Hugo Grrrl is now a Wellington-based comedy and cabaret producer.  Hugo Grrrl and his team are very busy creating 120 plus shows a year that are smutty, rough-around-the-edges, politically-charged late-night themed theatre.  If you are looking for a night out that is bound to leave ya with a smile on your face and a bit of glitter in your hair, make sure you follow Hugo Grrrl on Facebook to find out more!

We got to speak with Hugo Grrrl this week and he shared some of his weekend favourites and more with us.

What is your favourite weekend brunch place to visit?
Olive is my go-to for a late Sunday morning potato injection. I regularly violate my vegetarianism for their divine house-smoked salmon.

What are your favourite weekend activities?
Drag! I’m a cabaret producer and performer, so my weekend isn’t really a weekend. Friday and Saturday you can catch me making weird, funny, queer art happen in Wellington, and Sundays are typically the day for rehearsals and costuming.

What is your favourite part of the weekend?
The blissful babble of a full, happy dressing room right before a show is about to start.

What is your favourite weekend night spot?
If I’m in the mood to socialise after a gig, you can typically find me hiding in the corner of Ivy bar. They have a delightful mocktail lovingly called the Hugo Fuck Yourself in my honour.

What is your favourite weekend getaway destination you have visited?
Where’s too many to count! I’m happy anywhere I can hear the ocean.

Happy Sunday 

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We aren’t sure if this dessert has made a come back or if we simply enjoy the absolute deliciousness of jelly, fruit, sponge and custard and the people we share this dessert with on Christmas day. That  the Sherry Trifle  just keeps returning and is an almost must for Christmas day.

Josh Emett has kindly shared this recipe from his latest book The Recipe.

Ingredients

JELLY, FRUIT & SPONGE

• 5 sheets bronze-grade leaf gelatine
• 10½ oz (300 g) raspberries
• 14 oz (400 g) strawberries, hulled and halved if large
• 10½ oz (300 g) blackberries
• 6¾ tbsp (100 ml) medium sherry
• 1 1 / 3 cups plus 2 tbsp (350 ml) water
• ¾ cup plus 2¼ tbsp (200 g) superfine/caster sugar
• seeds from 1 vanilla bean 7 oz (200 g)
• Madeira cake (store-bought, or cream cake recipe, p. 389)

CUSTARD

• 1  2 / 3 cups (400 ml) whole milk
• ¾ cup plus 1¾ tbsp (200 ml) heavy/double cream
• 8 large free-range egg yolks
  1 / 3 cup (80 g) superfine/ caster sugar
• 1 heaped tbsp cornstarch/cornflour

CREAM

• 1  2 / 3 cups (400 ml) heavy/ double cream
• seeds from 1 vanilla bean
• 1 / 3 cup (80 g) superfine/ caster sugar
• ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar/icing sugar, sifted

TO SERVE

• ½ cup (50 g) slivered/ flaked almonds, toasted

Do you follow Josh Emett on Instagram? Check out Josh’s stories here, he shows us actually how easy it is to make amazing meals!

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NO HOLDS BARD

As part of Auckland Fringe

Michael Hurst want to talk to you. He wants to be close to you, to see you. He wants to tell you about being on the edge, about madness, about what it’s like when an actor loses their grip on reality.

With calamitous help from some of Shakespeare’s most brilliant yet erratic characters, Hurst would like you to see him up close and personal in the claustrophobic and highly intimate underground space that is Q Theatre’s Vault, to hear his ode to the crazy life of an obsessive actor, in No Holds Bard, playing from 25 – 29 February as part of Auckland Fringe during Summer at Q.

 “Driven to the brink by a painful separation and really bad reviews, an ageing thespian confronts his demons in what he thinks will be his dark night of the soul. The problem is, his demons are crazier than he is…”

Seven years in the making, No Holds Bard lives up to its name as Hurst brings decades of craft and consummate skill to this absurd theatrical tour de force. Four of Shakespeare’s greatest creations, warp into outrageousness in a paranoid, existential mash-up, where they come kicking and screaming into the bursting brain of an ageing actor struggling to find relevance as his time runs out.

***** “A bravura performance of immense energy and intensity, brilliantly walking the tightrope between genuine tragedy and insane comedy.” – SG Fringe, Edinburgh

Having toured extensively around New Zealand, Australia and to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Hurst has been constantly developing the piece until now, when it is in the best shape it has ever been.

