A Triumphant Return: The Court Theatre Reopens in the Heart of the City

A new era dawns for Ōtautahi’s beloved theatre

After more than a decade since the devastating 2011 earthquakes, Christchurch’s Court Theatre has officially reopened its doors in the central city. The new $61 million facility stands as a testament to resilience, community support, and the enduring spirit of the arts in Aotearoa. Not without its dramas, the new theatre launched to rapturous reviews.

Opening night – proof of concept

On May 3^rd the theatre unveiled its inaugural production, Bruce Mason’s classic New Zealand play, The End of the Golden Weather. Directed by Lara Macgregor, the ensemble cast featured esteemed actor Sir Ian Mune as the narrator, alongside James Kupa and Mark Hadlow.

For Ross Gumbley, Artistic Advisor, five years of planning came to fruition on the opening night, “We had devoted this huge amount of time and effort to create this space but theatre exists in that gap between the audience and the stage, and until your first performance you have no idea if it will work. For me our opening night was proof of concept. I was simply overcome by the incredible relationship between the audience and what was happening on stage, and the crystal clear acoustics were spectacular.”

The celebrations continued with the Grand Opening the following morning and an opportune Open Day for the public, “Thanks to a 1 in 365 fraction of a chance, Open Christchurch 2025 Festival of Architecture coincided with the day after we opened our doors.” Over two thousand people came to see the new theatre in tour groups led by Athfield Architects. Ross describes the community’s response as one of quiet satisfaction, latent awe and unvoiced ownership, “It was at that point that it really hit home that the theatre didn’t belong to us but to the people of Christchurch.”

Weathering the storm

The lead-up to the theatre opening was not without its challenges. At four o’clock on 1^st May, severe weather conditions led to a state of emergency being declared in Christchurch. Heavy rains caused flooding, infrastructure disruptions, and advisement notices not to travel resulting in the Grand Opening being postponed. Fortunately, the waters abated and the theatre’s first production was able to go ahead as planned.

Theatre being theatre, behind the scenes, even the opening night was not without its own dose of real-life drama. The team faced a sudden curveball when one of the lead actors fell seriously ill just two hours before curtain-up. In testament to the company’s resilience and to Director Lara Macgregor’s professionalism, adjustments were swiftly made to ensure the show could go on. Lara took over the role, book in hand, “She was fantastic, the audience completely engaged with her and the rest of the cast, and the performance received euphoric applause.”

The final countdown

CX Magazine last spoke to Ross in October 2024. An almost seamless fit out followed thanks to the expertise of Project Managers Tom Crosby and Flore Charbonnier. One spanner in the works was quickly ironed out, “Our theatre has an almost 180 degree line of site to stage and we became concerned that there would not be enough structure in the wings for adequate masking. Loading was already near maximum but the engineers made some minor adjustments and we were good to go.”

The production team embraced the new electric winches and they were put to full use on the opening show. For Ross personally it has been the acoustic balance between the rehearsal space with the 377 seat Stewart Family Theatre that has been the outstanding feature, “Jon Farren at Marshall Day has done a fantastic job.”

Marshall Day’s acoustic design

Jon Farren, Principal Consultant at Marshall day, a Christchurch local and longtime regular at the Court Theatre, first provided input on acoustics to the team when they shifted into their temporary accommodation following the earthquake. In 2019 he joined the design team for the new theatre to resolve the main challenge of the ‘busy-ness’ of the building. Jon explains, “The theatre is the jewel in the crown, centrally located at the heart of the building, nestled between workshops and rehearsal spaces. We needed to separate that noise and stop it from transferring into the building’s structure.”

The solution was clever and cost-effective building construction, utilising an approach unusual in New Zealand theatres, “We installed floating floors that sit on rubber springs in the rehearsal spaces. We also took advantage of the concrete in the structure and lined it with material to dampen sound. We kept costs down by relying on residential spec resources that we could source in New Zealand, rather than expensive material from overseas.”

Two metal doors separating the workshops from the rear of the stage and acoustic silencers on the air conditioning rounded off the theatre’s passive acoustic environment, “I saw a ‘hard hat’ performance and was really pleased with the acoustics. Together we have created a beautiful space and an amazing asset for Christchurch.”

Looking Ahead

The Court Theatre’s new season promises a diverse lineup, including Victor Rodger’s Black Faggot and Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night.

Ross himself feels privileged to be switching from his behind the scenes advisory role, returning to his acting roots to appear in End of Summertime in the Wakefield Family Front Room, “It is an absolute honour to be able to contribute to the new theatre’s development and then to act in it. I see this project as having had a fifty-five year running time, from the formation of our professional performance company back in 1971, to now moving into our first genuine home and I am excited to be continuing my journey with the Court Theatre.”

Tickets are still available for The End of the Golden Weather.