O TAUTAHI ROUNDUP

O TAUTAHI 2020

BY NATHAN JOE

Amidst the threat of the pandemic and social distancing Christchurch continued to develop its growing independent theatre scene while restructuring its mainstage productions. Perhaps unsurprising from a city that has been defined by its resilience, plenty of hope was still present on its stages. The city’s two primary venues, The Court Theatre and Little Andromeda held down the fort admirably during this time, operating at a level matching any other live performance venue across the country. New artistic director of The Court, Dan Pengelly had a tricky first year on the job, with the complete upheaval of the planned 2020 season. If a silver lining was to be found, it made space for more local works from across the country, a makeshift minicelebration. This included Rants in the Dark (previously at Circa), the NZ debut of Modern Māori Quartet’s Two Worlds, Penny Ashton’s Promise and Promiscuity and James Roque’s Boy Mestizo in its Christchurch debut. The Court Youth Company’s productions Quarantine Diaries and Jekyll and Hyde continued to develop the city’s future theatremaking ecology. The necessity of this programme can’t be stressed enough, ensuring fresh blood is being pumped into the city’s veins. Significantly Little Andromeda built a more permanent theatre and has a 10 year lease, which should finally give independent theatre more security here and audience development Previously established shows finally got their Christchurch premiere there including Leon Wadham’s Giddy, Ralph McCubbin Howell’s Tröll, Liam Coleman’s Play, Abby Howells’ Harlequeen and David Huggins’ Once More,

ENSURING FRESH BLOOD IS BEING PUMPED INTO THE CITY’S VEINS

with Feeling. Not to mention Snort on Tour, a homecoming for a lot of Christchurch-born theatremakers cum comedians. Emerging and local makers who also benefited from the new space included several NASDA graduates in Demon Cat Space Boy (supported by Two Productions) and Blackboard Collective’s Isolation Mixtape Premiere. Director of Little Andromeda Michael Bell deserves an honourable mention: for implementing retro couches (replacing traditional seating blocks) as cabaret-style seating, with table service using QR codes during alert level 2. The city’s theatre has since returned to some semblance of normalcy. The 2020 year was bookended by The Court’s annual summer musical, filling the city with the tunes from Jersey Boys. Over at Little Andromeda there was another bookend, annual Christmas show, Christ! What a Night – a Thomas Sainsbury and Chris Parker original – which also popped off. If audiences were full of trepidation about attending shows, you wouldn’t have guessed it, with bums on seats selling out the show far in advance.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Gladys and Alfie by Jane McLauchlan, Lyttelton Arts Factory. Image: Sabin Holloway. Treasure Island by David Ladderman and Lizzie Tollemache, Rollicking Entertainment, Christchurch Botanic Gardens. Image: Erik Norder. Rants in the Dark by Emily Writes adapted for the stage by Mel Dodge, Lyndee-Jane Rutherford and Bevin Linkhorn, Good Times, The Court Theatre. Image: Roc+ Photography.