 | |
 | |
| Address | 1 Kent Terrace Wellington New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1976 |
| Renovated | 2013–2014 |
| Website | |
| https://bats.co.nz/ | |
BATS Theatre is a theatre venue in Wellington, New Zealand. Initially founded as the Bats Theatre Company in 1976, then established in its current form in 1989. BATS Theatre has seen the development of many performing arts talents of New Zealand.
The BATS Theatre Company was founded in 1976 by Rodney Bane and David Austin. BATS is an acronym of "Bane Austin Touring Society". [1] [2] Initial plans were to tour one-act plays in Wairarapa, Manawatu and Wellington. [3] Bane and Austin took over the current building at 1 Kent Terrace in the late 1970s and the building was renamed BATS Theatre in 1979. [4] [5]
By the 1980s, Bane and Austin had moved on to other things, BATS Theatre venue became a space that could be leased and was 're-opened as a professional theatre' in 1989 by Simon Bennett (director) and Simon Elson after months of renovations. Bennet went on to become a television director including Shortland Street and Power Rangers. [6] Because of the vision setting up BATS Theatre, Bennett and Elson won the Mayor's Award for Significant Contribution to Theatre in 2014 at the Wellington Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards. [7]
BATS celebrated their 30th anniversary in 2019 with an event called BATStravaganza Birthday at the Embassy Theatre. [8] [9] [7] In an interview about the early days of BATS as a professional theatre Simon Elson said:
"... (the) philosophy for Bats was not to have an artistic director making decisions of what shows could be staged there. Instead, the theatre helped facilitate what people wanted to stage. The theatre's small size was very important; there was less financial risk in staging new shows." [7]
For many decades BATS Theatre operated the theatre space in the lower floor, while the building owners Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB) used the space upstairs with regular meetings. [2] According to playwright Ken Duncum, BATS Theatre in the 1980s "existed as a place that could be rented for 60 dollars a day – they didn't mind what you did in it". [2] BATS was a venue for the work of young and emerging theatre practitioners. [10] [11] Staff members have included theatre manager Guy Boyce, appointed 1993 – 1994, who went on to Downstage Theatre, Playmarket and the Christchurch Arts Festival. [12] [13]
The building that BATS now occupies was built in 1923 for the Manchester Unity Oddfellows Society, with a meeting room upstairs and a purpose built performance space on the ground floor as a dance hall and theatre venue, also were two shops on the street front. The architects were Frederick de Jersey Clere and his son, Herbert Clere. From the 1930s – 1960s the hall was hired out for concerts, dances and other events. It became the Savage Club Hall in 1944 after the Wellington Savage Club (WSC) purchased the building. It was bought in the 1976 by the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB) to serve as the site of their lodge temple. Unity Theatre leased the ground floor theatre space from WSC and RAOB until 1978. [1] [5] [4]
In 2011, the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes (RAOB) decided to sell the building, asking a price of $1.9 million, potentially leaving the theatre without a home. BATS attempted to purchase the building but was unable to raise the funds. [8] The building was purchased by film director Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh later that year with the intent to provide a stable home for the theatre. [4] [14] [5]
After the sale, the building underwent extensive renovation and earthquake strengthening, and was closed from February 2013 to November 2014. The renovations added two more performance spaces, which included taking over space formerly used by the ROAB. [15] During the renovations BATS relocated to a temporary theatre space on the corner of Cuba Street and Dixon Street. This space was branded BATS: Out of Site and had a 78-seat venue and bar. [15] [16] [17]
Part of the philosophy of BATS is to be accessible, supportive of emerging artists and to allow theatrical risk with experimental work. Nearly all the productions at BATS had been New Zealand works, and their current policy is 80% New Zealand work. They programme three to six months in advance and invite anyone to propose a show. Ticket prices are kept low ranging from $14 to $25. [10] [18] [19] [20] BATS is largely funded by Creative New Zealand and the Wellington City Council. [21] The theatre employs six full-time staff, and uses volunteers as ushers. The BATS Theatre Board has about five volunteer board members, the current Chair is Cathie Sheat. [22] The current General Manager is Jonathan Hendry who has been in the role since 2018. [23] [24]
BATS Theatre is at 1 Kent Terrace in the suburb of Mount Victoria. [25] On the ground level is the larger performing space with fixed seating of 86 people, the box office and a bar. On the upper levels are two more performance spaces seating 80 and 40 people, office space, a green room, and dressing room. [15] [26]
The theatre closed on 19 March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. [27] During its closure, it presented some live shows streamed over the internet. [28] It has since reopened.
