TheatreFest
Theatre New Zealand, supported by Christchurch City Council, presents eight of the best from Aotearoa’s community theatre groups at TheatreFest National ShowCase.
The festival takes place 9 -10 September in the Christchurch Girls’ High School Auditorium. Community theatre teams have been vying for a place at ShowCase in keenly contested preliminary festivals across the motu since early July. More than 50 theatre companies have performed their plays and musicals to win a special place in the Ōtautahi Christchurch national festival. Running alongside the ShowCase will be workshops led by experts in their fields.
“Those selected to assemble in Christchurch represent the best in community theatre,” says Paul Percy, President of Theatre New Zealand.
“Don’t think amateur, these teams will shift your perception of what community means to theatre (and what theatre means to community) up and down the country,” Paul says.
Theatre New Zealand has an 80-year legacy with the ShowCase held in many cities, towns, and provinces.
Ōtautahi Christchurch last hosted the national festival in 2000 when the local team Oily Rag Theatre Company gained top performance. More recently,
Rangi Ruru Girls’ School shone in the ShowCase in Wellington 2018 with Girls Like That by Evan Placey.
The TheatreFest process welcomes any theatrical production, regardless of genre, style or author and can include music and dance. Innovative and challenging content is encouraged, and cultural and ethnic diversity is celebrated. All performances are commented on by accredited members of the Association of New Zealand Drama Adjudicators.
This is intended to be a constructive and educative process for both the teams and the audience, allowing for growth and development as teams progress from year to year.
Venue – Christchurch Girls’ High School
Saturday 9 September 6-9pm to
Sunday 10 September 2-6pm
Tickets for ShowCase and Workshops are available through Eventfinda.
www.eventfinda.co.nz/2023/theatrefest-national-showcase-workshops/christchurch
