One of the questions we hear from people relocating to New Zealand is: what is the theatre scene like?
If you are moving from a city such as New York, London or Beijing, the scale will probably feel different. New Zealand has a much smaller population, so you won’t find the same volume of productions running at the same time.
But smaller does not mean less interesting.
For newcomers, theatre can be a surprisingly good way to get to know New Zealand. Alongside international touring productions, there are opportunities to see local plays, performers and stories that offer an insight into the country, its sense of humour and the people who live here.
Theatre is not necessarily reserved for a special occasion. It can simply be part of a social evening. Friends often get together for regular theatre nights, combining a show with dinner or drinks. It is an easy way to spend time with friends, discover new parts of the city and gradually become familiar with the local cultural scene.
Here are a few places to start.
Auckland: Major productions and local theatre
Auckland has the largest concentration of theatres and major touring productions in New Zealand.
The Civic and the Aotea Centre are two of the city's best-known venues and regularly host large-scale musicals, theatre and touring productions.
For locally produced theatre, the Auckland Theatre Company has a year-round programme of contemporary New Zealand and international work. Its home, the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Wynyard Quarter is surrounded by some of Auckland’s great restaurants and bars.
If you have recently moved to Auckland, checking what's on at these venues is an easy way to start exploring the city's cultural life.
Wellington: New Zealand's creative capital
Wellington has a particularly strong reputation for theatre and is home to a wide range of professional productions, comedy, fringe and experimental work.
Our Wellington Mobile Advisor, Sandra Williamson, describes the city's theatre scene as having a good mix of professional productions, fringe and experimental theatre and comedy, alongside major festivals such as the New Zealand Fringe Festival and CubaDupa.
A few Wellington venues to look out for include:
Circa Theatre, a long-established professional theatre on the waterfront
BATS Theatre, known for smaller productions and emerging and experimental work
Hannah Playhouse, an important Wellington performance venue
St James Theatre, which hosts larger productions and touring shows
One of the nice things about Wellington is that many of these venues are relatively close to one another, making it easy to combine a show with dinner or a walk around the central city.
Christchurch: A strong and growing arts scene
Christchurch has a busy programme of theatre and other live performances throughout the year.
Our Christchurch Mobile Advisor, Emma Bradley, points to the city's Arts Centre precinct as a good place to explore, with a mix of historic and newer venues.
The Court Theatre is one of New Zealand's leading professional theatre companies, while the restored Isaac Theatre Royal, originally built in 1908, hosts everything from theatre and ballet to concerts and other large events.
The Piano: Centre for Music and the Arts offers a smaller-scale setting for performances and events, while Christchurch Town Hall hosts major concerts and touring productions.
For something a little less traditional, Emma recommends Scared Scriptless, the Court Theatre's long-running improvised theatre show.
Or if you are relocating with children, keep an eye out for KidsFest, which runs during the school holidays and includes performances and activities aimed at younger audiences.
Theatre as a way into local life
When you first arrive somewhere new, it can take time to work out where people go, what they do for entertainment and how local culture fits into everyday life.
Theatre is one way to start finding out.
It is also worth looking beyond the major venues. New Zealand has smaller theatres, community productions, comedy, fringe performances and local shows happening across the country.
You may not recognise the performers or understand every local reference at first. You may even find some of the humour takes a little getting used to. That is all part of discovering a new country.
Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand!
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