Running through till 10 August, the Oscar-qualifying festival has unveiled its full 2026 programme, presenting an impressive collection of 49 feature documentaries, 26 short films and 12 immersive storytelling experiences that shine a light on some of the world’s most urgent issues while celebrating resilience, creativity and the human spirit.

With screenings taking place in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, alongside the nationwide Virtual Cinema, Doc Edge once again cements itself as one of New Zealand’s premier cultural events for lovers of documentary storytelling.

An Incredible Showcase Of World Premieres

One of the festival’s biggest draws this year is its remarkable collection of 28 world premieres spanning film and immersive media.

One of the this year’s most intriguing offerings was Feather Strength, directed by Jon Earle. More than a decade in the making, the deeply personal documentary chronicles Earle’s family’s journey raising his daughter with profound developmental disabilities, offering an intimate portrait of love, resilience and the realities of caregiving.

Another standout is Ranginui: Call of the Ice, where Māori astronomer Rangi Matamua and language expert Mataia Keepa venture into Antarctica, blending modern science with mātauranga Māori in one of Earth’s most unforgiving environments, and which makes for a perfect and timely Matariki watch.

Meanwhile, First Cuts Are The Deepest follows three young students across Thailand over six years, capturing the friendships, challenges and defining moments that shape their lives through vastly different educational experiences.

Stories That Matter

True to Doc Edge’s reputation, the 2026 programme refuses to shy away from the issues shaping our world.

Audiences can expect documentaries exploring family, Indigenous knowledge, environmental collapse, conflict, activism, music, creativity and survival, with filmmakers from around the globe bringing fresh perspectives to stories that resonate on both local and international levels.

A special French showcase, presented with support from Institut Français and the Embassy of France in New Zealand, adds another exciting dimension to this year’s programme, featuring acclaimed documentaries including Inside Gaza, Collapse, Cagnat, Drawing or Nothing and If You Don’t Like It, Look Away.

The programme also celebrates homegrown filmmaking with screenings including The War Below: Restoring Hope in the Solomon Islands and a special presentation of NZ Wars: Stories of Waerenga a Hika.

A New Festival Hub For Auckland

One of the biggest additions to this year’s festival is the transformation of Auckland’s iconic Smith & Caughey building into the new home of Doc Edge, and which is an awe-inspiring sensory experience that is just waiting to be seen.

The World Press Photo & Doc Edge Immersive Exhibition combines award-winning international photojournalism with cutting-edge immersive experiences under one roof for the very first time in New Zealand.

This raw and unflinching look at the world around makes for an utterly gripping and sobering experience as we audiences share in the events that have shaped our world, and the very experience of what makes us human on this planet.

Serving as both exhibition space and festival hub, this venue is the beating heart of Doc Edge throughout the festival, welcoming audiences, filmmakers and industry guests for a unique celebration of documentary storytelling.

Don’t Miss Doc Edge Festival 2026

Whether you’re passionate about global affairs, fascinated by remarkable true stories, or simply looking for unforgettable cinema, Doc Edge Festival 2026 promises one of its strongest programmes yet.

With dozens of world premieres, immersive experiences and documentaries that entertain, educate and inspire in equal measure, audiences across New Zealand have an incredible opportunity to experience the very best in contemporary documentary filmmaking.

Doc Edge Festival runs 24 June – 10 August 2026, with screenings taking place in Auckland until July 12, with screenings in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and nationwide via the Virtual Cinema. Learn more here.

Image: Doc Edge Festival 2026

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A Work of Deep Emotion and Empathy

As the first-ever production of a play by a Niuean playwright, Sons of Vao marks a significant cultural milestone. Drawing deeply from his own life, Manusaute reflects on his upbringing, his relationship with his father, and the experiences that shaped him into the man he is today. Now, at fifty years of age, he confronts those memories through the lens of theatre, transforming deeply personal experiences into a moving act of reflection, healing, and acceptance. The result is nothing short of remarkable.

