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Court Cues - December 2025 |
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Dear Friends,
The first year in our new home is drawing to a close and I feel we will go out with a ‘bang’ dancing and singing in the aisles. 9 to 5 The Musical, our summer musical is proving to be very popular, coming hard on the heels of the hugely successful The King's Speech.
Our Director's Circle, started a few months ago, is proving very popular. Patrons are keen to seek that little bit of inside knowledge before we see a show. Don’t miss the next one with Kathleen Burns, Director of The Importance of Being Earnest, on Monday 9 February 2026. More information below.
We have recently welcomed Samantha McArthur as a new member onto the committee. Samantha also holds the role of our Honorary Solicitor.
I hope you have a relaxed and happy Christmas and holiday time.
Ngā mihi
Annie Bonifant
Chair - Friends of The Court Theatre |
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The 2026 Season |
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Our new season was launched on Monday 3 November, with two back to back events filling the Stewart Family Theatre. |
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The excitement and interest was palpable.
As Richard Aindow says, “The past six months have shown us what is possible when theatre is once again at the heart of the city. The whole community have embraced our new home with warmth and curiosity”. 500 people eager to be the very first to know what they were going to be able to see next is certainly proof of this.
We were presented with a very polished performance beginning with each head of department speaking on video about the theatre and their role in it, followed by Alison Walls and Tim Bain the Artistic Directors on stage presenting each of the new shows as they appeared on the screen. |
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As you will see in the very beautifully presented season brochure or online, the variety of shows has something for everyone. From the classical The Importance of Being Earnest, to the humorous reimagining of Shakespeare’s Richard III, to the musical which is also a reimagining of Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance. In the middle of the year is the more sobering and highly acclaimed production of Let The Right One In, adapted by Jack Thorne who also created the highly renowned TV series Adolescence.
Wow what an exciting season we have ahead of us. |
| VIEW THE 2026 SHOWS |
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Behind the scenes of 9 to 5 The Musical |
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Many Court Theatre regulars will be familiar with the Forum that accompanies each show. This Q&A session early in each run provides an opportunity to bring out the cast, backstage crew and creatives for an informative session that is much appreciated. 9 to 5 The Musical was no exception, thanks in part to the presenting skills of our Associate Artistic Director and member of the show crew, Tim Bain.
We asked him to describe for the Friends some of the more interesting aspects of this particular production. In his words:
Arguably the biggest show of the year (52 performances in fact), here are a few tidbits that are very much ‘IYKYK’ (if you know you know) in case you missed the Q&A session for 9 to 5 The Musical.
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It is indeed the real Dolly Parton’s voice at the beginning and end of the show
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The confetti drop is 1.8kgs worth every night
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The show was rehearsed for just five weeks plus a production week
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During production week, there was a 48 hour period where only three of those hours the space wasn’t worked in
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The ensemble cast all cover other roles in the show, so they just don’t learn their own stuff, they learn other characters too. For example, Amy Straker has learnt her own role PLUS the role of Violet
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There are also ‘swings’, who learn more than one role and cover many parts of the ensemble
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It took 78 people working full time to get it to opening night and then each night 30 people make it happen on stage
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A person is hidden inside the Xerox machine to make it do its ‘trick’
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The act one finale uses a counterweight system with another human at the other end to make it happen
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There are around 1000 individual lighting cues in the show that are all time coded with the music
These are just a fraction of the numbers that bring 9 to 5 The Musical to life each and every night.
If you haven't seen it yet, what are you waiting for?! Tickets are selling fast, you don't want to miss this one. |
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Catch up with Ross Gumbley |
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Previously a very familiar figure around the theatre and more recently featuring in Roger Hall's End of Summer Time, we approached Ross Gumbley for an update on his activities. |
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He replied:
“I’m still trying to fill the enormous void that the opening of the new theatre, and the end of 22 years on the bounce at The Court Theatre, created for me personally. That 22 years, starting in 2003 when I became Associate Artistic Director, was such a privilege and I look back on those unreasonably eventful years with real humility and a keen sense of gratitude. I’m a free-lancer again these days and, as such, a gun for hire. I spend my time giving speeches, writing, taking whatever work comes my way and being a committed father to my feisty family. I’ve just directed Hound of the Baskervilles for Rep and it was such a satisfying experience and one that meant so much more than just another directing credit on my CV. I feel revitalised and look forward to taking on the next creative challenge in my life, whatever that may be!” |
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Ross Gumbley in End of Summer Time earlier this year |
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Don't miss the next Director's Circle – a cosy evening where you can get a sneak peek at what goes into making our next big show, The Importance of Being Earnest.
Director Kathleen Burns will be sitting down for a chat about the production and what really goes into bringing shows like this to the stage.
Tickets are only $15, including a complimentary gin and tonic on arrival thanks to our friends at Little Biddy.
6pm, Monday 9 February 2026 |
| BOOK NOW |
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Fellows and Associates' Lunch |
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Of the twenty fellows of the Court Theatre, nine gathered at Fiddlesticks on Tuesday for an end of year lunch.
Fellows, or Associates as they were originally named, is an honour given to those who have given exceptional service to The Court Theatre over time.
This was a very happy occasion with much laughter and anecdotes from the past. |
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Take Your Seat in the Wakefield Family Front Room |
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Every seat tells a story. And now, one of ours can tell yours. |
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Welcome to the front row of bold theatre. The intimate, inventive space of the Wakefield Family Front Room at The Court Theatre. This is where daring ideas come to life, new voices are heard, and audiences meet stories in unexpected ways.
For $1,000 for a seat or half a bench, or $2,000 for a whole bench, you can secure your very own engraved seat and help support the next generation of live theatre, ensuring Ōtautahi Christchurch continues to have a vibrant, inclusive hub for creative expression. Choose your seat, leave your legacy, and let one of these stories be yours. |
| TAKE YOUR SEAT |
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Sir Tom Stoppard |
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Sir Tom Stoppard, one of the UK’s best-known playwrights, has died peacefully at home in Dorset, surrounded by his family, aged 88.
Stoppard was one of the most internationally performed dramatists of his generation and has been critically compared with William Shakespeare and George Bernard Shaw. Recipient of numerous awards in the course of his career, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1997, while the present monarch King Charles III and Queen Camilla have said they were "deeply saddened" by the death of "one of our greatest writers”. |
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Over the years The Court Theatre has featured his work amongst its productions, including Travesties, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, The Real Thing, and his translation of Chekhov’s The Seagull. |
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Friends' Lounge Hire |
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Did you know you can book the Friends' Lounge for exclusive hosting? This intimate and cosy space is perfect for meetings, strategy sessions or pre-show hosting. This space can include AV, seating and a private bar service or sideboard self-service option catered to your very request - giving you a relaxed atmosphere for hosting.
To book this space at our Friends of The Court Theatre special rate please reach out to Hannah via events@courttheatre.org.nz.
Capacity: 37 pax
Floorspace: 37m2
Availability: Exclusive preshow hosting or venue space hire |
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Do you have some time you could give us? |
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We are looking for someone with financial and computer skills who could work with our treasurer. Accounting skills would be ideal but not essential.
Please email us and I can get back to you with any questions or details. friends@courttheatre.org.nz. |
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