July 23, 2012

Wellington Shakespeare Society  

presents  

THE SHOW GOES ON  

by  

Bill Sheat CNZM OBE

Come and hear great arts luminary and historical raconteur Bill Sheat talk about live theatre in New Zealand, particularly Wellington, from the opening of the first purpose built theatre in Manners Street in 1843 down to Ian McKellen performing in Manners Street in 2012.

Turnbull House, Bowen Street, Wellington

Thursday 2 August 2012 7.30pm

WSS Members & SGCNZ Friends $2: General Public $3  

Enquiries to Brian Pearl Ph 479-3983 

Whether it is talking about the long-gone theatre in Manners Street or his aspirations of the shape of the arts in New Zealand, legal system, politics or society in general, Bill Sheat will continue to be a luminary and a ‘star-crossed arts lover’. 

As former Chair of the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Management Committee Downstage Theatre 1964-1974 (President 1965-1968), founding Chairman NZ Film Commission 1978-1985, founding trustee and first chair of the Summer Shakespeare Trust, Chairman Embassy Theatre Trust 1996, an initiating force in establishing the New Zealand Theatre Archive Trust and its founding chair from 1997-2009, Trustee Beeby Foundation for Arts Education 1998 – 2002, Chairman Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand 2007 – present….and much more…Bill’s influence is extensive and highly influential. 

His honours of an OBE 1973, the Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement Award at the Chapman Tripp Awards 2009, a Hunter Fellow by Victoria University of Wellington in 2010, and more recently CNZM, only begin to reflect the esteem in which he is held.