The production is elevated further through the co-direction of Anapela Polata’ivao, whose extraordinary work on Tinā demonstrated her remarkable gift for balancing emotional intimacy with cinematic scale. That same empathy is present throughout Sons of Vao, as she and Manusaute carefully unpack themes of love, grief, inherited trauma, forgiveness, and the enduring hope that time can bring healing. Together, they have crafted a production that constantly surprises its audience through inventive staging, evocative lighting, expressive choreography, and music that naturally intertwines with the drama to create a rich theatrical tapestry.

A Cast of Exceptional Performances

At the centre of the production stands Beulah Koale as the imposing patriarch Vao. Koale delivers an astonishing transformation, embodying a man who has crowned himself king of his household and rules with unwavering authority. There is undeniable charisma beneath Vao’s hardened exterior, but it exists alongside explosive anger, emotional repression, and an inability to express love in the way his family desperately needs. Koale wisely avoids portraying Vao as either hero or villain. Instead, he simply inhabits the contradictions of a deeply flawed man, creating a performance that is nuanced, uncomfortable, and utterly compelling.

Opposite him, Haanz Fa’avae-Jackson, Epine Bob Savea, and Brett Taefu deliver beautifully balanced performances as Vao’s sons, each carrying the emotional scars left by their father’s presence in different ways.

Fa’avae-Jackson’s To is the dreamer of the family—creative, emotionally open, and perhaps the son most profoundly affected by his father’s actions. Bob Savea’s Seki lives firmly within Vao’s shadow, internalising his father’s stoicism and volatility, while Brett Taefu’s Sau provides the family’s unpredictable spark, reacting instinctively to the pressures surrounding him. Together, the trio share a wonderful chemistry that effortlessly shifts between moments of laugh-out-loud comedy and deeply affecting emotional drama.

A Moving Celebration of Storytelling

Sons of Vao is theatre at its most intimate and human. It creates a space for an artist to examine his own life with honesty and vulnerability while inviting audiences to reflect on their own relationships, their own families, and the ways in which love is expressed—or withheld—across generations.

Rich with emotion, cultural identity, humour, and compassion, this is a production that lingers long after the curtain falls.

Sons of Vao is now playing at Auckland Theatre Company until 5 July, and stands as one of the company’s most affecting productions of the year.

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A staple of Auckland’s entertainment calendar, the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival is a place to let loose, unwind, and surrender to the fabulous. With the sparkling, shimmering, walking disco ball of brilliance that is Luke Bird serving as our guide for the evening, audiences were welcomed into the opulent Wintergarden at The Civic Theatre, where a carnival of curiosities awaited.

Dressed in head-to-toe sparkle and shining brighter than a Catherine wheel at full spin, Bird introduced a selection of bold, loud, and luminous acts as part of the festival’s opening gala, All That Glitters.

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Among the highlights was Tomáš Kantor, who delivered a tantalising preview of his award-winning production Sugar — a radically beautiful story of a gender-fluid twink caught up in their own personal Pretty Woman fantasy. Grinding, teasing, and inciting an almost orgasmically enthusiastic musical response from the audience, Kantor effortlessly pulled the crowd into the performance, even designating yours truly as an otter — an honour I gladly accepted. The result is a theatrical, outrageous, and undeniably sexy exploration of love, Grindr, and the importance of trusting yourself. Sugar plays Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June in the Wintergarden.

Next came a decadently delicious serving of boudoir burlesque courtesy of The Velvet Lounge and its ravishing goddesses, Michelle Kasey and Kiki Kisses. Their celebration of glamour, feathers, and scintillating sexuality was enough to turn even Luke Bird straight — for approximately thirty seconds, at least. Sitting front and centre once again proved dangerous, as Kiki made it her mission to make this redheaded reviewer blush with an unforgettable lap dance and a healthy dose of playful mischief. The Velvet Lounge plays Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 July in the Wintergarden.

The festival’s resident tarot-reading songbird Amanda Grace-Lee then took to the stage, transporting audiences with her soaring vocals and magnetic stage presence. Delivering joy, heartfelt storytelling, and powerhouse musicality, Grace-Lee offered a stirring taste of Karaoke Heaven!, a performance that quite literally threatens to raise the roof. Karaoke Heaven! plays Thursday 2 and Saturday 4 July in the Wintergarden.

