23 - during an Easter trip to Byron Bay in 2023. Last October, the pair stepped out in all-white matching outfits in Tamarama and were walking arm-in-arm to a local café for a bite to eat and a coffee. Simon's relationship with Bridgette began the year after announcing his divorce from Australian actress Rebecca Rigg, star of A Country Practice, Blue Heelers and LA Doctors. He was with Rebecca for 29 years, including 22 years of marriage, while they lived in Los Angeles from 1995 until 2015, before returning to Sydney and later announcing their divorce in January 2021. 'We remain close friends and our three children will always be the most important focus of our lives,' they said in a joint statement at the time. The couple played love interests on the popular 1990s TV series E Street, although they actually met on a blind date in 1991.
West Australian
30-05-2025
- Entertainment
- West Australian
What to Watch: The Survivors, Stick, This City Is Ours, Lego Masters and Guy Mont Spelling Bee
There has been a plethora of book-to-TV adaptations hitting screens of late. Some have been incredibly watchable (Boy Swallows Universe), some have missed the mark (hello series two of Nine Perfect Strangers). This one, based on the book by Jane Harper, will be hoping to land with audiences — and if the trailer is anything to go by, then viewers can certainly expect a twisty-turny tale. It sees The Rings Of Power star Charlie Vickers playing a young man, Kieran Elliott, haunted by events that shaped his life some 15 years earlier, when a storm took the lives of two boys close to him. He survived and is haunted by what happened, still wrestling with his complex survivor guilt as he revisits his childhood home with partner Mia (played by Yerin Ha), who also grew up in the town. Almost as soon as they land back in the tiny Tasmanian town they once called home, a body washes up on the shore, and as events unfold, it begins to look increasingly as though the death is connected to the devastating events that happened all those years ago and the death of another girl they all grew up with. Shot in Tasmania and produced by the award-winning team at Tony Ayres Productions (Fires, Clickbait, Stateless), The Survivors boasts a stunning ensemble cast, including Robyn Malcolm (pictured), Jessica De Gouw, Catherine McClements, Thom Green and Martin Sacks. With a cast like that, you know it's going to be worth a watch. Seven seasons on, it's truly a marvel there's still blood to be squeezed from the Lego Masters stone. But you can't keep a good Brickman down. And he's back, along with host Hamish Blake, to preside over builders from seven countries — Canada, China, Finland, Sweden, USA, New Zealand and Australia — to see who'll be crowned 'the ultimate grandmaster of the galaxy'. It's a stretch, but we'll allow it. Family-friendly fun. This series, starring Owen Wilson as a washed-up golf pro who finds new purpose in mentoring a young golfing prodigy, has 'TV hit' written all over it. Heartfelt performances, believable characters and clippy dialogue make it an incredibly watchable proposition, even if the idea of a show about golf makes you want to stick a tee in your eye. Even the biggest haters will fall hard for this delightful series — you're going to love it. Love yourself a gritty British crime drama? This could be about to become your new favourite. And even better — it stars Sean Bean! This series, about a gang of cocaine smugglers, has been getting great reviews in the UK, and is BBC's most-watched new drama launch of 2025, which gives you an idea of what to expect. Also stars James Nelson-Joyce (pictured) and Hannah Onslow. One for Scouse crime fans. Watching high-profile Australians try to spell on national TV will never not be funny. Throw in comedian Guy Montgomery and his comedy offsider Aaron Chen and you've got a laugh-out-loud quiz show guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. This season's line-up includes Hannah Gadsby, Hamish Blake, Rove McManus, Denise Scott and Dave Hughes. Looking forward to seeing how they fare — the worse, the better!
NZ Herald
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NZ Herald
Boy Swallows Universe author Trent Dalton talks the power of optimism with Paula Bennett
'That event last year, I swear, was the most powerful book event I've ever done. 'It was extraordinary and it was so powerful because there was just so much to catch up on. I hadn't done a book event in New Zealand and I just can't wait to kind of do part two of that. I hope every person who went to that last one comes because it's like we get to continue the conversation. It was just beautiful.' Dalton said that to be able to tell his 'little yarns from suburban Brisbane' was an incredible experience, and the audience response pushed him to go further. 'If I sense that the crowd's like, 'I'm still listening, I'm still listening', I'll go deeper and deeper, and I'll just keep digging and digging until I find something and then at the end, we're all just sort of sharing these amazing things.' His 'little suburban yarns' have taken Dalton around the world, far beyond his Queensland hometown. His debut novel, Boy Swallows Universe, was only released in 2018, but in less than a decade it has become one of the most beloved Australian novels of the 21st century. Based on Dalton's own experiences growing up with an absent father and a drug-addicted mother, the story of Eli Bell and his brother August has sold more than 1 million copies in Australia alone. It was adapted into a miniseries for Netflix in 2024. Dalton said that while the book only came out seven years ago, he has been writing it since he was 12. 'I genuinely believe I was sort of secretly stepping into that world at 12, even when I was, at times, deep inside moments that happened in that book. I felt weirdly conscious of how special it was, even though it was dark. 'Like I'm saying you're going up to Bogo Rd Women's Prison to see your mum and you're aware of how special it is... how different that is. I, I just remember being very conscious that I was leading a life [from] when I was about 7 till about, well, 20, that was just different to so many other people.' He said that it was almost like a secret power that he carried with him to view what he was going through as special. For him and his three older brothers, it felt like they were on their own 'little adventure'. 'It's just that our adventure happened to feature heroin dealers and prison and big drinkers. 'Like I was really crafting that thing and just clocking things, even unconsciously.' Advertise with NZME. Despite his rough upbringing, Dalton considers himself an optimist, telling Bennett that he would put that down on his driver's licence or passport if he could. That has led to some criticism from people about how optimistic he can be, which Dalton puts down to some people viewing it as naivety. 'I have to always remind people, please, please go easy on the optimists, because often their optimism has come from the darkest places, and holding on to the light is all they can do, otherwise, they'll never get up. 'I have this thing about always wrap your arms around the bubbly people, and don't take 'em for granted, because those bubbly people are often battling some cracks, and they've crawled out of some stuff and, and it's just like, please never mistake optimism for naivety.' Ask Me Anything is an NZ Herald podcast hosted by former Deputy Prime Minister Paula Bennett. New episodes are available every Sunday.