“I have been wanting to bring this work to Q Theatre for the last 7 years” laughs Hurst. “Mental health challenges are hugely prevalent in communities right now, especially in the acting industry. This character and the collapse of his world is something I want people to expereince in a truly intimate way. With an audience capacity of only 60, I want to talk to each and every audience member. I want them to see and feel the blood, sweat and tears that make this character more relevant than ever.”

One of NZ’s most revered actors Hurst has decided to present this work in the Auckland Fringe programme because he feels it’s important to open up the experience of in-your-face, full-on, no holds barred acting to a younger audience.

“I have chosen to stage No Holds Bard  in a small venue with a low-ticket price so that I can both  intensify the experience and deliver it a new audience,” says Hurst “High octane acting up-close is thrilling for the performer as well as for the audience. I think the experience of this kind of storytelling is a deep-seated and necessary aspect of life. Something everyone should have access to.”

Dealing with themes of identity, madness, and personal relevance and the lonely plight of the long -distance actor, his performance has been described by critics as ‘exhilarating’, ‘brilliant’, ‘deranged’, ‘hilarious’ and ‘soulful’.

No Holds Bard was originally created with Natalie Medlock and Dan Musgrove.

NO HOLDS BARD plays
Q Theatre, Vault
25 – 29 February, 8.30pm
Running time 70 minutes
Ticket Prices:
$32.00  Adult
$20.00  Under 25, Unwaged, Students, NZ Equity, Senior Citizens.

Booking fees may apply.

Book at qtheatre.co.nz

Warnings: Loud noises. Adult themes. Strong language. Cooking.

The post MICHAEL HURST WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A WORD appeared first on The Weekend.

This 90-minute experience will introduce audiences to the system that saved Russell’s life, continues to save his sanity and will work for anyone who is willing to commit to it.

Russell said: “This is a program for living for those aspiring to be saints who have lived too long among demons.  This is an alternative vision for life at a time devoid of real values and connection.  This could be the thing you have been looking for and it’s weird that this is the way you’re going to find it.”

Russell Brand is a comedian, actor and activist for mental health and drug rehabilitation.  He is the author of seven books, including the New York Times’ Bestseller, Recover: Freedom From Our Addictions, and Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped.  His podcast, “Under The Skin” is available on Luminary.

The post RUSSELL BRAND RETURNS TO NEW ZEALAND FOR THREE CENTRE TOUR appeared first on The Weekend.

It is a significant milestone for Dillastrate (Henare ‘H’ Kaa and Tim Driver) who have toured New Zealand countless times and played at some of the country’s biggest festivals, including Electric Avenue, Rhythm and Vines and Northern Bass.

The songs that make up the album are the result of what happens when you send two highly-skilled seasoned musicians into the studio with no agenda and let them go. A tour through a world of musical influence, the record contains party bangers, late night slow jams, bleeding heart ballads and wonky sideways grooves, all the while embracing Dillastrate’s signature sound, which infuses soul, pop, hip-hop and electronic music.

We caught up with Dillastrate this week and they shared some of their weekend favourites and more with us.

What is your favourite weekend brunch place to visit?

Great question! There are a few spots that are definitely worth mentioning… Right off the bat, Dose Cafe springs to mind – consistently great coffee and delicious late breakfast menu, highly recommended! Other honourable mentions include Addington Coffee Co-op and C1. I think H would probably say Smokey Ts.

What are your favourite weekend activities?

Being working musicians with day jobs during the week, the most obvious answer for us is being able to tour around this beautiful country and play our music for people. Beyond that, I’m pretty sure we love beer as much as we love music, so obviously popping into one of our favourite night spots (see below) for a cheeky craft pint… I’m a bit of a part-time record collector, so browsing for new music is always high on the list. Also, in the summertime it would be flinging myself into the ocean to cool off.

What is your favourite part of the weekend?

This is probably a pretty ridiculous thing to include as a favourite part of the weekend, but anyway… For me it’s the moment when you first wake up on Saturday morning, and you’re still not entirely conscious of your surroundings (and maybe a bit bleary-eyed from the night before). Then something in the back of your mind tells you it’s Saturday and you have two days to yourself. That moment is pure gold.

What is your favourite weekend night spot?

Again, being working musicians, we are definitely creatures of the night. There are so many great night spots in Christchurch, with more popping up almost every week at the moment! I think it would be hard to pin down an absolute favourite, because there are so many places that are amazing for different reasons, but here is a brief list of our favourites: Fat Eddie’s, Dux Central, Smash Palace, The Institution, Botanic.