Of course, no Cabaret Festival would be complete without the drag superstars of Karangahape Road institution Caluzzi Cabaret. The fabulous Anita Wigl’it (Drag Wars, House of Drag, RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under) exploded onto the stage with an all-singing, all-dancing celebration that was bigger, bolder, and more fabulous than ever. With men literally raining from the heavens and a healthy dose of outrageous humour, this special 30th Anniversary event promises to be a standout attraction. Caluzzi Cabaret plays Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June in the Wintergarden.

Bringing All That Glitters to a triumphant close was Simply Brill, featuring three of Australia’s most accomplished cabaret performers — Amelia Ryan, Michaela Burger, and Michael Griffiths. Delivering a vibrant, funny, and deeply moving musical journey through the legendary Brill Building songbook, the trio filled the room with pure 1960s charm, infectious energy, and timeless class. Simply Brill plays Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June.

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Following this sparkling opening showcase, audiences made their way into The Civic’s inner sanctum for Cheeky Cabaret — a riotous, genre-bending celebration of pure debaucherous decadence. Part vaudeville, part circus, part comedy, part burlesque, and very much R18, this deliciously naughty production delights in pushing boundaries. Equal parts shocking and spellbinding, it leaves audiences grinning from ear to ear while marvelling at the extraordinary talent on display.

Running from Wednesday 24 to Saturday 28 June, Cheeky Cabaret is about as far from a vanilla experience as you can possibly get, and this maxed-out spectacle is something you’ll definitely want to experience for yourself.

Delivering a cocktail of absolute splendour straight up, garnished with extravagant energy and a healthy serving of glitter, the Auckland Live Cabaret Festival 2026 is a bawdy, rambunctious, colourful, and utterly sparkling night out. Whether you’re seeking laughter, music, burlesque, drag, or something delightfully unexpected, this year’s festival has it all. And trust me — you won’t want to miss it.

Image: Auckland Live/818

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Written by celebrated playwright Suzie Miller, directed by Priscilla Jackman, and anchored by a sensational solo performance from Heather Mitchell, RBG: Of Many, One chronicles the life and legacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, one of the most influential legal minds of the modern era. The result is a smart, funny, deeply moving piece of theatre that proves both entertaining and thought-provoking in equal measure.

The Story Of A Trailblazer

For many, Ruth Bader Ginsburg became known as the “Notorious RBG” — a pop culture icon whose face launched a thousand memes. But before becoming a cultural phenomenon, Ginsburg was a pioneering lawyer and jurist who spent her life fighting for equality, fairness, and justice under the law.

Miller’s script explores Ginsburg’s extraordinary journey through three defining periods of her later life: her appointment to the United States Supreme Court in 1993, a reflective lunch with President Barack Obama in 2014, and her final years in 2018 as she considers her legacy and the future of the nation she served.

Moving seamlessly between these moments, the production charts the triumphs, challenges, and defining cases that shaped Ginsburg’s career. More importantly, it reveals the woman behind the public image, presenting an intimate portrait filled with intelligence, humour, determination, and heart.

Suzie Miller Brings The Law To Life

Having built an international reputation with productions such as Prima Facie, Miller once again demonstrates her remarkable ability to make legal themes engaging and emotionally resonant.

Rather than simply delivering a theatrical biography, RBG: Of Many, One examines how Ginsburg’s personal experiences informed her legal philosophy. Landmark cases such as Reed v. Reed, Frontiero v. Richardson, and Ledbetter v. Goodyear are woven throughout the narrative, allowing audiences to understand the significance of Ginsburg’s work and the impact it had on generations of women.

The production also tackles Ginsburg’s complex relationship with politics, exploring how a woman who fiercely believed in judicial independence found herself increasingly drawn into America’s political battleground. Throughout it all, Miller balances weighty subject matter with warmth, wit, and humanity, ensuring the play remains accessible and engaging.

Heather Mitchell Delivers A Masterclass

At the centre of the production stands Heather Mitchell, and her performance is simply extraordinary.

Carrying the entire production on her shoulders for 90 uninterrupted minutes, Mitchell commands the stage from the moment she appears. Her portrayal captures every facet of Ginsburg’s character, from ambitious young lawyer to revered Supreme Court Justice, while never losing sight of the humanity that made her such a beloved figure.

