WHERE STORIES COME ALIVE
NAU MAI HAERE MAI
JONATHAN BIELSKI ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CEO
Welcome to the 2025 Season of Auckland Theatre Company.
For our 32nd season, we bring you six beautiful, big plays, each with something to say.
The theatre is a place for ideas, enlightenment, education, disagreement, reflection and entertainment. In 2025, we go to all those places at the behest of an array of great playwrights. Our season promises heartbreaking poignancy, fascinating insights, murder and mystery, challenging historical truths, thunderous bolts of lightning and big, loud laughs.
Our Company has always been passionate about new plays by New Zealand playwrights and so it continues in 2025 with two world premieres, an Auckland premiere, and a translation of a classic of our canon.
I welcome playwrights Ahi Karunaharan, Sir Roger Hall KNZM, QSO, Witi Ihimaera DCNZM, QSM, and, making their debuts with us, Jess Sayer, and Maioha Allen.
For the first time in our history, we present a play in te reo Māori on the mainstage. In a revival of Witi Ihimaera’s classic Woman Far Walking, visionary director Katie Wolfe (The Haka Party Incident) re-imagines this timely and searing comment on the age that has passed since the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The story is presented in a two-part partnership between English and te reo Māori – Tiri: Te Araora Woman Far Walking.
Our season’s directors are six of the very best in Jane Yonge (Scenes from a Yellow Peril); Shane Bosher (Long Day’s Journey into Night); the great Sir Roger Hall interpreter and much-loved actor/director Alison Quigan QSM; our ever-dazzling Artistic Associate Benjamin Kilby-Henson (The Effect); the aforementioned Katie Wolfe; and a special welcome back to Oliver Driver (Amadeus), who played a major role in the development of our Company. All of these directors are bold artists, with big ideas and even bigger hearts. We are in for a year of extraordinary theatre.
“Our season promises heartbreaking poignancy, fascinating insights, murder and mystery, challenging historical truths, thunderous bolts of lightning and big, loud laughs.“
2025 will see year four of our Youth Company. Alumni of the Youth Company are in tertiary training in New Zealand and abroad, while others are now making their way in the world as artists. The experience we provide makes a difference in the lives of young theatre makers. This is possible because of the Youth Company Supporters Group. Please consider a taxdeductible donation directed to the Youth Company.
We can do the work we do in large part thanks to the generous support of the taxpayer, through Creative New Zealand, and the ratepayer, through Auckland Council and the Auckland Regional Amenities Funding Board. We record our deepest appreciation to those organisations and the community whom we serve. Our backers include Foundation North, sponsors, charitable foundations and generous private gifts, particularly from the ATC Patrons Group. Thank you to all.
I am delighted to welcome the Friedlander Foundation as a major new supporter, enabling us to work in primary schools and invest in the training of the next generation of directors and designers.
Each year, as we prepare a new season and launch the plays, I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude. So much hard work goes into creating a season and then bringing it to the audience. The pay-off for us is the reactions of, firstly, our loyal subscribers, and then of those who buy tickets for individual shows. Buying a ticket is not just a night out; it is a personal commitment to ensuring our community has a strong and vital theatre company where artists dream and play.
So, I conclude my introduction to 2025 with a heartfelt expression of thanks to the people of Auckland who subscribe, who donate and who buy the tickets in order to experience the work of Auckland Theatre Company.
This is your theatre company. We eagerly await your arrival at ASB Waterfront Theatre very soon.
The Plays
When memory is both a gift and a curse.
BY AHI KARUNAHARAN
Seventeen tracks on an old mixtape reveal bittersweet memories of a family’s resilience behind every song.
“The play places huge significance on music and memory, and it is amazing to see.“
– Theatre Scenes
“Good music will always stand like a monument on the shore, weathered by the winds of time.“
In a small coastal village in Sri Lanka, Sangeetha’s life is filled with music. Songs are the glue that binds her family together. And she has a crush on the guy at the general store who plays all the latest hits.
But, as the country slips into civil war, they find themselves caught on the wrong side of history. “I had only ever heard the sounds of gunshots in movies,“ she remembers. “This one was different.“
This compelling story sweeps from 1950s’ Sri Lanka to modern-day Aotearoa, where Sangeetha is now living with a son of her own, Deepan. The only remnant of Sangeetha’s past is an old mixtape filled with memories. As Deepan plays the 17 songs one by one – Dusty Springfield, La Bamba, the hit single from a Tamil rom-com – the story of what happened to their family unfolds through the music until its unforgettable conclusion.