What is your favourite weekend getaway destination you have visited?

We’re so spoiled for choice in Aotearoa in that there are soooo many brilliant weekend getaway destinations… My personal favourite spot is Wainui Beach in Banks Peninsula, just across the bay from Akaroa. Secluded, great swimming, beautiful views – enough said.

How did you get into the music world?

That is a short question with a complex answer there! I know H was a bit of a latecomer to music (his own words), but he got into it to the point of obsession. (I honestly don’t know how he got that good that fast – jerk.) For me, my father is a professional singer and my grandfather (on my mum’s side) was a jazz trombonist, so music’s always been around me. I also received a toy keyboard for Christmas when I was about 4 years old that I carried everywhere with me! (Although admittedly this initially consisted of playing the demo at top volume and tempo and running around the house with it.)

What is something that gave you joy this week?

H is in the UK at the moment playing some shows with members of the Rolling Stones (as you do) and he had in-flight WiFi on his way there. So the following series of messages definitely gave me joy this week:

Tim:     Which movie are you going to watch first?

H:         The Lion King.

Tim:     You’re gonna get teary as. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

H:         Too late for that – ruined me. Again.

Tell us about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career?

Well, we’re just about to release our debut self-titled album at the start of December. I think that is probably the most significant project and subsequent accomplishment of our career to date (I think H would probably agree with that). It’s the first time either of us have ever worked on producing a full-length album of our own material, so definitely a big learning curve and big step up. We’re really proud of how it’s coming together though and can’t wait to share it!

Who inspires you?

We could start with the obvious and talk about musicians that we love that inspire us. (A few mutual favourites would include Cory Henry, Jacob Collier and Anderson Paak.) Beyond the arts, I’m personally inspired by people in human service jobs like nursing who are driven by a desire to help people over personal gain. We need a lot more people like that in the world I think.

What is your favourite meal?

Personally, I bloody love nachos and pizza (not together, obviously). I know H is a massive fan of Chinese food (dumplings specifically), to the point of him wanting to book flights to Tauranga to go back and visit a dumpling place we ate at while on tour.

Are you a beer, cider, wine or cocktail person?

BEER! We are definitely beer people. I am personally a big craft beer fan, partially because I have members of my family in the brewing industry who have opened me up to a whole world of flavour. Although H does enjoy a red wine from time to time, so I can’t say that with total confidence!

Share three of your favourite attributes of your home town with us?

Christchurch is a brilliant city, and I’m not just saying that because I live here and I have to. I think it’s not often that a city gets a chance to completely reinvent itself, so it’s really cool being able to see some progress made on the rebuild. We love our Ōtautahi, so it’s hard to come up with just three attributes. If I could be a bit more abstract about it, I think it would be something like resilience, creativity and aroha.

At heart are you a city or country person?

I’ve kind of been a suburb-dweller my whole life up to now, so it’s hard to say! Any time I’ve spent any significant amounts of time in the country I’ve absolutely loved it. The open spaces, the calmness… There’s something kind of primal about the country that you don’t get in a big concrete urban landscape. I think H’s answer would be totally different – I’m pretty sure he loves a big, noisy, exciting, bustling city.

What would you like to learn if you had the chance?

Too many things to list here. I’m essentially a big nerd (if that wasn’t obviously from the interview already) so the list of things I want to learn is about a mile long. At the moment, I’m getting really into learning about permaculture (of all things) so I would love to get stuck into more of that! I would also love to improve my chops in Te Reo Māori. H is fluent so maybe I could ask him to teach me…

If you could change one law, what would it be?

Spicy question there! I’m sure your readers would appreciate this one – implement the four-day working week. Although that would technically be a new law, so not really answering your question… Hmm.

Is there a family tradition of your family that you would like to share with us?

I can’t speak for H’s family, but I can share one tradition of my family. One Christmas, when my dad saw that I was getting more into music, decided to put together probably the most dad-joke gift idea ever. He purchased a terrible CD that he knew I would hate and inserted a gift voucher for a record store inside. You can imagine my disappointment in unwrapping what is clearly a CD only to find “100 Favourite Accordion Melodies” looking at me on the other side of the paper. Ever since then, we’ve continued the tradition and I try to find an equally awful CD for him each year. We’ve had some absolute stinkers over the years, and I must admit that it’s getting increasingly harder to find good ones.

