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Court Cues - October 2024 |
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Kia ora
What exciting news. |
The End of the Golden Weather opens on 3 May 2025 |
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In "the best theatre space in New Zealand".
At last we have a date and an opening show for our new theatre. It seems hard to believe that we are nearly there. I remember so well the first glimmers of an idea of having a new theatre 13 years ago and the research and discussions that all took so long. It has been a huge effort by so many.
Ngā mihi
Annie Bonifant,
Chair - Friends of the Court Theatre |
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The Ryman Healthcare 2025 Season Launch |
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Two very festive evenings were held in Tūranga at the end of September to launch the new season of plays to be performed in the new theatre. |
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The assembled crowd, Little Biddy Gin in hand, awaited with bated breath for the huge reveal. The best kept secret of the decade! What shows would we be seeing in the very first season of the new Theatre. A programme that would stand alongside the impressiveness of the theatre itself. The two are inseparably linked. Each of huge importance to the patrons of Christchurch. The space and the show.
Tim Bain and Alison Walls were able to create a climatic crescendo before announcing the answer to the question that everyone wanted to know.
What was the date of the opening of the new theatre and what would the show be? |
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The End of the Golden Weather is to be the showstopper that opens on 3 May 2025.
The announced programme includes a huge variety of highly acclaimed shows from the summer musical Nine to Five, to Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. Members have been sent the full programme. |
| SEE THE SHOWS! |
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Strictly Ballroom The Musical |
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From an interview with Benjamin Kilby-Henson by Annie Bonifant. |
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With the flamboyant and very talented Benjamin at the helm once again, how can we not expect another blockbuster summer musical.
Benjamin directed our last summer musical Something Rotten which had over 23,000 patrons. He is now directing our next musical, Strictly Ballroom The Musical. We are enormously lucky to have such a talented director for the second time this year.
Benjamin was generous enough to share with me some of the inside knowledge about directing this show.
The director’s job appears to be an overarching authority to which the many facets of the show are answerable. It is the conduit of all the other departments. As the Director, Benjamin beavers away over many months prior to the production alongside Musical Director, Richard Marrett. |
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Strictly Ballroom The Musical Director Benjamin Kilby-Henson |
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After all the pre planning the director then gently retreats, and as Benjamin says, “If I’ve done the job well it looks like I haven’t done anything. It will appear seamless. Less experienced directors get too involved when the best bet is to keep out of it.” He likens directing to winding up a spring top and letting the strings unwind hoping for as few bumps as possible.
Kira Josephson, the Choreographer, has been planning with Benjamin for the last 12 months. As Benjamin says there’s no time to make up dances when it comes to the rehearsal period. Dance is such a key part of the production, it’s not just pretty movements, it tells the narrative progress of the show.
Jonny Williams, the well-known champion ballroom dancer and with fame from Dancing with the Stars, will also be assisting with the specialist ballroom choreography. So, the standard of dance will be just as accurate as it possibly can be. |
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Benjamin and Set Designer Dan Williams have worked closely together over the design. Strictly Ballroom The Musical is the last show to be staged at The Shed, so to pay homage to this historical end they wish to pull together the influences of The Shed in their design. The back drop will have an industrial theme to acknowledge and celebrate The Shed as The Court Theatre’s life boat over the last 13 years. Mesh, metal, and the colour red will be used to support this theme.
Strictly Ballroom The Musical is really a cheeky wink to the iconic film Strictly Ballroom. The story, set in the year 1985, (the year Benjamin was born) lampoons the strict world of Australian ballroom dancing where the rules are tantamount.
Blue eye shadow and an orange tan were all part of it. The show portrays the two leads Fran and Scott against the world and to amplify this, the hairstyles and costumes for the rest of the cast are larger than life and certainly larger than that of Fran and Scott. The show will be spectacularly visual and have a mix bag of songs, some we know as well as some new ones.
It has been said that Benjamin is one of the most exciting theatre makers in NZ. He has a willingness to try and a willingness to fail and always leads with collaboration, something that just can’t be overvalued.