Both a love letter to his homeland and a lament, this powerful new work by Ahi Karunaharan is the final chapter in his epic trilogy which began with Tea, continued with The Mourning After and now concludes with a mixtape for maladies.
A collaboration between Agaram Productions, Auckland Theatre Company and Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki Auckland Arts Festival.
4 – 23 MAR
ASB Waterfront Theatre
Duration: 1 hour and 50 minutes, no interval
Directed by Jane Yonge
Production Design: Filament Eleven 11
Costume Design: Padma Akula
Music Director: Karnan Saba
Sound Design: Te Aihe Butler
Cast: Ambika G.K.R.
Ravikanth Gurunathan
Shaan Kesha Tiahli Martyn
Gemma-Jayde Naidoo Bala Murali Shingade
Musicians: Ben Fernandez
Ahi Karunaharan
Advisory: Includes themes of war and trauma. Recommended for 12 years and older.
All aboard Agatha Christie’s most thrilling murder-mystery.
One murder, eight suspects and a wild ride that’s about to go off the rails.
“Sure to have the audience’s sides splitting.“
– BroadwayWorld
“It is clear that someone on the train committed this murder and I will find out who it is, I promise you!“
It’s the winter of 1934 and the luxurious Orient Express is travelling through the night on its way from Istanbul to London, when a snowdrift stops the train in its tracks. In the first-class carriage is Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian detective, returning home from an ’unfortunate’ murder case.
When one of his fellow passengers is found dead, with eight stab wounds to his chest, there are no footprints to be seen in the snow. Taking charge of the investigation, Poirot reaches the only possible conclusion: the killer must still be on board the train.
Cameron Rhodes (King Lear, North by Northwest) plays the inscrutable Poirot in this classic Agatha Christie whodunnit, cleverly adapted for the stage by Tony-nominated playwright Ken Ludwig (Lend Me a Tenor, Crazy for You).
Murder on the Orient Express © 2016 Agatha Christie Limited & Ken Ludwig. All rights reserved.
Adapted from Murder on the Orient Express © 1934 Agatha Christie Limited. All rights reserved.
MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS, AGATHA CHRISTIE, POIROT and the Agatha Christie Signature are registered trademarks of Agatha Christie Limited in the UK and elsewhere. All rights reserved.
22 APR – 10 MAY
ASB Waterfront Theatre
Duration: 2 hours and 10 minutes, including interval
Directed by Shane Bosher
Lighting Design: Sean Lynch
Costume Design: Elizabeth Whiting Cast: Mayen Mehta
Cameron Rhodes Rima Te Wiata
Advisory:
Includes references to the death of a child and suicide, depictions of death. Presenting Partner:
The
godfather of Kiwi comedy once again strikes gold.
When retired cow cocky Dickie Hart and his wife Glenda move to Auckland, his life will never be the same.
“Amusement and outright laughter throughout.“
– Theatreview
“Auckland! It’s crowded, expensive. Traffic’s terrible. All everyone thinks about is money. And they don’t even have a decent footie team. Auckland! Over my dead body.“
“It’s a deal,“ Glenda says.
New Zealand’s most successful playwright, Sir Roger Hall, is back with an affectionate skewering of an old grump who realises he still has a lot to learn about the world. And not all of it’s bad – despite his vegan daughter-in-law and grandchildren who are glued to their screens.
One of Hall’s most iconic characters, Dickie Hart made his first appearance almost 30 years ago in C’mon Black, set in the aftermath of South Africa’s triumph at the Rugby World Cup. Three years later, in You Gotta Be Joking! he and wife Glenda had quit the farm for suburban Wellington.
Now, the couple has moved to Auckland to be closer to the grandkids. For Dickie, who’s now in his 70s, they might as well be living on Mars. Audience favourite Andrew Grainger (Peter Pan, North by Northwest) brings his big-hearted comedic talent to this entertaining solo show that – like all of Hall’s plays – pokes fun at contemporary social manners.
17 JUN – 5 JUL
ASB Waterfront Theatre
Duration: 1 hour and 40 minutes, including interval
Directed by Alison Quigan
Set & Costume Design: John Parker
Lighting Design: Phillip Dexter
Sound Design: Sean Lynch
Cast: Andrew Grainger Advisory: Includes offensive language.
These violent delights have violent ends.
The greatest love story of all time, set in 1960’s Verona.
“Kilby-Henson has masterful direction.“
– The New Zealand Herald, The Effect
“Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight! For I never saw true beauty till this night.“
Recast as a fast-paced thriller, Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece brims with passion and unravels at breathtaking speed while Death lurks in every corner.
