New Zealand performing arts venues are places in New Zealand that are set up to host performing arts and music events such as theatre, dance and concerts.
Built indoor venues specifically for performing arts were created by British settler-colonists to New Zealand soon after settlements were established. In Wellington the first theatre was the Royal Victoria Theatre on Manners Street, which opened in September 1843. It was a small wooden building with stalls and a gallery, lit by whale oil gas. The first performances were the Rover of the seas and Crossing the line, or the twin brothers. The Royal Victoria Theatre closed in 1844 due to the competition of another new theatre, the Britannia Saloon (1844) in Willis Street. In Auckland the Fitzroy on Shortland Street opened in 1844. [1]
J.C Williamson's built and leased theatres operating in New Zealand including the Theatre Royal that opened in 1907. Others included His Majesty's Theatre in Auckland (demolished in 1987), the Opera House in Wellington, the Theatre Royal in Palmerston North and The Regent Theatre, Greymouth (opened February 1935). [2] [3] [4]
After the Second World War, over 300 memorial halls were built in city suburbs and small towns, using subsidies from central government. [5]
This is not a comprehensive list of all venues rather an overview. Most towns have a town hall with concert facilities. There are also lots of venues owned and maintained by amateur societies (musical theatre and drama) such as Westpoint Performing Arts Centre, Western Springs, Auckland. [6]
There are also purpose built auditoriums and facilities in some schools.
Entertainment Venues Association Of New Zealand (EVANZ) is a members organisation that does advocacy and development for venues such as theatres, stadia, arenas, convention centres, sports grounds and community event centres. [7]
Forum North in Whangārei operating for over 40 years has a main theatre and exhibition hall. [8]
Auckland central has on Queen Street the Aotea Centre, The Civic, Q Theatre, The Classic: Comedy Club and the Auckland Town Hall. [9] The St. James Theatre, built for vaudeville acts originally is closed with a renewed campaign to save it in 2021 that has the backing of Auckland Central MP Chloe Swarbrick. [10] Three venues very different from each other that are near to Auckland city centre are Sky City Theatre in a casino, the Basement Theatre and the ASB Waterfront Theatre. [11] Other notable venues in Auckland are the Bruce Mason Centre in Takapuna and the Corban Estate Arts Centre in Henderson that includes Te Pou Theatre. [9]
Venues in Hamilton include the Meteor Theatre, [12] Clarence St Theatre, [13] and Riverlea Theatre. [14] The Founders Theatre was closed due to health and safety concerns in 2016. [15] A new facility, the Waikato Regional Theatre, is due to open in 2022. [16]
The Great Lakes Centre at Taupō has a theatre for up to 600 people and an exhibition hall. [17]
The Gaiety Cinema and Theatre, located at 252 Marine Parade was built in 1925. It was destroyed in the 1931 Hawkes Bay earthquake, but was subsequently rebuilt in 1932 in an Art Deco style, and is a Category 2 listed historic building. It has hosted many events including screenings of movies, concerts, political rallies and boxing matches. It closed in 1960 and was used for a variety of purposes including as a supermarket and basketball court. In 1998, work was completed to restore it to its former use as a cinema and theatre and it was reopened in 2000. Finances forced it to close in 2009. It reopened in 2015 with support from the Wairoa District Council. It has a capacity of 250 patrons. [18] [19]
In Napier is the Hawke's Bay Municipal Theatre. [20]
The Royal Whanganui Opera House is a Category 1 listed historic building that opened in 1900. [21] It is said to be the New Zealand's last Victorian theatre. [22]
The Regent Theatre, Centrepoint Theatre and the Globe Theatre are three performing arts venues in Palmerston North. [23]
In Wellington are a number of theatre venues. The smaller ones in Wellington City are BATS Theatre in a restored building, Circa Theatre on the waterfront, the Hannah Playhouse formally the home of Downstage Theatre and the Gryphon (84 seats), home of Stagecraft. [24] The bigger venues are the Opera House, St. James Theatre, the Town Hall and the Michael Fowler Centre.