BATS Theatre has a busy programme with 60 to 70 seasons of shows each year although after moving back into their newly renovated premises, 2015 was a particular busy year, there were seasons of 101 shows. Ninety per cent of its annual programme of 60 to 70 shows are New Zealand and world premieres. [21] [19] Many New Zealand playwrights, actors, directors, crew and designers have mounted shows at BATS Theatre, often as a spring-board to their careers. [5]
Many productions which started at BATS have gone on to national and international success, including many significant new New Zealand plays. Some examples include The Sex Fiend (1989) by Stephen Sinclair and Danny Mulheron, Blue Sky Boys (1991) by Ken Duncum, Verbatim (1993) by Miranda Harcourt, Frangipani Perfume (1998) by Makerita Urale, Banging Cymbal, Clanging Gong (2002) by Jo Randerson, Vula (2002) directed by Nina Nawalowalo, And What Remains (2006) by Mīria George and Apollo 13: Mission Control (2008) by Kip Chapman. [10] [29] [30] Krishnan's Dairy by Jacob Rajan, which premiered at BATS in 1997 and has toured New Zealand many times has been announced for adaptation into a feature film. [31] [32]
Other successful New Zealand names in theatre and comedy have presented early works at BATS, including Flight of the Conchords, Duncan Sarkies, Rhys Darby, So You're a Man, The Naked Samoans and Māori playwrights Hone Kouka and Riwia Brown. The comedy play Benedict Cumberbatch Must Die written by Abby Howells, premiered at BATS temporary 'Out of Site' venue in June 2014. [33]
The venue continues to be a home to much of Wellington's young and experimental theatrical talent, with titles such as On the Conditions and Possibilities of Helen Clark Taking Me as Her Young Lover , The Intricate Art of Actually Caring and After Kafka. To encourage experimentation BATS also runs the STAB season annually (STAB is BATS backwards) which is a commissioned programme running since 1995. Some STAB productions have been at BATS and used technology as a focus such as Aaargh! The Live Movie Experience (2000) by Jemaine Clement, Bret McKenzie, Duncan Sarkies, Taika Waititi and Gentiane Lupi which was short films made live on stage. Some were off-site performances such as the immersive theatrical experience of Sniper (2004) and Pandemic (2013) by Kerryn Palmer. Using the whole building has occurred including a site-specific theatrical installation Demeter's Dark Ride (2005) by Madeline McNamara. The first STAB show at the newly renovated building in 2014 was Watch, directed by Uther Dean and Meg Rollandi exploring day-to-day surveillance. STAB shows feature highly in the annual Wellington Theatre Awards (formally Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards), summarised in a 2016 article as receiving since STAB started in 1995 as twenty-eight nominations and twenty wins. [34] [35] [36]
The Young and Hungry Season was run annually at BATS from 1994 – 2017 to provide youth 15–25 years with a platform to create and experience theatre, and expanded to include works in Auckland. [37] [38] [39]
BATS hosts shows each year part of the annual New Zealand Fringe Festival, and the national New Zealand Comedy Festival. [8]
Downstage Theatre was a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that ran from 1964 to 2013. For many years it occupied the purpose-built Hannah Playhouse building. Former directors include Sunny Amey, Mervyn Thompson, and Colin McColl.
David Geary is a Māori writer from New Zealand who is known for his plays The Learners Stand, Lovelocks Dream Run and Pack of Girls. For television he has written for New Zealand series Shortland Street and Jackson's Wharf.
Hone Vivian Kouka is a New Zealand playwright. He has written 13 plays, which have been staged in New Zealand and worldwide including Canada, South Africa, New Caledonia and Britain. Kouka's plays have won multiple awards at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards, the 'Oscars' of New Zealand theatre. Kouka has also worked as a theatre director and producer. In 2009, Kouka was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to contemporary Māori theatre.
Victor John Rodger is a New Zealand journalist, actor and award-winning playwright of Samoan and Pākehā heritage. Rodger's play Sons won acclaim at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards (1998) and received the Best New Writer and Most Outstanding New New Zealand Play awards. In 2001, he won the Bruce Mason Playwriting Award. Other plays include Ranterstantrum (2002) and My Name is Gary Cooper (2007), produced and staged by Auckland Theatre Company and starred a Samoan cast including Robbie Magasiva, Anapela Polataivao, Goretti Chadwick and Kiwi actress Jennifer Ward-Lealand.