Theo Dāvid (Shortland Street) and Phoebe McKellar (One Lane Bridge) make their Auckland Theatre Company debuts as the ill-fated lovers, Romeo and Juliet, in an epic new production by director Benjamin Kilby-Henson (The Effect, King Lear).
“This is Shakespeare’s ode to love of all kinds,“ says Kilby-Henson, “Romantic love, sexual love, the love between friends and family, love through faith.“
With an original cinematic score by composer Robin Kelly, and Missoni and Pucci-inspired fashion setting the scene, the story unfolds in the world of 1960s’ Italy.
A story of aching young love and brutal family rivalry, which is as potent today as it was when it was written more than four centuries ago, this star-crossed tragedy celebrates the triumph of love over hate – but at what cost?
15 JUL – 9 AUG
ASB Waterfront Theatre
Duration: 2 hours, including interval
Directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson
Production Design – Set & Costume: Daniel Williams
Production Design – Lighting: Filament Eleven 11
Production Design – Costume: Daniella Salazar
Composition & Sound Design: Robin Kelly
Movement Direction: Katrina George
Vocal Direction: Cherie Moore
Cast:
Bronwyn Bradley, Ryan Carter, Liam Coleman, Theo Dāvid, Jesme Fa’auuga, Isla Mayo, Miriama McDowell, Phoebe McKellar, Jordan Mooney, Mel Odedra, Beatriz Romilly, Amanda Tito
Advisory: Includes depictions of drug use, suicide and violence.
To make a monster, you must first become one.
THE BIRTH OF FRANKENSTEIN
by Jess Sayer
A terrifying re-imagining of the night Mary Shelley became the mother of
horror.
“Jess Sayer has a justified reputation as one of the leading New Zealand playwrights of her generation.“
– Theatre Scenes
“Can you not feel it? The power of possibility coursing through your veins? Tonight, we are not men or women, we are gods!“
“... I had a dream, which was not all a dream.
The bright sun was extinguished, and the stars Did wander darkling in the eternal space, Rayless, and pathless, and the icy earth
Swung blind and blackening in the moonless air.
The waves were dead and the clouds perished.
The world was void.
And men forgot their passions...
And all earth was but one thought – and that was death…”
– Darkness by Lord Byron
1816 – The Villa Diodati, Geneva, Switzerland.
Incessant darkness – nothing else. Then comes the thunder: heavy and foreboding. Then the lightning: bright, white and dangerous.
In its glow, 18-year-old Mary Shelley stands over a bloodied corpse and knows her words are to blame. To claim those words – she knows there is more death to come.
Award-winning playwright Jess Sayer builds on the bones of history to re-imagine the events of the infamous night that birthed Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
Co-created and directed by Oliver Driver, who brought you Amadeus, MARY is a bloody phantasmagoria like you’ve never seen before. Kill to get a ticket.
19 AUG – 7 SEP
ASB Waterfront Theatre
Duration: 2 hours, including interval
Directed by Oliver Driver
Set Design: John Verryt
Lighting Design: Jo Kilgour
Sound Design: Leon Radojkovic
Cast: Olivia Tennet
Advisory: Includes offensive language, depictions of drug use, sexual content and violence.
I am 185 years old. I was born on 6 February 1840.
185 taku pakeke
6 o Pēpuere 1840 taku rā whānau.
An extraordinary mapping of Aotearoa through the eyes of Te Tiriti o Waitangi Mahana. Her story, our history.
He whakakitenga autaia o Aotearoa i te tirohanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi Mahana. Tana kōrero, tō tātou hītori.
“Comedy and tragedy alternating in a fantastic aria.“
– The New Zealand Herald
Creator of the acclaimed The Haka Party Incident, Katie Wolfe (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama) directs this new adaptation of the epic tale of Tiri Mahana, a 185-year-old matriarch, from her birth at the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi to present-day Aotearoa.
With award-winning Miriama McDowell (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) and supported by Nī Dekkers-Reihana (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou), audiences are invited to explore themes of memory, family and resilience.
For the first time, the play will be performed in both English and te reo Māori, with both versions capturing the enduring spirit of Te Ao Māori. Woven into a deeply emotional tapestry, Witi Ihimaera’s (Te Whānau a Kai and Ngāti Porou) extraordinary play will shine once again in this unprecedented and astonishing new production: a national treasure that continues to resonate across time and place.
Ka tohua e te kaitito o te whakaari taiea o The Haka Party Incident, e Katie Wolfe (Ngāti Mutunga, Ngāti Tama) tēnei whakahounga o te pūrākau whakahirahira o Tiri Mahana, he ruahine 185 te pakeke, mai i tana whānautanga mai i te hainatanga o Te Tiriti o Waitangi ki te Aotearoa o mohoa nei.
