January 30, 2012

THE STATE OF PLAY IN NEW ZEALAND  

RUTH SPENCER 
Sunday Star Times, 29 Jan 2011  

The sound of hammers temporarily drowns out the Court Theatre’s artistic director Ross Gumbley. In The Shed, the Court’s brand new Christchurch premises, the public spaces are finished, but behind the scenes the work continues. The challenge of opening a new theatre has been met with “the optimism that’s normally reserved for 1950s Cliff Richard movies”, says Gumbley as sawing commences in the background. Performing the new Roger Hall play A Shortcut to Happiness to sold-out houses in their 400-seat converted grain store, Gumbley says the Court is doing its best “to make life in the new normal more palatable”.

The Court’s determined resurrection is a microcosm of the theatre industry’s rebuilding and rejuvenation after a difficult year for the arts in 2011. While Christchurch faced the physical destruction of many of its venues by earthquake, around the country the lingering effects of the recession and the Rugby World Cup contributed to a nationwide struggle for attention from a cash-strapped and distracted audience.

Diversification of both audience and performance style is proving key to the survival and growth of established companies. Auckland Theatre Company’s Participate programme of community-accessible workshops and productions is designed to “make theatre and the theatre experience accessible to a much wider range of the general public”, says artistic director Colin McColl, citing Michael Hurst’s recent production of TS Eliot’s The Waste Land, featuring a cast of 33 senior citizens. “It’s getting people convinced that it’s worth it,” says Hurst. [More]