16 March 2020 - 1 Comment

A full complement of top-notch Kiwi musicians come together to perform the expansive masterpiece that is the album Mansfield. Performing in each city for one night only, Mansfield – In Her Own Words will be performed live for the first time, coming to Wellington’s Opera House, June 13, and Auckland’s Bruce Mason Centre, June 20.

Released on February 20 and available for streaming now, Mansfield is an album curated by Charlotte Yates, translating the melodic beauty of Katherine Mansfield’s words into music by some of Aotearoa’s finest musicians. An instant hit, the first pressing of the album has already sold out, with each artist composing and producing a song inspired by a poem by the iconic New Zealand writer.

“It is a beautiful and bizarre thing, this album, with tracks ranging from weird to wonderful…
The artists featured showcase their many talents whilst showcasing the talents of our frequently known, oft-overlooked, New Zealand icon.” ☆☆☆☆☆ – Peter-James Dries for muzic.net.nz

The powerful live show will include performances of every song from the 12-track album, assembling the artists together for the first time in what will be a true celebration of music and writing from Aotearoa. The artists performing are Anna Coddington, Lawrence Arabia, Lontalius, Mel Parsons, Will Ricketts and Toby Laing, Lorina Harding, Charlotte Yates with Darren Mathiassen, Show Pony and Johnny Lawrence, The Bats, Julia Deans, French For Rabbits and Anthonie Tonnon. A rare opportunity to see so many local artists at the absolute top of their game, this will be a magical evening of Kiwi music not to be missed, and unlikely to ever be repeated.

Offering a peek into the diary of one of New Zealand’s most celebrated and beloved writers, the show has become a beautiful and theatrical narrative detailing the life story of Mansfield herself. Rather than album order, the songs will be performed in chronological order, with a narrator reading some of Mansfield’s incredible letters, taken from five immaculate volumes of intricately annotated writing. Forming a script, this show will reveal the intimate details of this iconic woman’s life.

“Mansfield is already the queen of our National literary canon, but I vote for ‘The Wounded Bird’, ‘Malade’, ‘The Awakening River’, The Bat's haunting, cinematic ‘Sanary’, hell the whole album, to be admitted to the Great Kiwi Songbook, too.” – Kylie Klein-Nixon for Stuff Essential listening for any fan of Kiwi music or lover of this great New Zealand author, tickets for Mansfield – In Her Own Wordsare on-sale now through Ticketmaster.

Wellington
The Opera House
Saturday 13 June, 8PM

Auckland
Bruce Mason Centre
Saturday 20^th June, 8PM

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