News: News

1. Attend our Creative Talk with Terry Hooper next Monday 7 March at 7 pm! Creative Talks are free, and you will get to hear the expertise and passions of theatre practitioner, Terry Hooper, and all about his life in the arts. RSVP on our website is required.

2. Head to your local library and grab a few plays to read. Or if reading isn’t your vibe – you can always rent movies from your library!

3. Watch plays online! The National Theatre is a great place to start streaming incredible plays.

4. Have a picnic outside The PumpHouse Theatre (the MOST serene spot!) and bring a camera along to snap some beautiful shots. Post them on social media and tag us – @thepumphousetheatre (Instagram) @thepumphouse (Facebook).

5. Go for a walk in nature! Invigorate your creative mind and explore nature around you. Try to do some ‘Forest Bathing’. Find different types of objects (smooth, rough, prickly, big, small, etc) or look for something with the same characteristic (like various rocks). You could even collect things to do some crafts with!

6. Redecorate a room – a lot of us are having to spend more time at home, and it is amazing what a bit of a refresh can do for the mind. Op shops and Kmart have brilliant, affordable things to zhuzh up your home and get creative!

7. Indulge in a dance party! This is always a hit, especially with kids. Put on some of your favourite tunes, and get the body moving. The best thing about doing it at home, is usually no one is watching ????

8. Write a script or a novel! We all have stories to tell.

9. Make a short film – most of us have pretty decent cameras on our phones these days. And if you’re particularly proud of it – upload it to YouTube… you never know who may see it!

10. Experience a night of paranormal activity at The PumpHouse with Haunted Auckland! Find out more here.

11. Enjoy the beautiful music of Beethoven & Schubert with Orchestra Auckland & Xing Wang at St George’s Church, Takapuna at the end of March. More info here.

12. Learn Te Reo Māori online – a quick google search will bring up a lot of helpful websites to start you on your journey to learn this beautiful language. Check out this brilliant resource list from The Spinoff here.

13. Keep engaged with your local theatres – even though so much is getting cancelled and postponed, we ARE still here and we WILL prevail through these tough times. Theatre will not die.

Theatre, at its heart, is the people who make it happen. And we were incredibly lucky on Monday to be joined by some of the very people who were part of the driving force that made our gorgeous theatre what it is today. The PumpHouse Theatre has thrived as a community arts hub since the late ’70s – and despite the times we are in, this fierce wee theatre shows no signs of stopping. And that is because of the people – our wonderful community.

Our first PumpHouse Memories Group was held on Valentines Day, and it sure was a day of love and nostalgia shared by a variety of people who have a deep connection to The PumpHouse.

It was lovely to hear stories of the get togethers and social occasions which were fundraisers to support the initial restoration of the building.

Katherine Mason, the great, great granddaughter of James Mays who actually built the original pumphouse buildings in the 1880’s, came along with a portrait of the man himself and some new historical documents for us to add to the archive. She was delighted to meet Tessa Duder, as the Duder family along with the Alison and Mays families were important in the early days of Devonport and Takapuna.

It was great to see Genevieve Becroft, one of the original trust members and Lynette Jolicouer, who was on the Art Gallery steering committee – two PumpHouse tāngata taonga.

If you would like to attend our next Memories Group, keep an eye on our email newsletters and Facebook page for the next date to be announced.

Our theatre, like many others around the world, got into a pretty dire position when Covid hit our shores. The entertainment industry is one of the first to close its doors when a lockdown hits, and one of the last to be able to open back up. Theatres thrive off groups of people gathering together to have the shared experience of the magic of storytelling.

The PumpHouse Theatre prides itself on being a safe, healthy venue for visitors. We are over the moon that we are able to open our doors once again, but the only way we can remain open and operational for the foreseeable future is by following the Government’s Covid-19 Protection Framework guidelines as a “vaccine only” venue. It simply wouldn’t be economically possible to hold events with the restrictions placed on events where unvaccinated people may attend.

We acknowledge that there are many differing opinions on this subject, however, we are happy with our decision to keep the community safe in our space. We thank you for your understanding!

We’ll follow Government guidelines as they change, and look forward to entertaining our wonderful community with a wide variety of shows and events in 2022!

Summer means Shakespeare at The PumpHouse Theatre, with the annual Holiday Drama Programme: Shakespeare in a Week! And the ever-popular Auckland Shakespeare in the Park performed in the Outdoor Amphitheatre.

We are suckers for a good ol’ story from the Bard, so we are excited that the young thespians in next week’s holiday programme will be studying one of his most famous plays (and one of the last plays he wrote) – The Tempest. The week will consist of devising a Shakespearean performance from scratch, developing characters, creating props and set, and of course, culminating in a performance outdoors for whānau and friends to come and enjoy.

There are a very limited number of spots left for Shakespeare in a Week – so if it sounds like something that your 12-18-year-old will enjoy, book in ASAP! 

Speaking of famous plays by Mr. Willy Shakes – the renowned Auckland Shakespeare in the Park is back in 2022 with two bangers: Two Gentlemen of Verona and The Merchant of Venice. As the sun sets, you’ll be treated to riveting performances, sumptuous costumes, and the magic of storytelling under the stars.

Free tickets for children under 12!
Shoreside Theatre loves encouraging our youth to enjoy and understand Shakespeare, so they are offering Free Children’s Tickets for under 12-year-olds. Children must be accompanied by a paying adult with a maximum of 3 free tickets per booking.