Ko te toa whakaihuwaka a Miriama McDowell (Ngāti Hine, Ngāpuhi) rāua ko Nī DekkersReihana (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou). Rarau mai e te marea kia tūhura e tātou ngā tāuhu o mahara, o whānau, o manawaroa.
Hei tuatahitanga, ka whakaarihia te whakaari nei ki te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā, me te mau tonu ki te wairua matatū o Te Ao Māori.
Kua whatua ki te takapau o aroha, ka piata anō mai tēnei whakaari whakahirahira a Witi Ihimaera i tēnei whakaaturanga mīharo tuatahi, he tāonga puiaki o te motu e pāoro tonu nei ā haere ake nei.
4 – 23 NOV
ASB Waterfront Theatre
Duration:
Woman Far Walking – 50 minutes
Interval – 20 minutes
Tiri: Te Araroa – 50 minutes
Directed by/He mea tohu e Katie Wolfe
Re-imagined in te reo Māori by Maioha Allen and company
Set Design/ Kaihoahoa Ātaamira: John Verryt
Costume Design /Kaihoahoa Pueru: Te Ura Hoskins
Cast/Kaiwhakaari: Nī Dekkers-Reihana, Miriama McDowell
Advisory/ Whakatūpato: Includes descriptions of violence.
Theatre All Year Starts Here
A subscription offers convenience and the first access to seats, and provides the flexibility you need to make going to the theatre easy. By subscribing, you play a crucial role in helping Auckland Theatre Company bring memorable productions to life. We value our subscribers immensely and appreciate your ongoing support of our theatre and the arts.
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Enjoy laughter, gripping tales and mystery. Take a break from the everyday and escape into the storytelling of live theatre with a subscription to our 2025 Season. Tickets for a mixtape for maladies will go on sale to the public on Wednesday 13 November 2024. All remaining shows will go on sale to the public on Monday 3 February 2025.
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Accessibility
Our mission is to make great theatre easy to enjoy for all. We welcome anyone with access needs, along with their friends and whānau, to our venue and we are on hand to help.
New Zealand Sign Language Interpreted Performances
NZSL interpreted performances feature a trained interpreter from Platform Interpreting New Zealand. The trained interpreters work closely with the cast and creatives to translate the play into New Zealand Sign Language. The interpreter is on stage during the performance, interpreting the show for Deaf and hard of hearing patrons in the audience. We reserve great seats to view the interpreter for Deaf and hard of hearing audience members.
Supported by:
Audio Described Performances and Pre-Show Touch Tours
Audio described performances provide a live audio commentary by professionals from Audio Described Aotearoa, who describe key visual elements of what is happening on stage, slipped seamlessly between portions of dialogue. This commentary is relayed to blind and low vision patrons via an earpiece and a headset, which are provided at no extra charge to those booking accessibility tickets.
Supported by:
Taking place 90 minutes before the audio described performance, the touch tour is a free experience where patrons can walk through the set, touch props, feel costumes and might have the chance to meet the actors. Touch tours are for blind and low vision patrons and their companions.
Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs are welcome at the theatre. We can find a seat that’s comfortable for you and your dog or arrange for staff to look after your dog during the show.
Relaxed Performances
Relaxed performances are inclusive experiences designed to welcome anyone who would benefit from a less-formal theatre environment. They may be especially welcoming to autistic and neurodivergent audience members or those with anxiety or sensory sensitivities. At a relaxed performance, there is an open attitude to audience noise and movement, brighter auditorium lighting and a breakout space. You’re invited to come as you are and be yourself.
Wheelchair Access
ASB Waterfront Theatre has three wheelchair spaces with eight accompanying companion seats centrally located in the auditorium, reserved for customers with access requirements. There is step-free, level access to all tiers of the building and to seating in the stalls. Wheelchair accessible toilets are located on the ground floor. Accessible parking is available on Madden Street and other accessible parking spaces are within 150 metres of the theatre.
Hearing Assistance
The theatre has a T-Loop radio frequency system to amplify the sound of the performance. If you don’t use a hearing aid or your hearing aid does not have a T setting, there is a listener unit available on request from the box office.
Accessible Performances and Companion Tickets
$20 tickets are available for Deaf/hard of hearing, blind/low vision, and neurodivergent audiences and a companion attending audio described, NZSL interpreted, or relaxed performances.
Save the hassle and book an access subscription for the year. Access subscriptions are available from the box office. Call 09 309 3395, email boxoffice@atc.co.nz, or visit ASB Waterfront Theatre.