Watch this space for?

 The album! We will be releasing our debut album on December 6^th this year and we’re super excited to share it with everyone. Keep posted on our socials and website for more information as we get closer to the release date!

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And if doesn’t get any better than having it with new potatoes and fresh peas on Christmas Day, it’s the leftovers made into Ham sandwiches for the following days.

Ingredients

• 4 1/2kg half leg ham, skin on
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup liquid honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• Zest of 1 orange, plus Orange wedges, to serve
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup rosemary stalks, roughly chopped
• 2 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
• 10 star anise

Method

• 1. Preheat an oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
• 2. Remove skin from ham by pushing your fingers in between the meat and the skin, leave a generous covering of fat on the meat. Pull the skin back as you continue to work over the meat. Cut off at the bone and discard. Score fat diagonally to create diamond shapes.
• 3. Place ham on the lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes.
• 4. Meanwhile, to make the glaze, in a small saucepan add the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, honey, brown sugar, orange zest, juice and one stalk of the rosemary and ginger. Slowly bring to a simmer for 5 minutes.
• 5. Remove the ham from the oven and pour over glaze. Then decorate with star anise over the top. Bake for a further 20 minutes, brush glaze over the top of the ham and return to the oven for another 30 minutes, or until golden, brown and sticky. Place the orange wedges around the ham with the remaining rosemary to serve.
• 6. Remove and enjoy at room temperature.
• *Check soy sauce is gluten free.

Watch the short video to prepare the Ham here

Find the recipe and shop for ingredients at 

The post ORANGE HOISIN GLAZED HAM appeared first on The Weekend.

Jason Gunn has entertained us for over 30 years. We follow Jason through Instagram, he’s so funny, so kind and shares such important and wonderful values.

Jason’s natural ability to include his audience is something we are all very lucky to be part of.

He is a very proud father of four children, an adoring husband and lives by the mantra “Family comes first” and absolutely loves his cricket.

Jason has shared some of his weekend favourites with us and more.

What is your favourite weekend brunch place to visit?

I’m a brunch-at-home guy but any opportunity to enjoy a Sunday brunch at The Raspberry Cafe in Tai Tapu and I’m there!

What are your favourite weekend activities?

What is your favourite part of the weekend?

What is your favourite weekend night spot?

What is your favourite weekend getaway destination you have visited?

How did you get into the entertainment world?

What is something that gave you joy this week?

Tell us about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career?

Who inspires you?

What is your favourite meal?

Are you a beer, cider, wine or cocktail person?

Share three of your favourite attributes of your home town with us?

Do you have a hidden talent?

At heart are you a city or country person?

What would you like to learn if you had the chance?

The post The Weekend With Jason Gunn appeared first on The Weekend.

V J Cooks has kindly let us share her Turkish Delight Rocky Road recipe with you.

 Ingredients

Instructions

Break up chocolate and add to a heatproof bowl. Put bowl over a saucepan of boiling water.

Melt chocolate together and stir. Take off heat.

Chop marshmallows in half, chop up almonds and slice turkish delight. Add all to the melted chocolate and mix together.

Pour the chocolate mix into a tray lined with glad wrap or baking paper and spread to the edges.

Place in the fridge to chill until set.

Chop and serve.

I love making Rocky Road and this Turkish Delight version is so tasty! The combination of almonds, Turkish Delight, marshmallows and chocolate is such a hit.  

For this recipe I used a combination of milk and dark chocolate because I like the flavour and balance of the two combined, but you can use what ever chocolate is your favourite.  Rocky road is so versatile! You can use whatever ingredients you have on hand: nuts, dried fruit and even chocolate bars like Turkish Delight.

Check out the video to make the Rocky Road here

The post TURKISH DELIGHT ROCKY ROAD appeared first on The Weekend.

Maria shares a real version of how it is for a modern young family in New Zealand and she has grown a community for parents to share their ups and downs and have a good laugh.  Check out  here https://www.happymumhappychild.co.nz/ 

We got to speak with Maria this week and she shared some of her weekend favourites with us!

What is your favourite weekend brunch place to visit?

We love our locals down at the Mangere Bridge town centre – Ruby Red! We are also quite partial to the Cornwall Park Cafe – which is super kid friendly.

What are your favourite weekend activities?

We tend to stick locally but love Ambury Farm, or just going for a bike ride. There is an amazing bike park in Avondale that I can highly recommend.

