The Playhouse Theatre is a theatre in
Dunedin
Dunedin ( ; mi, Ōtepoti) is the second-largest city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from , the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. Th ...
, New Zealand. It was converted from a lodge into a 100-seat theatre by the Southern Comedy Players in 1962. Since the late 1960s it has been home to the Dunedin Repertory Society, who regularly perform youth productions for children.
Southern Comedy Players
The building, at 31 Albany Street, dates from 1876, and was converted from the Foresters' Lodge Hall in 1962 by
William Menlove and
Bernard Esquilant for theatre company
Southern Comedy Players.
When opened the theatre had 100 seats, and the "Stage Set" cafe and a craft exhibition space on the top floor.
The repertoire for the Southern Comedy Players included contemporary West End comedy, musicals, classics and dramas. The Southern Comedy Players became the Southern Theatre Trust which folded in 1970.
Dunedin Repertory Society
The Playhouse is home to the
Dunedin Repertory Society, which was formed in 1931 but has been based at The Playhouse since the late 1960s.
The Society currently specialises in youth productions, and regularly performs youth productions for children in the school holidays. Recent productions have included ''
The Hunting of the Snark
''The Hunting of the Snark'', subtitled ''An Agony in 8 Fits'', is a poem by the English writer Lewis Carroll. It is typically categorised as a nonsense poem. Written between 1874 and 1876, it borrows the setting, some creatures, and eight por ...
'', adapted from Lewis Carroll by Diane Dupres, in April 2021, and ''Treasure Island''; ''Sleeping Beauty'' is an up-coming production for July 2021. The Playhouse also hosts an annual adult production, past productions have included a professional production of Aristophanes' ''
The Clouds
''The Clouds'' ( grc, Νεφέλαι ''Nephelai'') is a Greek comedy play written by the playwright Aristophanes. A lampooning of intellectual fashions in classical Athens, it was originally produced at the City Dionysia in 423BC and was not ...
'', directed by Harry Love in 2019, and ''Never the Sinner'', by
John Logan, directed by Lewis Ablett-Kerr.
During 2020 the society had to move productions to
Logan Park High School due to a leaking roof. The roof was subsequently replaced using a grant from the Dunedin Heritage Fund, which was the first renovation work since the conversion in the 1960s.
In April 2021, the Society's President Jemma Adams called for public input into the future of the building, which is in need of significant further renovation.
Musical Theatre
Some of Dunedin Operatic Inc.'s early productions
ow Musical Theatre Dunedinwere staged in the Playhouse Theatre.
Notable alumni
Ryan O'Kane
Ryan O'Kane is a New Zealand actor. His roles include Rhys Levitt in the Australian police drama ''City Homicide'', Prince Frederik in the telemovie '' Mary: The Making of a Princess'', and Riley Hawkins in ''Home and Away''. In 2018 and 2019 ...
began his acting career performing with Playhouse Theatre, aged 5.
Awards
At the 2019
Dunedin Theatre Awards, the Playhouse was awarded Outstanding Contribution to Children's Theatre.
References
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Theatres in Dunedin
Children's theatre
Theatre in New Zealand