Accessibility Programme Providers:
NZSL Interpreted Performances –Platform Interpreting New Zealand
Audio Described Performances –
Audio Described Aotearoa Ltd
Creative Learning
Auckland Theatre Company offers enriching opportunities for students and young artists from across Aotearoa.
Our Creative Learning programme brings students, teachers and artists together to share a love of theatre and storytelling. In 2024, over 6,500 students attended a play at Auckland Theatre Company.
Our school matinees offer the chance to watch a performance, followed by a Q&A session with the cast and creatives. Alongside school matinees, we offer workshops that help students develop skills and gain a deeper understanding of a production.
In 2025, every school group booking includes a free recording of the production, and an education pack with curriculum linked resources.
“ATC’s school matinees are seriously transforming for my students at all levels. Every resource was thoughtful and helped to unpack the show for my ākonga. Wonderful education package and brilliant programming. Grateful for opportunities that open doors for our many students”.
– Kaiako at Aorere College
Auckland Theatre Company welcomes your ākonga to an act of imagination.
Learn more at atc.co.nz/learn-and-explore
Youth Arts
At Auckland Theatre Company, we invite young creatives and emerging artists to learn in a working theatre, forge lifelong relationships, and train in an environment that acknowledges that being an artist takes enormous strength and resilience.
Across our Youth Arts programmes, rangatahi and emerging artists can create, play and grow in the engine room of Auckland Theatre Company. Join us at a Youth Arts Open Day to discover more.
Explore our programmes at atc.co.nz/learn-and-explore
Youth Company is proudly made possible by the generous support of: Youth
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Join a dynamic network of forward-thinking professionals in Tāmaki Makaurau. Auckland Theatre Company invites the business community to exclusive events designed specifically for creative thought leaders.
Our annual corporate memberships provide a gateway to connect, create and cultivate relationships. Situated in the vibrant Wynyard Quarter, the ASB Waterfront Theatre stands as a beacon of arts and culture. Engage with us and utilise the creative energy of our space to enhance the innovative thinking within your team.
A 12-month membership provides a spectrum of benefits, offering flexibility to tailor them to your organisation’s needs.
Reasons to Join
• Benefit from year-round corporate entertainment opportunities in our state-of-the-art theatre.
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• Enjoy exceptional hospitality packages for staff, clients and suppliers.
Apply at atc.co.nz/membership or email membership@atc.co.nz
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Please consider a donation to Auckland Theatre Company. It is the generous philanthropy of our community that strengthens Aotearoa’s performing arts ecosystem and enables us to push artistic boundaries.
We are one of the largest employers of theatre-makers in New Zealand. Your fully tax-deductible donation allows us to champion, nurture and elevate artists and creatives to thrive at ASB Waterfront Theatre and beyond.
Not only are our operations reliant on the skills and talents of people, your support allows us to invest in emerging storytellers, actors, directors, costumiers, prop-makers and creatives.
Thank you for supporting us. Thank you for being part of our story. All donations of $5 or more are tax-deductible.
To donate to Auckland Theatre Company visit atc.co.nz/support
Heartfelt Thanks to our 2024 Supporters
ATC PATRONS GROUP 2024
Co-Chairs Lady Dayle Mace MNZM and The Hon Justice Anne Hinton KC
Patrons Margot & Alastair Acland, Margaret Anderson, John Barnett CNZM, Betsy & Michael Benjamin, Louise & Mark Binns, Patrick Bourke, Barbie & Paul Cook, Jane & Tiff Day, Nicole & Guy Domett, Annette & Kim Ellis, Jan & Trevor Farmer, Antonia Fisher KC & Stuart Grieve KC, Virginia & Stephen Fisher, Andrew Gelonese & Michael Moore, Anna Gibbons, Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Stephanie & Michael Gowan, Joséphine & Ross Green, The Hon Justice Anne Hinton KC & Peter Hinton, Michael Horton CNZM & the late Dame Rosie Horton DNZM, QSO, QSM, Sally Jackson, Katie Jacobs & Chris Aughton, Stella Johnston, Judy Jordan & Trevor Bayly, Heather & Len Jury, Anita Killeen & Simon Vannini, Philippa Smith Lambert & Chris Lambert, Margot & Paul Leigh, Antonia & Tim MacAvoy, Lady Dayle Mace MNZM & Sir Chris Mace KNZM, Peter Macky, Pip Muir & The Hon Kit Toogood KC, Christine Nolan & Derek Nolan KC, Matthew Olde & Jacqui Cormack, Prue Olde, Heather Pascual, The Hon Dame Judith Potter DNZM, CBE, Robyn & Malcolm Reynolds, Fran Ricketts, Julie & Russell Tills, Kerrin Vautier CMG & Noel Vautier, Louise & Karl Von Randow, Joan Vujcich, Susan & Gavin Walker, Carol Weaver & Greg Blanchard, Lynne Webber & Priscilla McGirr, Ian Webster, Dona & Gavin White