Wellington is also home to Te Whaea, in Newtown. This is the New Zealand National Dance and Drama Centre, and is home to the New Zealand School of Dance and Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School. [25]
In the Hutt Valley there is the Lower Hutt Little Theatre next to the War Memorial Library on Queens Drive, [26] and in Upper Hutt is Whirinaki Whare Taonga (formally Expressions) an arts centre that includes a theatre. [27]
The Lyric Theatre in Granity on the West Coast was bult in 1956 to replace a theatre that was destroyed in a fire. In 2014 the roof was blown off in Cyclone Ita and the community rallied to replace and upgrade the facility. [28]
The Court Theatre moved from premises at the Christchurch Arts Centre to The Shed in Addington after the 2011 earthquake. It has planned a permanent home in the city centre. [29] Built in 1908, the Isaac Theatre Royal is the only operational Edwardian style theatre remaining in New Zealand. It was closed for four years for repairs following earthquake damage, but reopened in 2014. [30] The Ngaio Marsh Theatre in the student union building at the University of Canterbury opened in 1967, replacing The Little Theatre, which burned down in 1948. [31] The Ngaio Marsh theatre was destroyed in the earthquake of 2011, and the rebuilt theatre reopened in 2019. [32] The Odeon Theatre, Christchurch, a masonry building with a Category 1 heritage listing, opened as the Tuam Street Hall in 1883. It was partially destroyed by the earthquakes, although the facade has been retained. [33]
The Oamaru Opera House is a Category 1 listed historic building that opened in 1907, originally as the town hall, but is now an auditorium and performing acts venue. [34]
The Globe Theatre, Dunedin was the first purpose-built theatre for repertory in New Zealand, when it was built in 1961. [35] It may also have been the first in New Zealand built without a proscenium arch. [36] Dunedin's Fortune Theatre was housed in an adapted church, with the wardrobe up the hill at King Edward Technical College, and the Regent Theatre in Dunedin was built as a cinema. Other venues in the city include Allen Hall theatre at the University of Otago, the Athenaeum, the Dunedin Town Hall, the Mayfair Theatre in South Dunedin, and the Playhouse Theatre, home of the Dunedin Repertory Society. There are several performing arts centres at high schools, notably Otago Boys' High School, Kavanagh College, and a shared performing arts centre for King's and Queen's High Schools.
The Civic Theatre complex presents touring companies and local organisations with an auditorium that can seat approximately 1000 people . [37]
Cathedral Square, locally known simply as the Square, is the geographical centre and heart of Christchurch, New Zealand, where the city's Anglican cathedral, ChristChurch Cathedral is located. The square stands at the theoretical crossing of the city's two main orthogonal streets, Colombo Street and Worcester Street, though in practice both have been either blocked off or detoured around the square itself. The cathedral was badly damaged in the February 2011 Christchurch earthquake.
TheArts Centre Te Matatiki Toi Ora is a hub for arts, culture, education, creativity and entrepreneurship in Christchurch, New Zealand. It is located in the Gothic Revival former Canterbury College, Christchurch Boys' High School and Christchurch Girls' High School buildings, many of which were designed by Benjamin Mountfort. The centre is a national landmark and taonga as it is home to New Zealand's largest collection of category one heritage buildings with 21 of the 23 buildings covered by Heritage New Zealand listings.
George Street is the main street of Dunedin, the second largest city in the South Island of New Zealand. It runs for two and a half kilometres north-northeast from The Octagon in the city centre to the foot of Pine Hill. It is straight and undulates gently as it skirts the edge of the hills to its northwest. South of The Octagon, Princes Street continues the line of George Street south-southwest for two kilometres.
Balmoral is a suburb of Auckland, New Zealand that is bordered by Mount Eden, Epsom, Mount Roskill and Sandringham and is located approximately 5 km from the centre of Auckland. It was named around the turn of the 20th century and derives its name from Balmoral Castle, the Scottish country residence of the Royal family. Much of the housing in the area is from the 1920s and 1930s, often in the Californian Bungalow style. Balmoral was part of Mount Eden Borough Council which became a part of Auckland City in 1989. In November 2010, the area was included into the Albert-Eden-Roskill ward of the new Auckland Council.