Don’t miss the last show to be staged at current The Court Theatre. A show that will end The Shed era with a bang. |
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Murder Mystery on the Tormore Express |
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All aboard the Tormore Express!
The ultimate murder mystery dinner, theatre and train experience, brought to you by Great Journeys New Zealand and The Court Theatre.
By popular demand, we are thrilled that Murder on the Tormore Express is making a return! Step into a 1930s world of glamour and intrigue aboard the train, and indulge in a chef’s choice multi-course dinner with paired beverages. As the murder mystery unfolds around you, you must take on the role of detective and help to solve the crime before the journey ends…
New dates added:
Labour Weekend: 26 October
Perfect for a long weekend entertainment.
New Year’s Eve: 30 & 31 December
Bring in 2025 with an evening of suspense and celebration. |
| BOOK NOW |
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The Elephant in the Room |
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Parking at the new Theatre
I am aware that there have been many questions asked about where to park when we move to the new theatre. There is no dedicated car park I’m sorry, even though we tried so so hard to have one. We have been so spoilt at The Shed that we forget that those who visit the Isaac Theatre Royal, The Piano, The Art Gallery, The Great Hall etc. have had to manage this for years.
I'm sure over time patrons and ushers will work out some clever plans, but in the meantime I can offer some suggestions. I will endeavour to repeat and add to these suggestions in ongoing issues of Court Cues and I welcome any ideas you may have and want to share.
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Street Parking. These parks are often available especially a little further out. Parking is free after 6:00pm Monday to Thursday and after 8:30pm on Friday and Saturday.
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Wilson Parking. There are a number of these nearby in Gloucester Street and Armagh Street. They cost $4.50 per half hour or $3.50 per half hour with the Park Mate App. Take care as some of these have license plate identification cameras and you may be fined if you don’t pay the correct amount. More carparking info can be found here.
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Bus. This is free if you have a Gold Card. The one I catch from Papanui Road stops in Manchester Street and is a very short walk to the theatre. Buses on this route go approximately every 10-15 minutes. You can plan your travel route on this website.
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Bus in then Uber home if it's late and you are concerned about safety. Uber costs me approximately $14.
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Uber from a close non paying car park and share with other ushers or theatre patrons
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Dame Maggie Smith |
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The Court Theatre was very sad to hear of the passing of Dame Maggie Smith.
As a company we are especially grateful for her care towards the city of Ōtautahi Christchurch in the immediate aftermath of the February 2011 earthquake, and in particular, her support as Patron of the fundraising initiative which enabled us to establish The Shed in Addington.
Dame Maggie Smith was one of the absolute greats and an inspiration to many in the industry. A formidable actress, her career has spanned stage and screen, comedy and drama. She combined an undeniable intelligence and finely tuned knowledge of the craft with warmth and comedic wit. Dame Maggie has inspired love and admiration in audiences and fellow artists alike. |
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Dame Maggie Smith |
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A Doll's House reviews |
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Hot off the press! The rave reviews for A Doll's House are rolling in. If you haven't seen it yet, there are only three weeks left to catch this stunningly designed, groundbreaking classic before it departs our stage on 9 November.
"The production that director Melanie Luckman has created is remarkable. The actors keep the audience captivated as the story unfolds. Costuming, based on Norwegian fashion from the time is superbly detailed. The set is magnificent." - Robyn Peers, Independent Reviewer
"Nora’s famous choice to reconsider the parameters of her marriage remains an evergreen interrogation of gender roles and social mores. There is clear artistic value in looking to the canon, alongside more contemporary programming, as the play still feels current 145 years on." - Erin Harrington, Flat City Field Notes
"If it is a mark of classic works for theatre that they speak forcefully to audiences across time and place, it is a mark of maturity and depth of talent in a company that it rises to the challenge of making that happen for a different world. The Court’s current production meets the measure of both." - Lindsay Clark, Theatreview
"A Doll’s House is a profound exploration of human nature, and this production is a masterful depiction of what it means to be both constructed and truly human." - Belinda Cullen-Reid, Backstage Christchurch |
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