30 TH ANNIVERSARY FUND
Visionary Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Jan & Trevor Farmer
Lead Prue Olde
Ensemble Barbie & Paul Cook
YOUTH COMPANY SUPPORTERS 2024
Co-Leaders Peter Macky and Joan Vujcich
Saints Aaron Boonshoft, Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Sir Chris Mace KNZM & Lady Dayle Mace MNZM, Peter Macky, Joan Vujcich, Anonymous (1)
Angels Andy Eakin & Paul Boakes, Charlotte & Ian McLoughlin, Anne & Chris Morris, Simon Sinclair, Jane & Mark Taylor, Ian Webster, Anonymous (1)
Cherubs Lindsay Esler, Liang Family Foundation, Karen McNeill, Carthew Neal, Keiko Pulin & Graham Astley, Anonymous (1)
Friends Georgina & Stuart Anderson, Margaret Anderson, Alex & Craig Birch, Susan Buckland, Jenny & Rick Carlyon, Kim delaRosa, Rosey Eady & David Nicoll, Prue & John Gilbert, Sarah & Martin Gillman, Debbie Graham & Associates (DGA), Carmen & Helius Guimaraes, Bridget Hackshaw & Michael Savage, Alister Hartstonge & Roy Knill, Coriamber Hogan & Martin Kunz, Alison Holt, Judy & Andrew Jarvie, J Keith, Margot & Paul Leigh, Denise & Mark Lewis, The Hon Dame Judith Potter DNZM, CBE, Sarah Powrie, Simone & Mark, Adriane Swinburn, Synnott Family, Joanne & Rob Wills, Anonymous (7)
SUPPORTING ACTS 2024
Standing Ovation Dame Jenny Gibbs DNZM, Anonymous (2)
Curtain Call David Inns, Shona & Barry Old, Anonymous (1)
Take A Bow Sir Roger Hall KNZM, QSO, Shona McCullagh MNZM, Judy & Allen McDonald, Anonymous (2)
Applause Susan Battye ONZM, Dale Bailey, Britta Christiansen, John Dwyer, Jane Hanley, Jenny Whatman & Kerry Harvey, Jan Hilder, Alan Jermaine, Christine King, Janette Partington, Maxine Priestley, Richard Quatermass, Brigitte Richards, Deb Shepherd, Jenny & Andrew Smith, Isaiah Tour, Kerrin Vautier CMG & Noel Vautier, Joanna Waddington, Anonymous (3)
Celebrating Our Partners
Thank
Thank
About Us
Auckland Theatre Company was founded in 1992, following the closure of the Mercury Theatre, and produced its first season in 1993.
We introduced ourselves to the world under the leadership of Simon Prast with the world premiere of David Geary’s Lovelock’s Dream Run, directed by Raymond Hawthorne ONZM at the Watershed Theatre. During Simon’s tenure, the Company established itself as a successful artistic force, performing at theatres across the city.
From mid-2003 to 2021, the Company was led by Artistic Director Colin McColl ONZM, who created an unprecedented 18 seasons during a highly productive period in which the Company established a permanent base at Balmoral and set the scene for a theatre to call home.
In 2016, after a decade of dreaming, planning and fundraising, the Company opened its own theatre, the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Wynyard Quarter, creating a new platform where theatre-makers could work at scale.
Across its history, Auckland Theatre Company has nurtured new writing by New Zealand playwrights, investing in commissions and world premieres every year. This commitment to the New Zealand theatre vernacular remains the backbone of the Company’s artistic work.
Our purpose of ’Powerful storytelling that connects communities and enriches lives’ is manifested in five programme strands. We:
• Produce theatre of scale and ambition, presenting outstanding New Zealand and international work that thrills audiences and builds community.
• Develop new work by New Zealand theatre artists, reflecting the community of which we are a part and nurturing the next generation of New Zealand storytellers.
• Inspire and engage young people, through initiatives in which young people can participate, through school and independently, as audience and as artists.
• Provide leadership for the performing arts sector, offering professional development and resources that nurture theatre workers.
• Programme ASB Waterfront Theatre to fulfil its potential as a cultural asset for the benefit of Aucklanders.
The result of our work is: ’Inspired and enriched communities, where storytelling uplifts, educates, unifies and enhances well-being’.
