Kia ora 

On the first day of spring, we celebrated our last big fund raiser for the new theatre,

PLAY YOUR PART.

The event was held in Tūranga where we were able to look out over the fast-evolving theatre whilst imbibing on Scapegrace Gin Cocktails and nibbling on White Tie delicacies.

We were there to raise $150,000, having agreed to sponsor the VIP room in the new theatre at a sum of $250,000. With two generous commitments already in hand we now need to raise the final amount.

The names of the generous Friends who donate will be proudly displayed on a wall in the Friends VIP Room at the new theatre. We'll also share them in our next Court Cues. 

Ross Gumbley, a 40-year Court veteran, shared insights on the new theatre's journey.

Capital Campaign Manager Carolyne Grant and her team efficiently managed the festive evening. The Campaign Committee is proud to announce that they are close to achieving their $12m fundraising goal.

You, as The Friends of The Court, have remained the steadfast heart and soul of The Court Theatre for the past half-century, and your enduring presence promises to illuminate The Court for another five decades.

While staff and boards may come and go, you, dear Friends, stand as the enduring pillars. This profound truth was underscored as Ross Gumbley led a poignant count of decades, revealing the longstanding commitment of many among us, a testament to your unwavering dedication.

Ngā mihi

Annie Bonifant,
Chair - Friends of the Court Theatre

You ARE The Court Theatre – its life blood - so please if you have not already generously done so, show this commitment and love by digging deep in your pockets and help in raising the funds needed for your room. 

The Friends VIP Room will be our space, an area for the Friends of The Court Theatre to gather, support and celebrate our love of theatre.

For information on how to donate to the Play Your Part campaign for the Friends VIP Room,

click here.

Or you can donate by clicking here and a receipt will be issued in moments.

Your Feedback

In the last edition of Court Cues, we acknowledged the Friends who had responded to The Friends of The Court Survey 2023.  Again, thank you and while analyses is on-going as there is a lot to work through, we can provide some early survey information.

380 Friends, including 123 Ushers, responded which is a great response and has provided us with a rich and representative data set. In addition to reasons for being a Friend 48% of respondents made additional comments and we are working through these at present to see if there are any patterns.

148 (39%) of respondents indicated that they had attended at least one Friends event in the prior 12 months.

Equally noteworthy is the extensive tenure of our ushers, with nearly half of them generously dedicating their time for up to a decade. An additional 23% have shown unwavering commitment for 11 to 20 years, another 23% for an impressive 21 to 40 years, and a remarkable 5% surpassing even that extended period. Such steadfast dedication and loyalty are truly commendable!!

One other exciting facet of the survey responses is that 40% of respondents indicated that they would like to volunteer to assist The Friends & The Court Theatre in their activities. 

This is great news and work is already underway to ensure we make the most of this generosity.

More information will be forthcoming – watch this space!

Every year, the Friends of the Court provide the sponsorship for a play. This year, we were given the opportunity to sponsor a children’s show for the first time. Your committee happily accepted this proposal and decided that the recipients would be children from the community who might not otherwise get an opportunity to see live theatre. These groups were identified, and 19 invitations sent out to selected groups.

An overwhelming response ensued. We were delighted that the week before the Gala on 26th, 320 tickets had been physically distributed to 12 schools and organisations. This turned out to be an unexpected PR exercise in promoting The Court.

At the Gala, 198 very happy folk attended the show’s dress rehearsal. It was extremely well received, well staged, well-acted and a delight to attend. “This was fun.” “I’ve never been here before.” “Can we take treats in as well?”, were just some of the many examples of the pleasure this production gave.

Some patrons had come by bus, some took an Uber to get to the theatre, but they were determined to get there. One poignant moment for organiser Pat Braithwaite was in chatting to a young migrant mum. Her husband had been killed in the Mosque shooting and yet she was facing life with a young family with strength, graciousness and courage and so very happy to be included in our production.

A Memorable Tour

One of our ushers, Anne Scragg, has shared news of an upcoming 14-day tour of England entitled ‘A Literary Pursuit - Homes of the Authors’ in May of next year led by Bruce Harding and Richard Scragg. With various renowned playwrights included, their brochure describes some of the highlights:

• Visit homes (both grand and humble) where some of the greatest works of English literature were created.

• Be accompanied throughout by knowledgeable and entertaining guides.

• See (but unfortunately not touch) hand-written manuscripts of some of our most famous writers.

• Stand alongside the writing desk where Jane Austen penned her novels.

• Attend outstanding theatrical productions as part of the tour.

• Be transported back to your childhood as we visit Hill Top farm, pass through the area that inspired the Hundred Acre Wood and see where Ratty and Toad had their adventures.

• Travel extensively and in comfort with others who also have a love of literature.

• Take refreshments in famous hostelries frequented by writers such as Charles Dickens, Dr Johnson, Tolkien, C S Lewis, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and countless others.

The Court Theatre
Bernard Street
Addington
Christchurch 8140
New Zealand
Freephone: 0800 333 100 | Box Office: 963 0870
Email: friends@courttheatre.org.nz
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