We're delighted this year to be presenting our first full season of events. A full season! We know, it's already June and the year's half over, but it's a big moment for us.

In previous years, we've hosted a range of shows and performances - last year we hosted a three-course dinner on the stage of the Civic, a late-night event at Auckland Art Gallery with Lawrence Arabia, Tempo and Yang Fudong, and a suite of panel discussions and storytelling events.

This year, our events revolve around seven acts of excavation: stories we rarely get to hear and artists in places we seldom get to see them. Last weekend we held a K-pop dance-off in Albany, and this weekend sees the launch of our (nearly already sold-out) underground food tour in Balmoral. We'll be hosting a pocket exhibition in Papatoetoe, and more centrally, we'll have tales of boardroom battles, of rule-breaking, rule-making, and moments of unexpected speechlessness.

We're also launching our membership programme this year. For an annual donation of $50, you'll get a Pantograph Punch tote bag (which has handles that are, in our opinion, just the right length), 20% off all our events, and first notice of what's going on (on both the site and beyond). And your money goes straight back into supporting our writers. PLUS: if you join before the 30th June 2016, you'll go into the draw to win a Silo Theatre season pass for two and a double pass to all our 2016 events. Sign up here.

We're really excited about this season. We hope you are too.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STORY

What’s in a day’s work? We fling open four briefcases to reveal the seldom-seen lives of a private investigator, a weather presenter, a Shortland Street story editor and a writer with an intensely personal new work. From ordinary days that take unexpected turns to events that unfold once the camera stops rolling, join us for an evening of risk-taking storytelling.

Hosted by: Matthew Crawley

Featuring stories by: Kanoa Lloyd, Anna Jeffs, Harry McNaughton, Rob Mokaraka

Monday 4 July – 7.30pm
Herald Theatre
$25 General Admission / $20 for Pantograph Punch members

Presented in collaboration with Silo Theatre and Auckland Live

BOOK HERE

EAT BALMORAL

From Sichuan spice to hand-pulled noodles, discover the vast array of flavours frying, boiling and steaming inside Auckland’s own hotspot of Chinese cuisine. On this three-hour tour by Eat Auckland you’ll taste signature dishes from the best restaurants on the strip, learn about their history and the techniques used in their creation.

$55 per person
Tours 3-6pm Saturdays and Sundays through June and July
Limited to 14 people per tour

BOOK HERE

GLASS WARFARE

It’s 2016, but the number of female CEOS in New Zealand’s top 50 listed companies is sitting at... zero. What’s going on? Does the idea of ‘smashing the glass ceiling’ still reflect what modern society needs? And what does femininity look like in a space that’s often structured for – and filled with – men?

Join some of Aotearoa’s best leaders and thinkers – Theresa Gattung, Ranjna Patel, Anne Blackburn and Rob Campbell – as they tackle some tough questions, share battle stories, and discuss blueprints for the future. Chaired by Janet McAllister.

Thursday 15 September - 6pm
Q Theatre
$25 General Admission / $20 for Pantograph Punch members

Presented in collaboration with Silo Theatre

BOOK HERE

DEAD AIR

When you talk for a living, silence can take on special significance: it can be the response to a curveball question, an awkward admission, or a total bombshell that leaves you lost for words.

For one evening only, join broadcasters John Campbell, Carol Hirschfeld, Wallace Chapman and Noelle McCarthy as they share the moments that have left them speechless, for better and for worse. Hosted by Guy Williams.

Wednesday 19 October – 8pm
Q Theatre
$30 General Admission / $24 for Pantograph Punch members

Presented in collaboration with RNZ

BOOK HERE

RULES OF THE GAME

Join us for a late-night live storytelling extravaganza with rule-breakers, rule-makers, and those who are rewriting the map.

Wednesday 16 November - 9pm
Herald Theatre
$25 General Admission / $20 for Pantograph Punch members

Presented in collaboration with Silo Theatre and Auckland Live

BOOK HERE

Thanks to our collaborators, Silo Theatre and RNZ and to Auckland Council and Auckland Live for their support, and to Brothers Beer for hosting our launch party and for serving our very own Pantograph Pilsner.