AUCKLAND THEATRE COMPANY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Vivien Sutherland Bridgwater MNZM (Chair)
Ngāti Whātua
Bronwyn Bradley
Isaac Hikaka
Ngāruahine, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Katie Jacobs
Nathan Joe 周润豪
Derek McCormack
Graeme Pinfold
LEADERSHIP
Artistic Director & CEO: Jonathan Bielski
ARTISTIC
Artistic Associate & Casting Director: Benjamin Kilby-Henson
Youth Arts Coordinators: Dan Goodwin, Acacia O’Connor Ngāti Porou, Beatriz Romilly, Munashe Tapfuya
ARTISTIC OPERATIONS
Director, Artistic Operations & Deputy CEO: Anna Cameron
Director, Production: Kathryn Osborne
Producer: Sums Selvarajan
Head of Learning & Participation: Sam Phillips
Operations Manager: Lucy Gardner
Production Coordinator: Paige Pomana Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rakaipaaka, Rongomaiwahine
MARKETING & TICKETING
Director, Marketing: Joanna O’Connor
Marketing Manager: Kate Shapiro
Graphic Designer: Wanda Tambrin
Marketing Executive: Maxene London
Ticketing Manager: Bruce Brown
Box Office Team Leader: Gary Hofman
Ticketing Assistants: Ella Blake Brislen, Mia Crossan, Molly Curnow, Benjamin Forrester, Lucas Haugh, Talia Pua, Toby Swann, Sophie Watson, Tom Webster, Rachael Yielder, Daphne Zondag
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Director, Finance: Elena Nikolaeva
Finance Officer: Dina Abramova
Accountant: Reena Mudliar
Head of Strategy: Natasha Pearce
Archives Assistant: Hazel Oh
ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Director, ASB Waterfront Theatre: Sharon Byrne
Co-Front of House Managers: Lucas Haugh, Dario Kuschke
Events Coordinator: Amy Robertson
Venue Technical Manager: Johnny Chen
Senior Venue Technician: Nathanael Bristow
Technical Team: Tayla Brittliff, T.J. Haunui, Luuk Heijnen, Keira Howat, Michael Keating, Max Manson, Dave McSmith, Patrick Minto, Aaron Mitchell, Nick Mulder, Joseph Noster, Mitch Rayner
Front of House Supervisors: Billy Blamires, Jack Clarkson, Lucie Everett-Brown, Gary Hofman, Sofi Issak-Zade, Pearl McCracken, Rachael Yielder
Front of House: Cara Allen, Luke Bishop, Ella Blake Brislen, Elliot Blakeley, Ruben Cirilovic, Mia Crossan, Bailey Cropp, Molly Curnow, Sam Dawkins, Merlia De Ridder, Nat Dolan, Shannon Freeman, Eugene Garry, Mary Grice, Lara Grozev, Shayla Hann, Amy Henwood, Kirsty Leggett, Vena-Rose Lennane, Emre Logan, Prakritik Mal, Ida Munro, Demos Murphy, Carla Newton, Joseph Noster, Finlay Pinkerton, Talia Pua, Tema Pua, Ailsa Scott, Mikaela Stroud, Emily Smith, Toby Swann, Geo Tughushi, Tom Webster, Daphne Zondag
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View our gifting ideas and purchase online at atc.co.nz/gifts or at the box office.
Acknowledgments
Agatha Christie’s
the Orient
By Arrangement with ORiGiN Theatrical On Behalf of Samuel French, A Concord Theatricals Company.
2025 BROCHURE
Producer: Sarah Hough
Photographers: Signy Bjorg, Tony Drayton
Photographer Assistant: Gavin McGregor
Retoucher: Denny Monk
Stylists: Sara Beale, Te Ura Hoskins
TIRI:
by Witi Ihimaera
MARY The Birth of Frankenstein by Jess Sayer
Hair & Make-up: Megan Maxwell, Darren Meredith, Shannon Sinton
Additional Brochure Photography: Jinki Cambronero, Andi Crown, Andrew Malmo, Michael Smith
Graphic Designer: Wanda Tambrin
Show Copy: Maioha Allen, Joanna Wane
Proofreader: Susan Shaw –All About Words
Auckland Theatre Company acknowledges the use of Midjourney – AI Image Generator. We extend gratitude to the human creators, whose works contributed to the training of the AI systems.