Mitchell moves effortlessly between drama and comedy, often drawing big laughs from the audience before pivoting into moments of genuine emotional power. Her physical transformation across the decades is especially impressive, with subtle changes in movement, posture, and voice creating a believable portrait of Ginsburg at different stages of her life.

Adding to the show’s charm is Mitchell’s direct engagement with the audience. Breaking the fourth wall on multiple occasions, she invites viewers into Ginsburg’s story, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and immersive.

A Must-See Theatrical Experience

Blending intelligence, humour, and heartfelt reflection, RBG: Of Many, One succeeds as both an entertaining evening of theatre and a thoughtful examination of one of history’s most influential legal figures.

Suzie Miller’s sharp script and Heather Mitchell’s remarkable performance combine to create a production that is insightful, inspiring, and thoroughly absorbing. Whether you’re familiar with Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s story or discovering it for the first time, this is a theatrical experience that leaves a lasting impression.

Thoughtful, engaging, and powered by a truly exceptional central performance, RBG: Of Many, One stands as one of Auckland Theatre Company’s most rewarding productions of the year.

RBG: Of Many, One is on for a limited season NOW at Auckland Waterfront Theatre.

Image: Auckland Theatre Company

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This year’s programme engages both a mix of local and international works spanning architecture, design, art, photography, and landscape. With each film being an invitation to experience creativity not as something distant, but as a tactile, immediate, and deeply human experience.

Beginning as a boutique offering in 2012 in partnership with Auckland’s Rialto Cinema, the Architecture and Design Film Festival has now grown into a nationwide creative event, and this year’s 15th season is a very special release. Now screening across 13 regions and 14 cinemas, the festival has cemented its place as a cornerstone of New Zealand’s design calendar and has also earned recognition as one of the largest architecture and design film festivals globally.

This year’s festival has been shaped around a thematic focus of innovation, sustainability, and artistic expression, explored through curated strands such as Building for the Community, The Domestic Experience, Light as Form, and Hand-Crafted Worlds.

Some of the standouts of this year’s festival include:

The Great Arch

A lavish feature presentation that examines the journey of infamous architect Johan Otto von Spreckelsen (Claes Bang), and the construction of Paris’ Grande Arche, this intimate French production is a narrative of ambition and artistic integrity, and it will wash over you with a feeling of utter beauty and the heavy dramatic swings that entangle creative passions. Director Stéphane Demoustier and noted Danish actor Claes Bang bring an incredible introspection to the form and workings of the creative mind, and in the character of Johan Otto von Spreckelsen, we find a genius creative forced to work within the limitations of others, and how this affects his very soul.

Deeply moving, and with an incredible layer of cinematic flair, not to mention some of the most gorgeous cinematography and imagery you’re likely to see all year, The Great Arch is a brilliant story of what the creative mind has to endure within the modern world, and how the cost of ambition must sometimes be paid in full.

The Time Traveller’s Guide to Hamilton Gardens

Painting a moving story of Hamilton’s world-renowned Gardens, The Time Traveller’s Guide to Hamilton Gardens is a moving tribute to artistry, nature, and the soul of what a garden should be. Audiences are given a rare insight into how this incredible place and its lavish, awe-inspiring gardens have been created and how they continue to develop, with new concepts and ideas coming to light day by day. Moving and enchanting, The Time Traveller’s Guide to Hamilton Gardens is a documentary that will have you mesmerised by its dream-like imagery and the beautiful gardens revealed before you.

The Harvard 5: A Story of Love, Architecture, and a Design Revolution

Offering a glimpse into a truly one of a kind creative movement, and the birth of American Modernist Architecture, The Harvard 5: A Story of Love, Architecture, and a Design Revolution is an informative and invigorationg documentary that takes audiences into the achievements of a rarified group of architects who choose to break the rules and follow their bliss in the most unlikely place, colonial New Canaan, Connecticut, with the results being utterly world changing. A story of both the creative mind and the passing of time, The Harvard 5 is a celebration of the voice of artistry and the movement it inspired, and this very hip, innovative watch will pull audiences right in.

