Trees, Bees and Me

Trees, Bees and Me was a lovely play for kids with a fabulous story that was easy to follow and relatable to everyone. 

The costumes were fantastic, so was the singing. The set was also well put together with some great little treats, especially if you are a Bluey fan.  

The kids loved it, both cheering and booing at the right places. There were a great amount of jokes for the adults to keep them well entertained too, if they weren't already.  I loved the whole show, so did my granddaughter who came with me. Well done to all those involved.

School holidays: 28 September – 12 October (times vary)

Tickets: $15 or $50 for a family 

Walking Songs (Milly Moon)

Milly Moon has already accomplished more than most; she's walked Te Araroa, a trail through all of the country, and she's created an award winning solo show (Best Music, Melbourne Fringe Festival 2003) based on her travels (appropriately named Walking Songs) plus an album and zine. Just thinking about the five months it took to walk the motu is exhausting, let alone crafting a show and an entire album.

Te Whanganui-a-Tara had the honour of hosting the opening night of Milly's Aotearoa and Australian tour at the delightfully quirky underground bookstore/venue Undercurrent. The space was packed, the door was closed with a note saying they'd sold out.

Amongst the books she describes as home Milly launched straight into acapella blues, punctuating her singing throughout the evening with stories that ran like poetry, a sign post with emotional locations rather than physical and a ukelele, with occasional backup vocals from her sister, for accompaniment. The stories were evocative, the audience winced when she described hiking mishaps and eyes became misty as she spoke of loss.

It's a polished performance yet still genuine and heartfelt. Her clear, cold, high notes echoed with the reverb from the microphone hitting a space between spiritual, blues and country to create her own unique sound. You are taken on a journey, experiencing the pain, the freedom; creating a yearning for solitude in the ngahere.

Tickets: $20

NZ tour dates:
Greytown - Studio73 - Sept 15
Waikino - The Falls Retreat - Sept 19
Whitianga - The Monkey House - Sept 20
Whangarei Fringe Festival - Octagon Theatre / Hiki Art & Vinyl - Oct 5 / 6
Tauranga - The Jam Factory - Oct 11

VIC tour dates:
Warrnambool - Mozart Hall - Sept 27
Melbourne - Bard’s Apothecary - Sept 28
Mirboo North - The Grainstore - Sept 29