Globe Theatre is a theatre located in

Dunedin Dunedin ( ; ) is the second-most populous city in the South Island of New Zealand (after Christchurch), and the principal city of the Otago region. Its name comes from ("fort of Edin"), the Scottish Gaelic name for Edinburgh, the capital of S ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

, and the amateur theatre company that runs it. The theatre was built in 1961 by Patric and

Rosalie Carey Rosalie Louise Carey ( Seddon; 18 May 1921 – 29 June 2011) was a New Zealand actor, playwright, director and author who founded the Globe Theatre in Dunedin, the first purpose-built theatre for professional repertory in New Zealand, with the ...

as an extension of their house. The building to which it is attached, at 104 London Street, was designed by architect

William Mason William, Willie, or Willy Mason may refer to: Arts and entertainment *William Mason (poet) (1724–1797), English poet, editor and gardener *William Mason (architect) (1810–1897), New Zealand architect *William Mason (composer) (1829–1908), Ame ...

as his own house and built in 1864.

Ralph Hotere Hone Papita Raukura "Ralph" Hotere (11 August 1931 – 24 February 2013) was a New Zealand artist. He was born in Mitimiti, Northland Region, Northland and is widely regarded as one of New Zealand's most important artists. In 1994 he was award ...

designed both sets and costumes for the theatre productions. The foyer area was also used for exhibitions, notably the Waterfall paintings of

Colin McCahon Colin John McCahon (; 1August 191927May 1987) was a New Zealand artist whose work over 45 years consisted of various styles, including landscape, figuration, abstraction, and the overlay of painted text. Along with Toss Woollaston and Rita Angus ...

, paintings by

Michael Smither Michael Duncan Smither (born 29 October 1939) is a New Zealand painter and composer. Background Smither was born in New Plymouth and was educated at New Plymouth Boys' High School and Elam School of Fine Arts, Auckland. While studying he worke ...

, and pots by Barry Brickell,

Len Castle Leonard Ramsay Castle (23 December 1924 – 29 September 2011) was a New Zealand potter. Early life and family Born in Auckland on 23 December 1924, Castle was educated at Mount Albert Grammar School. He went on to study at Auckland University ...

, and

Doreen Blumhardt Dame Vera Doreen Blumhardt (7 March 1914 – 17 October 2009) was a New Zealand potter, ceramicist and arts educator. Early life Vera Doreen Blumhardt was born on 7 March 1914 in Huanui in the North of New Zealand. Her parents were Germa ...

104 London Street as residence

The large family house at 104 London Street was designed by architect

as his own house and built in 1864. Mason built his residence at 104 London Street in 1864. When he retired to Glenorchy, he sold the house to Robert Blackadder, a Dunedin merchant, who occupied it from 1879 to 1901, and then sold it to Dunedin draper Herbert Haynes, who resided there from 1901 to 1915. From 1915 to his death in 1941, the house was owned by Alexander Beggs, son of Charles Begg, of the music and piano store. Beggs' widow Christina remarried to John McLaren in 1948, and after her death in 1956 it passed into the ownership of McLaren. Rosalie Carey (1921–2011) and Patric Carey (1920–2006) bought the house from McLaren in November 1957.

104 London Street as theatre

The Careys came to Dunedin intending to start a theatrical company, despite being aware of Sybil Thorndyke's description of the city as "the graveyard of theatre". The Careys first staged productions in the garden and drawing-room, but began excavations to add a theatre off the former drawing room in 1961. The addition was designed by Niel Wales, who was the grandson of Nathaniel Wales, Mason's partner in Mason and Wales architects, and was originally approved by the council only as an extension to Rosalie Carey's teaching studio. According to theatre studies lecturer David Carnegie, the theatre may have been the first in New Zealand built without a proscenium arch. The Globe Theatre opened on 31 May 1961, with a production of

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

, and a seating capacity of 45. Juliet was played by Dallas Campbell and Romeo by Richard Butler. Patric Carey acted and produced, while Rosalie acted, took charge of costumes, fed cast and crew and kept the books. Rosalie Carey left Dunedin after 18 years. Book of Hours scene from Richard II

Theatre company

A complete list of plays performed at the Globe up to 1973 is included as an appendix in Rosalie Carey's book ''A Theatre in the House''. The theatre premiered all or most of

James K. Baxter James Keir Baxter (29 June 1926 – 22 October 1972) was a New Zealand poet and playwright. He was also known as an activist for the preservation of Māori culture. He is one of New Zealand's most well-known and controversial literary figures. ...

's plays, and held first productions in New Zealand for many other playwrights such as

Samuel Beckett Samuel Barclay Beckett (; 13 April 1906 – 22 December 1989) was an Irish writer of novels, plays, short stories, and poems. Writing in both English and French, his literary and theatrical work features bleak, impersonal, and Tragicomedy, tra ...

. Academic, actor and playwright

Simon O'Connor Simon David O'Connor (born 25 February 1976) is a New Zealand politician and a former member of the New Zealand House of Representatives for the New Zealand National Party, National Party. He represented the Tāmaki (New Zealand electorate), T� ...

spent three years at the Globe after reading a ''

Listener Listener(s) or The Listener(s) may refer to: Literature * The Listener (magazine), ''The Listener'' (magazine), a 1929–1991 British weekly covering broadcast media * ''New Zealand Listener'', weekly magazine covering politics and culture * The L ...

'' article about the Careys. As of 2021, the Globe is administered by a society, the Friends of the Globe. The Globe continues to entertain Dunedin, with recent productions including Friedrich Schiller's ''Mary Stuart'', adapted by Keith Scott, in 2016, and Shakespeare's

Richard II Richard II (6 January 1367 – ), also known as Richard of Bordeaux, was King of England from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. He was the son of Edward, Prince of Wales (later known as the Black Prince), and Joan, Countess of Kent. R ...

in 2019 both receiving praise for Charmian Smith's historical costumes. By 2016, the theatre capacity had been increased to 70.{{Cite web , title=MARY STUART - Intimacy adds to immediacy , url=https://www.theatreview.org.nz/reviews/review.php?id=9599, access-date=2021-05-15 , website=www.theatreview.org.nz

References

External links

*http://www.globetheatre.org.nz/ *http://www.listener.co.nz/issue/3463/features/7083/patrics_day.html Theatres in Dunedin Heritage New Zealand Category 1 historic places in Otago Buildings and structures completed in 1961 1960s architecture in New Zealand Theatre companies in New Zealand