Curated by Yasmine Ganley and Sara Black in partnership with Rialto Cinemas, the festival maintains a strong commitment to both international excellence and homegrown storytelling. As Ganley notes, this year’s programme blends dynamic feature films with a rich selection of documentaries and shorts, while continuing to champion New Zealand filmmakers.

Delivering inspiration and curiosity, the Resene Architecture and Design Film Festival is a unique cinematic experience, something to be savoured by audiences across its season from April 30 to June 3.

Image: Resene Architecture and Design Film Festival

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Landing nationwide from April 27, the flame-grilled heavyweight is rolling out a limited-time menu inspired by The Mandalorian and everyone’s favourite Force-wielding foundling, Grogu — all in the lead-up to the duo’s big-screen debut this May.

This isn’t just a cheeky tie-in. It’s a full-blown, sauce-dripping, collectable-stacked event.

Built around bold flavours and big-screen energy, the Mandalorian-inspired lineup is pure fast-food escapism. The headline act? The Mandalorian WHOPPER Meal — because of course it is — alongside a Mandalorian Chicken Burger Meal, both packing enough punch to satisfy even the most battle-hardened bounty hunter.

But here’s where it gets dangerous for your wallet (and your shelf space): each adult meal comes with a limited-edition ceramic mug featuring Mando and Grogu. Yes — collectable. Yes — while stocks last. Yes — people will absolutely be hunting these down.

For the next generation of Jedi (or chaos agents, depending on sugar intake), the Mandalorian King Jr. Meal drops with eight collectable figurines — one per meal. It’s classic fast-food toy madness, now dipped in Beskar steel aesthetics.

And naturally, everything arrives wrapped in themed packaging designed to crank the immersion up to eleven. Think less “quick lunch stop,” more “pit stop on a smuggler’s run.”

This campaign isn’t playing small. It’s part of a global push tied to the cinematic rollout of The Mandalorian and Grogu, blending exclusive content, in-store takeovers, and a merch lineup that knows exactly what fans want.

There’s a clear play here: turn your local BK into a mini Star Wars outpost — minus the sand, plus fries.

Burger King isn’t just cashing in on nostalgia — it’s leaning all the way into the spectacle. Big flavours, collectable gear, and just enough theatrical flair to make your next drive-thru feel like a scene out of a galaxy far, far away.

Whether you’re in it for the burgers, the mugs, or the pure novelty of it all, one thing’s clear: This is the way.

Image: Burger King

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After a 2025 season that saw audiences packing out theatres like it was the hottest ticket in town, the festival returns with swagger, style, and a lineup dripping in prestige. We’re talking 24 films, across 24 locations, over four weeks; a full-bodied celebration of everything that makes French cinema so dangerously irresistible.

Following a breakout 2025 season that saw packed theatres and repeat audiences leaning into the festival experience, 2026 arrives with serious momentum. Festival Director Fergus Grady points to a growing appetite among Kiwi audiences for bold, international storytelling, and this year’s programme looks to deliver exactly that – an eclectic mix of box office sensations, Cannes standouts, and award-winning performances.

“The response last year was incredible. We’re seeing audiences really embrace the festival experience, coming back multiple times and trusting the programme to deliver something special each visit. This year’s line-up continues that tradition, with something for everyone to discover,” said Grady.

Opening the festivities for this year is Colours of Time from Cédric Klapisch, a sweeping, emotionally-charged drama that dances between past and present, threading together family legacy, artistic revolution, and the intoxicating spirit of Paris at the dawn of Impressionism. It’s lush, it’s layered, and it’s exactly the kind of film you want to sink into with a glass of red in hand.

But that’s just the entrée.

This year’s programme is stacked with heavy hitters. Pierre Niney brings intensity to Guru, while Angelina Jolie adds international firepower to Couture. While the incomparable Isabelle Huppert delivers ice-cold brilliance in The Richest Woman in the World, diving headfirst into scandal, wealth, and power.

There’s prestige behind the camera too, with François Ozon bringing his signature touch to a reimagined The Stranger, while a bold new take on Les Misérables explores the origins of Jean Valjean with fresh emotional weight.

This isn’t just a film festival – it’s a full-blown cinematic affair. Seductive, stylish, and unapologetically French, the L’Oréal French Film Festival Aotearoa is ready to sweep audiences off their feet all over again.

