Escape! festival in Tauranga - Peter Gordon, Nicky Pellegrino and Michael Hurst star

The full programme for this year’s Escape! festival in Tauranga, New Zealand, is being launched on April 27, although tickets to three shows – two of them with a food theme – go on general sale tomorrow (April 19).

“We are breaking with tradition by putting tickets on general sale before the programme launch,” Escape! director Claire Mabey says, “but we know these performances will create a buzz and decided to help people plan their long weekend by opening sales on Tuesday, April 19.”

The books-focused festival, under the umbrella of the biennial Tauranga Arts Festival, takes place from June 3-6 (Queen’s Birthday weekend).

Peter Gordon, whose new book Savour is published on May 2, will be in conversation with Jesse Mulligan, restaurant reviewer for Viva (NZ Herald) and Afternoons host on Radio NZ, on Saturday, June 4.

The Whanganui-born chef – who created his first cookbook aged 4 –  owns two restaurants each in London and Auckland and appears regularly on television around the world, as well as being a consultant to Air New Zealand. He is renowned for his inventive flavour combinations sparked by extensive travels, including a year in Asia.

Nicky Pellegrino spent childhood holidays in her father’s native Italy and it was memories of the kitchens and food of Italy that provided the setting and story for her first novel – and the eight that have followed.

An Italian-theme morning tea on June 6 will celebrate both Pellegrino’s heritage and her books, including Under Italian Skies which was published simultaneously on April 12 in New Zealand, Australia and Britain. The story tells of an Englishwoman – a long-time trusted assistant to a fashion designer – who swaps her London flat for an Italian villa … and falls in love with the owner’s life.

“I always think I’m going to write a love story, but end up writing about friendship, particularly female friendship,” says Pellegrino, who will be in conversation with Claire Mabey at the morning tea.

No Holds Bard reweaves some of Shakespeare’s words and characters into a new story – Hamlet contemplating whether to be or not to be, with the help of Lear, Macbeth and Othello!  Hurst,(right), a well-known television and stage actor and director, has won praise for his physicality, passion and humour in this show. He is offering students studying Shakespeare a Q&A session after the matinee on June 3.

No Holds Bard: Friday, June 3, 1pm (student tickets $25 or a group discount of $10 is also offered); and Saturday June 4, 8pm, $35.

Peter Gordon: Saturday June 4, 11.30am, $20.  

Morning tea with Nicky Pellegrino: Monday, June 6, 10am, $55.

Tickets from April 19 from Ticketek, www.ticketek.co.nz or Baycourt Theatre box office in Tauranga (booking fees apply). Shows are at Baycourt in central Tauranga.

The full programme will be available at www.taurangafestival.co.nz on April 28.