Ken Duncum is a New Zealand playwright and screenwriter. His plays Cherish and Trick of the Light won best new New Zealand play at the Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards in 2003 and 2004. His script for television drama series Cover Story won Best Script for Drama at the New Zealand Film and Television Awards and Best Writer - Comedy for Willy Nilly in 2002. Duncum's plays have toured New Zealand as well as internationally. He was awarded the New Zealand Post Katherine Mansfield Prize for 2010. The prize is NZ$100,000 for a writing residency in France.
Joanna Ruth Randerson is a New Zealand writer, director and performer. She is the founder and artistic director of Barbarian Productions, a Wellington-based theatre production company.
Philippa Hall is a New Zealand stage, screen and radio script writer and actor.
Angela Rosina Farrow is a New Zealand academic and writer for theatre and radio. Born in the United Kingdom, Farrow was appointed professor emerita at Massey University in November 2022. She was promoted to full professor in 2011 and in the same year was awarded Massey University lecturer of the Year. Farrow has published books on the production of physical theatre as well as her own numerous plays for theatre and radio. In April 2015, her series of 10-minute-long sketches Together All Alone was performed at Bats Theatre in Wellington. In the 2021 New Year Honours, Farrow was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to the arts, particularly theatre.
Lynda Chanwai-Earle is a New Zealand writer and radio producer. Her written work includes plays, poems and film scripts. The play Ka Shue – Letters Home in 1996 is semi-autobiographical and is significant in New Zealand literature as the first authentically New Zealand–Chinese play for mainstream audiences.
Robert Lord was the first New Zealand professional playwright. He was one of the first New Zealand playwrights to have plays produced abroad since Merton Hodge in the 1930s.
Jean Betts is a New Zealand playwright, actor and director.
Emily Tess Duncan is a New Zealand playwright. She is co-founder of Prospect Park Productions, an organisation aiming “to create and produce original New Zealand theatre and collaborative projects that reach into other art forms." Duncan held the 2019 Robert Burns Fellowship at the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand. She lives in Dunedin.
Taki Rua is a theatre organisation based in Wellington, New Zealand that has produced many contemporary Māori theatre productions. Taki Rua has been going since 1983 and has had several name changes over that time including The New Depot, Depot Theatre and Taki Rua / The Depot. The full current name is Taki Rua Productions. Since inception the mission of Taki Rua has been to showcase work from New Zealand. Because of this and the longevity of Taki Rua many significant New Zealand actors, directors, writers, designers and producers have part of the history including Riwia Brown, Nathaniel Lees, Rachel House and Taika Waititi.
Circa Theatre is a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that was established in 1976. They present a number of plays each year in their two auditoriums, and have a unique partnership and funding model with incoming shows underpinned with a cooperative principle.
Elisabeth Easther is a New Zealand actor, broadcaster, journalist and playwright. She played Carla Crozier on New Zealand soap opera Shortland Street from May 1995 to July 1996, and has since had a varied career in television, radio, journalism and playwriting. Her play Seed won the Adam NZ Play Award for Best Play in 2014.
The Kia Mau Festival, previously called Ahi Kaa Festival, is a biennial performing arts festival in Wellington, New Zealand. In te reo Māori, kia mau is "a call to stay - an invitation to join us".
Catherine Patricia Downes is a New Zealand theatre director, actor, dramaturg and playwright. Of Māori descent, she affiliates to Ngāi Tahu. Downes wrote a one-woman play The Case of Katherine Mansfield, which she has performed more than 1000 times in six countries over twenty years. She has been the artistic director of the Court Theatre in Christchurch and the director of Downstage Theatre in Wellington. She lives on Waiheke Island and works as a freelance actor, director and playwright.
Jason Te Kare is a New Zealand director, playwright and actor.
David John O'Donnell is a New Zealand theatre director, actor, and academic based in Wellington, New Zealand. He has taught at Victoria University of Wellington since 1999, and is as of 2021 a full professor.
Thomas Sainsbury is a New Zealand actor, writer, comedian and filmmaker. Sainsbury began his acting and writing career in theatre. He became well known in New Zealand from 2017 for his short form comedy videos released on social media. As a comedy writer and performer he has contributed to Pork Pie, 7 Days, Jono and Ben, Shortland Street and Wellington Paranormal. With Madeline Sami he co-wrote Super City, which won the SWANZ Scriptwriters Best Comedy Script Award in 2011.