See the full programme here, and make sure you book your tickets because with a festival of this magnitude, tickets won’t last long. À bientôt au cinéma!

Image: L’Oréal French Film Festival Aotearoa

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A Bold Theatrical Portrait of a Political Icon

Crafted by acclaimed playwright Fiona Samuels and directed with precision by Sophie Roberts, Helen Clark in Six Outfits presents a bold and striking portrait of Helen Clark. Structured as a two-woman show, the play unfolds through six defining fashion moments, blending political insight with sharp comedic timing.

The narrative introduces two versions of Clark: the ambitious young Helen, portrayed by Lauren Gibson, and the seasoned elder Helen, embodied by Jennifer Te Atamira Ward-Lealand. Together, they engage in a dynamic back-and-forth, charting Clark’s ascent through New Zealand’s political landscape; her determination to effect change, her resilience in the face of scrutiny, and her role in breaking glass ceilings.

Sharp Writing Meets Energetic Direction

Samuels’ script is whip-smart and consistently engaging, brimming with clever insights and comedic flair. The decision to anchor the narrative through Clark’s wardrobe proves a masterstroke, adding both visual dynamism and thematic depth. Each outfit becomes a marker of transformation; identity expressed through fabric, colour, and presence.

Roberts’ direction keeps the production moving at a lively pace, infusing the play with energy and spontaneity. There’s an infectious sense of fun throughout, with off-the-cuff humour and theatrical inventiveness ensuring the audience remains fully engaged from start to finish.

Two Performances, One Unified Voice

The production’s success rests firmly on its two leads, and both performers rise to the occasion with remarkable synergy. Ward-Lealand’s elder Clark serves as both narrator and conscience, guiding her younger self through the trials of political life. Her command of Clark’s distinctive voice, combined with impeccable comedic timing, creates a performance that feels both authoritative and warmly engaging.

Opposite her, Gibson delivers a standout turn as the younger Clark. Tasked with embodying the future Prime Minister’s evolution across decades, she brings a vibrant energy and emotional depth to the role. From early idealism to steely determination, Gibson captures Clark’s unwavering self-belief and dedication with striking clarity. Her performance grows in confidence and intensity, making her a true revelation on stage.

Together, Ward-Lealand and Gibson form a seamless partnership, their dual portrayal merging into a single, cohesive voice that captures the essence of Clark’s character.

More Than Comedy: A Conversation on Power and Perception

While Helen Clark in Six Outfits is undeniably sharp-tongued and entertaining, it also carries a deeper thematic weight. The play explores the broader political landscape, particularly the challenges faced by women in positions of power, and the scrutiny that often accompanies leadership.

It invites audiences to reflect on the qualities we value in those we elect, and the barriers that still exist within systems of power. Yet it does so with a lightness of touch; balancing thought-provoking commentary with humour and theatrical flair.

Final Verdict: A Stylish, Spirited Theatre Experience

Filled with energy, colour, and plenty of visual flair, Helen Clark in Six Outfits is a thoroughly enjoyable theatrical experience. It’s a production that delights as much as it provokes, anchored by two exceptional performances that bring its central figure vividly to life.

Smart, funny, and effortlessly engaging, this is a show that pulls you in and keeps you captivated; leaving you both entertained and with something to think about long after the curtain falls.

Helen Clark in Six Outfits is now playing at the ASB Waterfront Theatre.

Image: Auckland Theatre Company/Andi Crown

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To celebrate 19 years alongside one of the NRL’s most passionate clubs—and their red-hot start to the 2026 season—Wendy’s is dropping 10,000 free Deluxe Cheeseburgers nationwide. Yes, you read that right. Ten thousand.

And the catch? You’ll want to be quick.

A Giveaway Worth Showing Up For

Available now, the burger drop is tied to the launch of the brand-new Wendy’s NZ app, which is quickly positioning itself as the ultimate hub for deals, rewards, and daily wins.

From 9am on March 31, fans who download the app can claim a free Deluxe Cheeseburger—first in, first served. It’s a simple play: get the app, get in early, and get fed.

But beyond the headline-grabbing giveaway, this move signals something bigger from Wendy’s—a push toward a more connected, reward-driven experience for its customers.

