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Court Cues - October 2025 |
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Dear Friends,
I hope you have all seen The King's Speech. As the reviews say it is ‘spectacular’ so don’t miss it.
The Friends have embarked on a new initiative called the Director's Circle where we have a contract with the director of each show to meet with us. We ran the first of these events with Benjamin Kilby-Henson, director of The King's Speech, and the second one was with Kathleen Burns, director of Wolf Play. These informal evenings have been wonderfully informative and really enjoyed by the guests. The insight and prior knowledge patrons gained before seeing the show was enormous.
The next one will be prior to the opening of the summer musical 9 to 5 The Musical on 10 November with director Ben Freeth. Read on for more details on this event.
Friends guided tours of the theatre are also available and begin on 11 October. They could make quite a good present for people who are hard to buy for. See here for more information.
Ngā mihi
Annie Bonifant
Chair - Friends of The Court Theatre |
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Dolly Parton makes her presence felt on The Court Theatre’s stage |
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Preparations are well underway for the production of this year’s summer musical. It’s 9 to 5 The Musical, based on the 1980 movie of the same name and with music and lyrics by the Queen of Country herself, Dolly Parton. Cheryl Colley gained some inside “goss” on the show from its director, Ben Freeth. |
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Many of us know the first words of the 9 to 5 song – Tumble outta bed and stumble to the kitchen/ Pour myself a cup of ambition – but perhaps not so many of us know much about the show itself. What can the audience expect?
Well, the show tells the story of three female workmates, Violet, Doralee and Judy. Pushed to the absolute end of their patience they concoct a plan to kidnap and get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss – Franklin Hart Jr. With Hart out of the way (no spoilers as to what happens to him!) the women take control of their office and learn there is nothing they can’t do even in a man’s world. The audience watches them as they unlock their own potential and as they celebrate this new empowerment through Dolly Parton’s joyous melodies and lyrics. It’s been called “country gospel music” and I think that sums it up perfectly. |
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Ben Freeth, Director of 9 to 5 The Musical |
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How would you characterise the show and your vision for it?
It’s boisterous and celebratory – a show that is full of life and quite outrageous and absurd as well. I want it to be colourful, bright, over the top and very funny. I was asked back last December if I would direct the show so I have had a long time to think about it. My basic vision is to take the reins off any realism in the piece and give us all the freedom to simply have fun.
How did you decide on your cast?
There is a cast of 20 so it’s a big show. We had 250 applications and carried out auditions in both New Zealand and in Australia. In the Doralee role played by Dolly Parton, we have cast Bianca Paine whom Court Theatre audiences will remember as Nigel Bottom’s love interest, Portia – the Puritan woman – in Something Rotten!. Violet will be played by Hillary Moulder (currently Wallis Simpson in The King's Speech) and newcomer to The Court Theatre, Maya Handa Naff, will portray Judy. Great cast; great talent for a great deal of fun and laugher.
What about the other creatives - set, costumes, lighting and choreography?
It’s been fantastic to work with the talented in-house technicians at The Court Theatre working through our concept for the show. We also have Elizabeth Whiting designing the costumes – that’s very exciting and she is having a ball with the colour palette each of the main characters lives in. My partner Kira Josephson is the choreographer – and there will be some dazzling dancing. She worked on a production of the show in the USA so is very familiar with it. (Incidentally Kira and I met when we were both in The Court Theatre’s production of Legally Blonde so that’s something else I have to thank the theatre for.)
Can you sum up 9 to 5 The Musical?
It’s hilarious and full of personality. It’s about teaming up, standing up and taking care of business – and is likely to be the most fun you will have at the theatre all year!
9 to 5 The Musical is on from 21 November 2025 – 1 February 2026. |
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The Director's Circle |
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This is a new initiative by the Friends of the Court Theatre. It is part of our fundraising programme to support The Court Theatre and its activities.
The first session held in August really set a high bar for the future of this programme.
The Director's Circle is a one-hour session with the director of each forthcoming show. This is an incredible opportunity for you to meet the director, and both learn about, and ask questions about, what happens before the lights go up on opening night!
And you get a complimentary drink!
What a privilege it was to attend the first session where we were treated to a ‘conversation’ with the director of The King's Speech, Benjamin Kilby-Henson, hosted by Kathleen Burns. Benjamin is one of New Zealand’s most well-known and busiest theatre directors. |
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Ably hosted by Kathleen, we were treated to an incredible inside view of the art of the director. Learning about the relationship between the director, the creatives and the cast provided a whole new understanding of how the play comes to the stage.
