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Court Cues - April 2026 |
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Dear Friends,
We held our Annual General Meeting on Monday 13th April, the first in our new premise with approximately 50 guests attending. There was a special welcome made to Ainsley Walter, Mark Stewart, Steve Wakefield, Steven van der Pol, Richard Aindow, theatre staff, members and guests.
The business of the night included the Chair’s report and the Treasurer’s reports. These can be found on the website.
Two new members were appointed to the committee, Simon McDermott and Anthea Franks, with Carolyne Grant, Cheryl Colley and Raewyn Raynel retiring.
Simon McDermott was appointed as the new Treasurer and Sam McArthur as the new Secretary.
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Richard Aindow spoke and thanked the Friends for their ongoing invaluable support.
Thank yous were made to two retiring ushers, Erica Bennett and Sue Alexander (Annie’s sister), and presented with flowers for their 48 years of devoted service. Lynn Vandertie was thanked and presented with flowers after her extraordinary seven years in the role as Treasurer. She has been persuaded to remain on the committee in spite of ill health. |
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Guests at the AGM |
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Cheryl Colley was thanked for her exceptional service to The Court Theatre. Her decades of representation as a Friends Committee member beginning in 1980, her time on the Trust Board, and her service of four decades as an usher.
Ainsley Walter concluded the evening as the guest speaker.
She, along with Mark Stewart and Dame Adrienne Stewart, are The Court Theatre's major sponsor with the auditorium proudly bearing their name the Stewart Family Theatre.
Ainsley spoke about those who are true givers, indicating those in the room. She asked where would we be without volunteers. She said Christchurch is the most vibrant city in New Zealand with The Court Theatre as the Jewel in the Crown. The Stewart family are so proud to support what they love and admire.
Ngā mihi
Annie Bonifant
Chair - Friends of The Court Theatre |
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Cheryl Colley being thanked for her long service |
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Sue Alexander being thanked for her long service |
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Annie Bonifant and guest speaker Ainsley Walter |
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Guest speaker Ainsley Walter |
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Patron Ben Gough with Ainsley Walter and Annie Bonifant |
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Tim Bain's departure |
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Tim Bain is leaving us after a 22-year association at The Court Theatre. In 2004 he was an ambassador as part of the Education programme, following that he worked in Front of House, Stage Management, Props, Costume, as Operator, Production Manager, Director, and most recently Associate Artistic Director.
Tim is hitting the road in Australia with Come Alive! The Greatest Showman Circus Spectacular as their Company Manager with GMG Productions.
His farewell party was held in the Foundation Room on 26th March. The anecdotes and hilarity from the circle of people in the room who had worked with him was evidence of how much he was loved, teased, and enjoyed in his many roles. We wish him all the best on his new exciting endeavour. He will be greatly missed and we hope one day he will return to us. |
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Wahine Mātātoa opens this weekend |
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Step behind the scenes of Wāhine Mātātoa: The (Mostly) True Story of Erihāpeti Pātahi and you’ll discover a soundscape that’s as powerful as the story itself. Music plays a vital role in shaping the world of the play, from the haunting call of ancient instruments to the guiding presence of a live kaitiaki (guardian) on stage. |
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Here’s a closer look at how ngā taonga puoro (Māori musical instruments) bring this kōrero (story) to life.
Ngā taonga puoro is a collective term for a whole range of Māori ancestral instruments that have been revived over the past few decades after falling silent for generations. Part of the reason for the decline was due to missionary influence, as the instruments were used to communicate with atua (gods), and as part of traditional rituals and cultural practices. |
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Playwright Cindy Diver has written live taonga puoro into her script, and in this Court Theatre production of Wahine Mātātoa, local player and composer Ariana Tikao has created the taonga puoro score to enhance key moments in the play.
Culturally significant uses of taonga puoro include important announcements, e.g. where the pūkāea trumpet is used to broadcast the news of births, and the pūtātara is used to declare journeys; and other taonga such as pūtōrino and pūmotomoto flutes are played to accompany mōteatea and karakia. The pahū pounamu is also a sound heard throughout the play to emphasise times of transition, as well as punctuating key moments. You will also hear some of the voices of Ariana’s taonga within the layers of the pre-recorded sound design.
Ariana’s role is also as kaitiaki, and her presence on the stage acts as a kind of spiritual guardian over the characters, observing from another realm, but always present. The show begins and finishes with karakia performed by Ariana which lends a sense of cultural safety, and acts a container in which to experience this powerful kōrero tuku iho.
Wāhine Mātātoa: The (Mostly) True Story of Erihāpeti Pātahi is on from 18 April - 9 May 2026. |
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The Court Jesters join the New Zealand International Comedy Festival |
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As the New Zealand International Comedy Festival looks to expand further into the South Island in the coming years, the team behind the Festival happily reached out to the Jesters to get involved.
Their inclusion in this year’s Comedy Festival programme reflects both the Festival’s broader ambitions and the Jesters’ strong reputation within New Zealand’s wider comedy scene.
As part of the Festival, the Jesters will perform in the Comedy Gala on 3rd May at the Christchurch Town Hall. The Gala is a key event in the Festival calendar, showcasing a wide range of comedic talent from across the country and we're thrilled to be a part of it.
The Jesters are performing throughout May: every Friday as usual and also their season of Death at Murder Manor - a fully improvised murder mystery from 7 - 16 May.
Full show details are available on the NZ Comedy Festival’s official website and of course, our own Court Theatre website. |
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New usher seats are on the way! |
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There’s something quietly special about the people who welcome you in, guide you to your seat, and shape your night at the theatre. And as a Friend, you’re part of that story. For many of you, that also means being one of our extraordinary ushers; for others, it’s the shared love of what happens here.
Our brand-new usher seats are on their way from the UK, and this is your chance to have your name etched into the Stewart Family Theatre. For $1,500, you can dedicate a seat for 10 years with a message that’s meaningful, memorable, or a little bit playful — a name, a tribute, a family legacy, even an inside joke.
Last year, almost 400 ushers gave a huge voluntary contribution. This is a chance to honour that contribution and to quite literally take your seat in the theatre, in support of the people who make every visit feel like coming home.
If you're interested in having your name on one of our new usher seats, please contact Sophie Hicks, Partnerships and Development Manager, at sophie.hicks@courttheatre.org.nz. |
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Ushering by numbers |
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Annual statistics for 2025 revealed that Court Theatre Ushers now number almost 400. Last year they performed their duties over the course of 418 performances and events with a total of 3425 usher shifts that added up to 11,598 volunteer usher hours. This was obviously of huge advantage to the theatre saving approximately $335,774 in terms of the living wage.
Where would we be without our ushers? |
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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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