Two Gentlemen of Verona, directed by our very own James Bell follows Valentine and Proteus, two firm friends from Verona who find their relationship put to the test when they both fall in love with the same woman. When Proteus’s father sends him away from Verona and the woman he loves, he finds himself falling for Valentine’s beloved, Silvia.

Both men forget their friendship and wrangle for her affection, but, after a series of mishaps and mistaken identities, the two couples are reunited and reconciled in marriage.

The Merchant of Venice, directed by Trevor Sharp is a clever and controversial comedy. The story is set in motion when Bassanio, a poor nobleman in Venice, needs money to woo the beautiful heiress Portia.

He asks his friend Antonio for a loan, but Antonio has invested his funds in ships overseas. The moneylender, Shylock, offers the cash on the condition that he will take a pound of Antonio’s flesh if the loan is not repaid within three months.

Antonio goes bankrupt and Portia steps in, disguised as a young male lawyer, to save the day.

Find out more about our Shakespearean Summer by clicking the posters below!

Against all odds, we managed to (finally) hold our AGM last Sunday, which was rescheduled from August due to Covid-19. A small number gathered in the PumpHouse outdoor amphitheatre, with socially distanced seating.

A major highlight of the AGM saw local legends Peter Baird and Ruth Ell recognised for their contributions to our theatre, being awarded life membership of Friends of The PumpHouse.

Ruth Ell and Peter Baird

Ruth has been a long-time PumpHouse supporter and was a committee member when The PumpHouse opened in the 70s, helping with everything from fundraising to advertising.

Peter trod the boards as a dancer and chorus member for North Shore Operatic in the 70s, and returned to The PumpHouse as a Trust Board member about five years ago. His significant contribution has helped to secure funding for The PumpHouse Theatre canopy project, due for completion in January.

This event has left us excited for our reopening next week, and we look forward to (safely!) bringing back our wonderful creative community to enjoy the magic of theatre once more.

There is nothing quite like live theatre – as you theatre lovers will know! But what exactly is it that makes it so special? Here are 10 reasons why we believe theatre is such a special experience.

1. No performance is exactly the same, so you are seeing something truly unique!
2. The rush of excitement you get watching talented performers portray relatable human emotions right in front of your very eyes can be a moving experience.
3. To feel the vibrations of live music (especially in musical theatre) is something pretty special.
4. You don’t have to damage your poor eyes watching an interesting story unfold on a screen, instead you can watch an interesting story LIVE!
5. There is an element of exciting risk watching live theatre… will the actors remember their lines? Will they hit those high notes?
6. There is actual research that shows audiences hearts synching while at the theatre – you can read more about that here
7. Just like seeing a sports game live, the atmosphere is incredible (I mean – have you been in the audience for one of our outdoor Summer Shakespeare shows?!)
8. History! Theatre mirrors the past, present, and future of our world. It makes history come alive right before our eyes, giving audiences a chance to connect with history and be educated all while being entertained.
9. Theatre helps us understand cultures other than our own. We can learn so much about people from all around the world by studying their performance traditions.
10. Perhaps the most important of all: COMMUNITY. The gathering of a community to have the shared experience of storytelling has been a thing for as long as humans have lived on earth. For a performance to happen, people need to gather in one place for a couple of hours, and witness an event that may be beautiful, funny, moving, and thought-provoking. In a time where most of our communication happens in front of a screen, bringing people together for a positive experience is something that matters.

Rescheduled Events

• Beethoven and Schubert (Orchestra Auckland): Event Postponed.  New venue and date.  Exisiting tickets remain valid for the new performance. See https://pumphouse.co.nz/whats-on/show/beethoven-and-schubert-orchestra-auckland/ for details.
• Last Night of the Proms (North Shore Concert Band): Event reschedule to Friday, 26 November at 7:30pm.  Existing tickets remain valid for the new event.

Postponed/Cancelled Events

• PumpHouse Paranormal Investigation (Haunted Auckland): Event cancelled.  Refunds have been processed
• NZ Amateur Pole Performer Auckland Heats: Event cancelled.  Refunds are being processed.
• Screw You (Feral Theatre Collective): Event postponed until 2022.  Refunds have been processed
• Mamma Mia Sing-Along (The PumpHouse Theatre) : Event postponed.  Refunds have been processed
• Beethoven and Schubert (Orchestra Auckland): Event Cancelled.  Refunds are being processed now
• The Campervan (Tadpole Productions): Event postponed until 2022.  Refunds have been processed
• The Twits (Tim Bray Theatre Company):  The PumpHouse Season has been cancelled.  Ticket holders are asked to hold on their tickets pending the announcement of future dates, or request a refund by emailing info@pumphouse.co.nz
• Se Joon Park Piano Recital: Postponed until 2022.
• Rangitoto: Postponed until 2022.  Refunds for tickets already purchased are being processed now.

Details still to come

Our radiant Venue Operations Coordinator, Rhiannon is wrapping up her chapter at The PumpHouse today.

Rhi has been a vibrant, important part of our theatre and will be sorely missed by staff, hirers, and patrons. She started out working here as a Casual Box Office team member, soon after also acquiring the role of Duty Manager. Her creative eye, unique flair, and easy-going nature didn’t go unnoticed, hence why she was offered the position of Venue Ops Coordinator in early 2020… yep – right before our first lockdown!

Rhi has qualifications in Producing and Art, she is a hot-in-demand Stage Manager, captivating Actor, and will begin her Directing journey this October where she is directing a one-act play.

Well, where to from here? She has a TONNE of creative endeavors to pursue (including a web series!) If you want to follow her journey, you can follow her on Instagram @rhi.rhi.rose

We love you Rhi – Haere rā e hoa.