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The Court Theatre
Inside the walls of the old grain shed is a diverse and dynamic company of 60 permanent staff plus hundreds of artists and artisans who produce 19 productions each year. These productions see over 150,000 ticket buyers enter The Court to feast on the varied offering of theatrical works, all created and produced on-site.
The Court has matched the ever-diversifying Christchurch population and creates and supports work for children, families and adults, for the Tangata Whenua and for Christchurch’s growing Pasifika communities.
A strong education programme sees The Court fostering and nurturing the future of theatre in New Zealand through drama and improv classes, holiday programmes, workshops, theatre intensives, master classes and our Ambassadors, Youth Company and Youth Crew programmes.
The Court supports new writing for theatre and commissions plays from a diverse range of New Zealand playwrights. This work may be destined to be a theatrical event on the mainstage, or more intimate and edgier work for our adventurous Forge audience, or quite simply creating magic for our kids’ audiences. Recent commissions have involved playwrights Hone Kouka, Gary Henderson and Oscar Kightley.
The Court has something for everyone. It has something for those who want their entertainment king-sized and world class, for those who want to sit back and enjoy a good laugh, and for those who want theatre to challenge, to spark debate and to stay in their mind long after the show has finished. The Court creates, and helps create, work for all the people of Ōtautahi.
The Court doesn’t belong to a government or council. It doesn’t belong to an individual. It doesn’t belong to the practitioners that work here. It belongs to you; the audience. The Court is reaching further, pushing out, trying harder to expand that audience so that all the people of this country can share and celebrate in the work they produce.
The Court Theatre is your theatre. Whoever you are.
Best For Whom
- Groups
- Couples
- All Ages
Best For What
- Cultural Experience