The Octagon is the city centre of Dunedin, in the South Island of New Zealand. It is an eight-sided plaza with a circular one-way carriageway, bisected by the city's main street, and is also the central terminus of two other main thoroughfares. The Octagon is predominantly a pedestrian reserve, with grass and paved features, and is surmounted by a statue of the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Several of Dunedin's significant buildings and institutions adjoin the plaza, which is also a major hub for public transport in Dunedin, primarily taxi services.
Moray Place is an octagonal street which surrounds the city centre of Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. The street is intersected by Stuart Street, Princes Street and George Street. Like many streets in Dunedin, it is named for a street in the Scottish capital Edinburgh.
The Regent Theatre is a theatre in Dunedin, New Zealand with a seating capacity of about 1,650. It is in The Octagon, the city's central plaza, directly opposite the Municipal Chambers and close to the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
The D.I.C. was a New Zealand department store chain, founded in Dunedin by Bendix Hallenstein in 1884.
TheCivic Theatre is a large heritage combination performing-arts theatre, live-music venue, and cinema seating 2,378 people in Auckland, New Zealand. First opened on 20 December 1929, it underwent a major renovation and two-year conservation effort in the late 1990s, and was reopened on 20 December 1999. It is a famous example of the atmospheric theatre style wherein lighting and interior design create the illusion of an open sky complete with twinkling stars, giving the audience the impression of being seated in an outdoor auditorium at night. The Civic is managed by Auckland Live, a business unit of Auckland Unlimited.
Hanover Hall is a community arts centre and event venue in central in Dunedin, New Zealand, opened in 2018 as home to the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra. The building was built in 1912 as the Hanover Street Baptist Church, located in Hanover Street 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) northeast of the city centre, close to the Otago Medical School.
The Mayfair Theatre, Dunedin, New Zealand, was opened on 8 December 1914 as the "King Edward Picture Theatre". It is owned by the Mayfair Theatre Charitable Trust and serves as a 400-seat venue for live performances for a number of local community groups and as the Dunedin venue for some touring agencies.
Edward Sydney "Sidney" Luttrell and his brother Alfred Edward Luttrell (1865–1924) were partners of S. & A. Luttrell, a firm of architects and building contractors noted for its contributions to New Zealand architecture, both in terms of style and technology. The practice was established in Launceston, Tasmania in 1897 when Alfred who was operating his own architectural practice, went into partnership with his younger brother and former apprentice Sidney, under the original name A. & S. Luttrell. The brothers moved to Christchurch, New Zealand and by 1902 were submitting tender notices there. Sidney Luttrell was also noted for his keen interest in horse racing. He was a part-owner of Sasanoff, winner of the Melbourne Cup in 1916.
The Warehouse Precinct is an urban area of the New Zealand city of Dunedin. Sited on reclaimed land at the northernmost tip of the Southern Endowment, it lies between 1 and 2 kilometres south of The Octagon, the city's centre.
The Civic Theatre is a theatrical venue in the southern New Zealand city of Invercargill.
Henry Thomas Mandeno was a New Zealand modernist architect.
Shortland Street was the initial commercial street of Auckland and remains a key financial and legal centre for Auckland city. It runs east from Queen Street up to Princes Street, providing a connection from the business district to the Auckland High Court and University of Auckland.
The Oamaru Opera House and former Town Hall in Oamaru is a historic building and current performance venue on the east coast of the South Island of New Zealand. The building is classified as a "Category I" historic place by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, previously known as the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.
Performing arts in New Zealand include amateur and professional presentations of theatre, circus, dance and music where it accompanies live performance. New Zealand has an active contemporary performing arts culture; many people participate in performing arts activities and most people live near an arts centre or theatre building.
Tracy Grant Lord is a leading New Zealand scenographer and costume designer of ballet, theatre and opera. She has worked with numerous Australasian performance companies including the Royal New Zealand Ballet, New Zealand Opera, Australian Ballet, Opera Australia, Queensland Ballet as well as the Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne and Queensland Theatre Companies.