Built for Fans, Backed by Momentum

For Wendy’s ANZ Chief Marketing Officer Corina Black, the moment is about more than just numbers—it’s about loyalty.
“For nearly two decades, Wendy’s has been a part of the Warriors’ story,” she explains. “With the team off to such a strong start this season, this felt like the perfect time to give something back.”

And that momentum is real. The Warriors’ electric 2026 form has reignited fan energy across the country, making this giveaway feel less like a promotion—and more like a celebration.

Warriors COO of Commercial and Marketing Glenn Harris echoed the sentiment, highlighting the strength of the partnership and the importance of recognising fans along the way.

More Than Just a Free Feed

While the free Deluxe Cheeseburger might be the headline act, the new app is where things really start to heat up.
Alongside exclusive deals and faster ordering, Wendy’s is introducing “Spin to Win”—a limited-time in-app game running from March 23 to April 19. Players can spin once a day for the chance to score free menu items, adding a little extra азарт to the daily scroll.

It’s all part of a broader strategy: more access, more value, and more reasons to keep coming back.

The Bottom Line

This isn’t just a free burger drop—it’s a statement. Wendy’s is doubling down on its connection with Kiwi fans, blending sport, food, and digital convenience into one slick experience.

And with 10,000 burgers up for grabs, there’s never been a better time to get involved.

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Under the guidance of playwright Fiona Samuels and director Sophia Roberts, the production traces Clark’s journey from the charged atmosphere of student protests in the late 1960s and early 1970s through to her leadership of the Labour Party and her tenure as New Zealand’s 37th Prime Minister from 1999 to 2008. It’s a sweeping narrative, but one grounded in personal evolution as much as political transformation.

For Auckland Theatre Company, the decision to bring Clark’s story to the stage was both deliberate and deeply aligned with its mission. Creative Director Jonathan Bielski explains, “I commissioned this play because we are committed to backing our playwrights to write new stories about Aotearoa. I chose the subject of Helen Clark because she has led a big life. In the theatre, we should examine big lives… lives that laid a path, that changed the way we think and live. Clark is all of that and more.”

At its centre are two commanding performances. Jennifer Te Atamira Ward-Lealand embodies the elder Clark, while Lauren Gibson steps into her younger years. Together, they create a layered portrait of ambition, conviction, and resilience, reflecting the choices and motivations that defined Clark’s rise, and her determination to give voice to those often unheard.

Yet Helen Clark in Six Outfits refuses to be a conventional political retelling. Instead, Samuels finds a visually rich and thematically resonant entry point through Clark’s wardrobe. Known for its bold, unapologetic colour palette, her clothing becomes a narrative device in its own right. Gibson’s younger Clark moves through vintage corduroy jackets and bell-bottom jeans, while the now-iconic crimson power suit emerges as a defining symbol of leadership. Here, fashion is more than aesthetic: it’s identity, strategy, and statement, illustrating how image and authority intertwine.

Samuels describes the play’s creative spark with vivid clarity: “The piece of grit came to me as I researched the heck out of my subject. I was struck again and again by the astonishing barrage of criticism she copped while going about her business.” That criticism, she realised, became the story’s antagonistic force. After a period of creative gestation, the concept revealed itself: “It’s the clothes!”, a breakthrough that unlocked the dual structure of the play and its striking theatrical language.

That sense of becoming, of identity forged under scrutiny, is central to Samuels’ script. The production leans into a subtle meta-theatricality, blurring the boundaries between performance and politics, and asking where one ends and the other begins.

Beyond its stylistic flair, the play also aims to ignite meaningful conversation. It confronts the systemic barriers that have long shaped, and often limited, women’s pathways into leadership. At the same time, it celebrates Clark’s resilience in overcoming those constraints, emerging from an era where female leadership was too often dismissed as novelty rather than necessity.

With Helen Clark in Six Outfits, Auckland Theatre Company delivers more than a portrait of a political life; it presents a vivid, stylish, and thought-provoking meditation on power, perception, and the cost of carving out space at the top.

Helen Clark in Six Outfits runs at the ASB Waterfront Theatre from April 7 to April 26.

Image: Auckland Theatre Company/Rachel Sung

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