It’s almost that time of the year – The Court’s brand-new Meridian Energy 2019/2020 mainstage season kicks off this August!
The season begins with The Father, an absorbing story of dementia starring one of our best actors, Mark Hadlow. This international sensation promises a profoundly moving experience at the theatre that shouldn’t be missed.
Up next is Kiwi comedy The Pink Hammer, a heart-warming play about an all-women woodworking workshop that goes hilariously awry.
Rounding out 2019 is Pasifika comedy Fresh Off the Boat, written by Oscar Kightley and Simon Small. Exploring the tribulations of culture-clash in a hilarious yet confronting fashion, this affecting story is the last play before The Court’s summer season of The Wind in the Willows. This magical adaptation is a whimsical production that offers fun for the whole family.
Welcoming us into 2020 is Pulitzer winning drama A Streetcar Named Desire. This American classic will have audience members glued to their seats in a riveting and dangerous night out at the theatre.
The Court Supporters are the proud sponsors of the next show, brand-new Kiwi comedy, Lysander’s Aunty. Lovingly mixing the world of Shakespeare with the Kiwi bush, this quirky play is magical, inventive and excitingly radical.
Hir promises to light a fire on the mainstage with its captivating and caustic dark humour. An international hit, this breathless piece of theatre (starring Eilish Moran!) takes a blow-torch to the status quo.
Finally, beloved musical Rent will showcase the musical talents of The Court, as Lara Macgregor directs this ground-breaking drama about a group of artists struggling and striving to follow their dreams in New York City.
In The Forge at The Court, audiences can expect their favourite regular performances of Scared Scriptless, The Early Early Late Show and A Christmas Carol, alongside two new plays that speak to our need to be kind to one another – starting with The Arsonists. Full of haunting music performed live on-stage, this swelling, poetic drama explores the bond between parent and child.
Similarly family-focused, bittersweet comedy Au Ko Tuvalu is returning in September after its sell-out performance in our Ē Toru development season. Offering an essential and evocative story around climate change, this Pasifika play is sure to melt even the coldest of hearts.
There’s plenty of magic for the kids, too, in brand-new plays The Princess and the Frog (and the Robber!); Escape from Haunted House; The Ferocious Animals Petting Zoo; and The Pied Piper, all designed to ignite a love of theatre in our littlest audience members.
Last but not least are the productions performed by our Court Youth Company (Boudica and Brainstorm) and our rehearsed reading series, Fresh Ink.