What is your favourite part of the weekend?

Saturday night, chilling with the kids and watching a family movie.

What is your favourite weekend night spot?

Actually it’s just at our house – however if we ever have a dinner to go to with family then I can highly recommend the Lucky Fortune Chinese restaurant in Three Kings. Best Chinese!

What is your favourite weekend getaway destination you have visited?

Bethel’s Beach!

How did you get into the blogger world?

I wanted to start documenting the activities I did with my kids. At the time I had a 6 month old and a 2.5 year old and while I was breastfeeding the youngest, I needed activities for my eldest.

What is something that gave you joy this week?

Spending time with my girlfriends – after spending so many years as a parent feeling alone, it’s such joy having friends where you legit feel better after visiting.

Who inspires you?

My husband – his approach to everything in life is quite inspiring to me. Our partnership in parenting is definitely ying and yang although I definitely could learn more from his chilled out approach.

What is your favourite meal?

I love a good lasagne.

Are you a beer, cider, wine or cocktail person?

Wine!

Do you have a hidden talent?

I can type over 100 words per minute.

What would you like to learn if you had the chance?

Maori, or Sign Language. Or both!

Is there a family tradition of your family that you would like to share with us?

Every single Friday we have “Ice Cream Friday”. To help the kids have something to look forward to after the week, and to celebrate making it through yet another week!

Watch this space for?

My parenting podcast which is relaunching very soon!! It’s called The Parenting View.

Happy Sunday!

The post The Weekend With Maria Foy – Happy Mum Happy Child appeared first on The Weekend.

FANE presents In Conversation with Margaret Atwood live on stage across New Zealand in collaboration with Andrew Kay, Phil Bathols and BBC Studios Australia. The dates are a celebration of the global publication of The Testaments, Atwood’s highly anticipated sequel to her seminal work, The Handmaid’s Tale.   The evening will also feature Atwood’s remarkable career, her diverse range of works and why she has returned to the fictional world of Gilead 34 years later.

This momentous touring event commences in Wellington on February 10, 2020 and travels to Auckland and Christchurch.

Tickets pre-sales will commence at 12noon on Monday 25 November with the general public on sale confirmed for 12noon on Friday 29 November.  For all information regarding tickets please visit www.margaretatwoodlive.co.nz.

Margaret Atwood’s New Zealand tour dates are:

Monday 10 February             Michael Fowler Centre          Wellington

Tuesday 11 February             Civic                                              Auckland

Wednesday 12 February       Douglas Lilburn                      Christchurch

Margaret Atwood said: “I am so happy to be returning to New Zealand, where I have spent much time in the past, and where readers have always been so warm and welcoming.”

Managing Director of Fane, Alex Fane said: “We are thrilled to announce the continuation of our relationship with Margaret. After a sell-out run of dates across Europe, the US and Canada, this is the perfect opportunity for fans in New Zealand to spend an evening with the Booker Prize Winner.”

The publication of Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale in 1985 and the current, Emmy Award-winning television series have created a cultural phenomenon, as handmaids have become a symbol of women’s rights and a protest against misogyny and oppression. In this brilliant sequel, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades. When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead.  Margaret Atwood’s sequel The Testaments picks up the story fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.  The Testaments was published earlier this year as one of the biggest book launches of this century, topping the charts in all English-language territories, and won this year’s the Booker Prize for Fiction.

Margaret Atwood is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. Her novels include Cat’s Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the MaddAddam Trilogy. Her 1985 classic The Handmaid’s Tale went back into the bestseller charts with the election of Donald Trump, when the Handmaids became a symbol of resistance against him, and with the 2017 release of the eponymous award-winning TV series. Sales of the English language edition have now topped 8 million copies worldwide. Atwood has won numerous awards including the Booker Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade and the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award. She has also worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, librettist, playwright and puppeteer. She lives in Toronto, Canada.

Join Margaret Atwood on her New Zealand tour for an extraordinary evening not to be missed.

Tickets pre-sales will commence at 12noon on Monday 25 November with the general public on sale confirmed for 12noon on Friday 29 November.  For all information regarding tickets please visit www.margaretatwoodlive.co.nz.

As part of a special initiative 25 free tickets for each performance will be given to under 25s. These tickets will be released on the day of each show.  For information on the Under 25 promotion and the Margaret Atwood tour visit www.margaretatwoodlive.co.nz.

@MargaretAtwood

#TheTestaments

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