Ben and Kathleen discussed many aspects of the play as well as the technical details such as the level of speech training required for a play set around King George VI’s speech impediment and the relationship with his Australian speech therapist Lionel Logue. |
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The rapport between Ben and Kathleen was completely engaging and the opportunity to interact and ask questions completely engrossed the group of us who had attended.
If you have not yet seen The King’s Speech, written by David Seidler and directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson, then now is the time to book. The season has been extended to 1 November with opening night receiving a standing ovation and the outstanding reviews means it is selling out fast. Book your tickets here. |
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Our second Director's Circle event held on 6 October was with the director of Wolf Play, our own Kathleen Burns, and hosted by our Artistic Director Alison Walls. Another brilliant evening in this new series of Friends events.
Wolf Play was inspired by a true story and is described as “…a highly theatrical, imaginative piece about the primal need for kinship. It tells a messy, funny, and disturbing story of survival, family, and belonging, focusing on a lone wolf desperately seeking his pack.”
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Kathleen talked about the complexities of producing this work – a work she said that on reading the script brought about a roller coaster of emotions. She described it as a highly intelligent work and in walking us through the process of how it is being directed she certainly whetted our appetites to experience the play.
In conversation with Alison, they also discussed the role of the artistic director in considering how directors are selected as well as casting and working with the creatives, particularly with a script such as Wolf Play that is not bound with specific direction by the playwright but trusts the director to intelligently interpret it.
As with our first event it was a wonderful opportunity to engage with the director and we all hugely appreciated the generosity of engagement by both Kathleen and Alison.
These sessions are a ‘not to be missed’ Friends event so do keep reading for information about our next Director's Circle event.
Wolf Play, written by Hansol Jun and directed by Kathleen Burns, opens on 18 October in the Wakefield Family Front Room and runs to 22 November – I have a feeling it too will book out quickly. Book your tickets here. |
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Don't miss the next Director's Circle with Ben Freeth! |
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After graduating from the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (NASDA) in 2013, Ben took up an internship to appear in The Court Theatre’s summer show that year – The Mikado. He says he has appeared in every summer show since then, except for one. Ben says that over time, being mentored by Lara Macgregor and Ross Gumbley, he picked up directing work as well as acting. He has directed such diverse productions as Crash Bash, Time Machine and Frozen Junior – in fact some 13 different productions in total. Now he is directing his first summer show for The Court Theatre in 9 to 5 The Musical, having only very recently directed the musical Blood Brothers for Showbiz Christchurch – a great success.
Of the shows that Ben has directed, 50% have been musical-based. “I was a musician first before I became an actor. I play trombone and bass guitar and get a great deal of joy from musical theatre”.
Ben says that he gets a thrill out of acting, but in a way there is more reward in the directing role. “It’s a great deal more work than simply acting one part. You need to do much more preparation and be across all aspects of a production, but seeing everything finally come together on stage is quite marvellous”.
Learn more about what it takes to direct a musical in the next Director's Circle presentation on Monday 10 November when Ben will give you a sneak peek into what has been going into bringing 9 to 5 The Musical to the stage. |
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| BOOK NOW |
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Tickets are only $15, including a complimentary drink on arrival.
If you love theatre or are curious about what happens before the lights go up on opening night, this is your chance to find out! |
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The King's Speech |
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We're thrilled that our season of The King's Speech has been extended, due to overwhelming demand! Now closing on 1 November, you have an extra week to experience the inspiring story of King George VI as he fights to find his voice at the time his country needs him most.
If you haven't booked yet, or you want to see it again, this is your chance!
Audiences and critics alike have been raving about the powerful performances and moving storytelling.
"This well-presented production receives a rapturous standing ovation, one of the most enthusiastic receptions of a Court show I can recall." - Erin Harrington, Flat City Field Notes
"With its exceptional performances, meticulous design, and sensitive direction, it has set a new standard for what Christchurch theatre can achieve. This is a triumph in every sense, and a historic moment that will be remembered long after the season ends – a season not to be missed." - Kineta Knight, Chris Lynch Media |
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Concerned about stairs in the new theatre? |
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Are you finding the steepness or number of stairs in the new theatre difficult? Don't worry. There are dozens of seats accessible without the need to use ANY stairs.
Namely:
Row D on the wings
All of row E
The centre block of Row M
The left side of Row P (from the audience's view point)
Some of these seats are on the upper levels but have lift access and a direct, flat walk to seats.
Don't miss your favourite shows because of concerns about stairs. Ring the theatre and book your stairs-free access to great seats.
See you at The Court Theatre soon. |
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