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Kia ora
I hope you are keeping warm and happy in these rather gloomy winter days.
Thank you so much to those wonderful people who supported our major fundraiser, Mark Hadlow Unleashed.
What a night! Delicious food sponsored by White Tie, Little Biddy Gins, very generous sponsored prizes for the silent auction and raffles, and then Mark Hadlow the man himself full of fun and good humour.
We had a spectacular night and The Friends, in equal partnership with The Court Theatre, raised a total of $46,000. The Friends will receive a total of $16,293.79 (after costs).
Ngā mihi
Annie Bonifant,
Chair - Friends of the Court Theatre
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Annie Bonifant, Mark Hadlow, Jenny May, & Ben Gough
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A note from Gretchen La Roche - Executive Director
I was very fortunate to grow up in Gisborne (Turanganui-a-kiwa) in a madly arts and sports loving family. My mother, who is from Christchurch originally, is an excellent pianist and my father was a local retailer operating a sports and music shop.
Despite this creative environment, my interest in music developed slowly and it wasn’t until very late in my high school years that I determined I wanted to try and make a career as a professional clarinettist. After completing post graduate studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London I remained there for a time, working with the London Symphony Orchestra and Royal Philharmonic. New Zealand called however and I returned to play with the Auckland Philharmonia before moving to Christchurch
as Principal Clarinet with the CSO.
I have always had a fascination with the working behind the scenes of the arts and so it wasn’t too long before I was delving into arts management, initially working for the CSO developing their Community Engagement Programme before joining Creative New Zealand (the first time) and later The Court Theatre. It was a delight to work as CEO for the CSO, especially during the immediate post-quake years and a privilege to see it into its new home within the Town Hall. Most recently I have been CEO with Chamber Music New Zealand before moving to Creative New Zealand where I led the review of their contestable investment programmes.
I am absolutely thrilled to be back in Christchurch and working for The Court Theatre. I am so proud to be part of the organisation, to be working in the city I love and enjoying the vibrancy and energy of our communities.
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A Night to Remember: Mark Hadlow Unleashed!
On 9 June, The Court Theatre and Friends of The Court Theatre hosted a spectacular fundraiser, Mark Hadlow Unleashed. This unforgettable cocktail event featured an array of drinks and canapés, setting the stage for a mesmerizing 90-minute show with the legendary Mark Hadlow. Joined by the charismatic MC Ross Gumbley and a lineup of special guests who've shared the spotlight with Mark throughout his illustrious career, the evening was a delightful blend of storytelling, songs, and behind-the-scenes insights into life at The Court Theatre.
We were thrilled with the turn out, and the atmosphere was electric as we celebrated
our final year in The Shed. Thanks to our generous audience on the night, we raised nearly $4,000 from the raffle and over $8,000 from the Silent Auction. The show culminated in a well-deserved standing ovation, a fitting tribute to Mark's captivating performance and the incredible support from all who attended. We would like to give a standing ovation to all of you who attended the evening.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Mark Hadlow for his exceptional showmanship, his wonderful guests, Little Biddy for providing the exquisite gin and tonics, and White Tie for the delectable canapés. Your contributions made the evening truly special.
Thank you for supporting The Court Theatre. Here's to many more unforgettable nights in the years to come!
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MC Ross Gumbley, Yvonne Martin, Eilish Moran, & Mark Hadlow
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Mark Hadlow singing a duet with his daughter Olivia
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Mark Hadlow & MC Ross Gumbley
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Pre-show buzz in the foyer
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The Court Theatre Usher Awards 2024
In partnership with our 2024 season sponsor, Ryman Healthcare, on 16 June we celebrated The Court Theatre’s Annual Usher Awards, marking the start of Aotearoa New Zealand’s National Volunteer Week.
The Court Theatre has around 360 passionate and dedicated Ushers who give their time to The Court Theatre for each and every performance, including main stage performances, children’s performances, Education Showcases and Scared Scriptless.
Our Ushers scan tickets, welcome guests, guide patrons to their seats and work the Coffee Bar.
They are hugely valuable to The Court Theatre and make sure all our patrons have a fantastic night out when they visit. They do an incredible job of being the face of The Court Theatre and provide an excellent service to those who attend our performances.
AWARDS:
The Court Is Your Second Home Award: Elizabeth Grubb
Emergency Response Award: Janette Philp
Can-Do Award: Marisa Donnithorne
Perpetual Smile Award: Phil Roulston
Generosity Of Spirit Award: Louise Manson
Rookie Of The Year Award: Amanda Cairns
Ryman Healthcare People’s Choice Award: Elisabeth Cooch
The Friends Of The Court Team Of The Year Award: Team McKay: led by Chief Usher – Fern McKay. The team is: Louise Manson, Alan Warne, Bridget Copeland, Felicity Richards, Janice Gardiner, Pegger Dilger, Viv Ellis, Heather
Hazeldine and Helen Fahy
Huge congratulations to all the winners and thank you to Ryman Healthcare for supporting the Usher awards and the 2024 show season.
Thank you to all our incredible ushers for attending The Court Theatre Usher Awards and joining us for a celebratory glass of bubbles and some afternoon tea.
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The Court Theatre’s Garage Sale
Coffee sales began at 8am for the hardened souls who were already queuing on the sunny but chilly Canterbury morning. By 12:30pm, 1262 people had raced to retrieve their prized Court Theatre artefact contributing to almost $40,000 in funds raised for The Court Theatre.
An enormous thank you to the 38 Volunteers who sorted and priced items in the three days leading up to sale day and assisting on the day. Staff were enormously grateful for your time, passion and, most of all, your energy. 160 volunteer hours were clocked in over the four days.
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Stage Snippets
The recent Broadway production of Appropriate just won the TONY Award for Best Revival of a Play. Sarah Paulson also won the TONY for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play, and Jane Cox won for Best Lighting Design of a Play for their work on Appropriate.
(The TONYs are a little like the Oscars for live theatre.)
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