Roger Hall’s End of Summer Time
TE ARAROA
WOMAN FAR WALKING
Murder on
Express
2025 Season Calendar
a mixtape for maladies
by Ahi Karunaharan
ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Preview Tue 4 Mar 7pm
Preview Wed 5 Mar 7pm
Thu 6 Mar 7pm
Opening Night* Fri 7 Mar 7pm
Sat 8 Mar 8pm
Sun 9 Mar 4pm
Tue 11 Mar 7pm
Wed 12 Mar 7pm
Thu 13 Mar 7pm
Fri 14 Mar 8pm
Sat 15 Mar 8pm
Sun 16 Mar 4pm
Tue 18 Mar 7pm
Wed 19 Mar 7pm
Thu 20 Mar 7pm
Fri 21 Mar 8pm
Sat 22 Mar 2pm
Sat 22 Mar 8pm
Sun 23 Mar 4pm
Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express
adapted by Ken Ludwig
ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Preview Tue 22 Apr 7pm
Preview Wed 23 Apr 7pm
Roger Hall’s End of Summer Time
Opening Night* Thu 24 Apr 7pm Fri 25 Apr 8pm Sat 26 Apr 2pm Sat 26 Apr 8pm Sun 27 Apr 4pm Tue 29 Apr 7pm Wed 30 Apr 7pm Thu 1 May 7pm Fri 2 May 8pm Sat 3 May 2pm Sat 3 May 8pm Sun 4 May 4pm Tue 6 May 7pm Wed 7 May 11am Wed 7 May 7pm Thu 8 May 7pm Fri 9 May 8pm Sat 10 May 2pm Sat 10 May 8pm ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Preview Tue 17 Jun 7pm
Preview Wed 18 Jun 7pm
Opening Night* Thu 19 Jun 7pm Sat 21 Jun 2pm
Sat 21 Jun 8pm Sun 22 Jun 4pm
Tue 24 Jun 7pm Wed 25 Jun 11am Wed 25 Jun 7pm Thu 26 Jun 7pm Fri 27 Jun 8pm Sat 28 Jun 2pm Sat 28 Jun 8pm Sun 29 Jun 4pm Tue 1 Jul 7pm Wed 2 Jul 7pm Thu 3 Jul 7pm Fri 4 Jul 8pm Sat 5 Jul 2pm Sat 5 Jul 8pm
* Opening Night tickets are not available for purchase
Touch Tour takes place 90 minutes prior to the performance
William Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet
ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Preview Tue 15 Jul 7pm
Preview Wed 16 Jul 7pm
Opening Night* Thu 17 Jul 7pm
Fri 18 Jul 8pm
Sat 19 Jul 2pm
Sat 19 Jul 8pm
Sun 20 Jul 4pm
Tue 22 Jul 7pm
Wed 23 Jul 7pm
Thu 24 Jul 7pm
Fri 25 Jul 8pm
Sat 26 Jul 8pm
Sun 27 Jul 4pm
Tue 29 Jul 7pm
Wed 30 Jul 7pm
Thu 31 Jul 7pm
Fri 1 Aug 8pm
Sat 2 Aug 8pm
Sun 3 Aug 4pm
Tue 5 Aug 7pm
Wed 6 Aug 7pm
Thu 7 Aug 7pm
Fri 8 Aug 8pm
Sat 9 Aug 2pm
Sat 9 Aug 8pm
MARY
The Birth of Frankenstein
by Jess Sayer
ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Preview Tue 19 Aug 7pm
Preview Wed 20 Aug 7pm
Opening Night* Thu 21 Aug 7pm Fri 22 Aug 8pm Sat 23 Aug 8pm Sun 24 Aug 4pm
Tue 26 Aug 7pm
Wed 27 Aug 7pm Thu 28 Aug 7pm
Fri 29 Aug 8pm
Sat 30 Aug 8pm
Sun 31 Aug 4pm Tue 2 Sep 7pm
Wed 3 Sep 7pm Thu 4 Sep 7pm
Fri 5 Sep 8pm Sat 6 Sep 2pm Sat 6 Sep 8pm Sun 7 Sep 4pm
TIRI: TE ARAROA WOMAN FAR WALKING
by Witi Ihimaera
ASB WATERFRONT THEATRE
Preview Tue 4 Nov 7pm
Preview Wed 5 Nov 7pm
Opening Night* Thu 6 Nov 7pm Fri 7 Nov 7pm Sat 8 Nov 1pm Sat 8 Nov 7pm Sun 9 Nov 4pm Tue 11 Nov 7pm Wed 12 Nov 7pm Thu 13 Nov 7pm Fri 14 Nov 7pm Sat 15 Nov 1pm Sat 15 Nov 7pm Sun 16 Nov 4pm Tue 18 Nov 7pm Wed 19 Nov 7pm Thu 20 Nov 7pm Fri 21 Nov 7pm Sat 22 Nov 7pm Sun 23 Nov 4pm
