News

This month we welcome Sneha to the team and say farewell to Sean.

Sean joined us at The PumpHouse in June 2015 and has worked as a casual venue assistant, technician, duty manager and box office team member.

He has also volunteered his technical skills for Tadpole Productions, Shoreside Theatre and Rosmini College over the years.

Sean flies down to Blenheim this weekend to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force where he’ll be training to become and Avionics Technician.

We wish Sean all the best – he has been a big part of The PumpHouse whānau.

സ്നേഹയ്ക്ക്  പമ്പ്ഹൌസിലേക്ക് സ്വാഗതം!!!

This month we welcome Sneha to the team.  She is joining us for three months as an intern while she completes a Post Graduate Business Administration diploma.

Sneha will be helping in the box office and supporting Julia with office admin duties.

We asked Sneha to share a few words about her experience so far:

Kia Ora,

I am Sneha – Intern at the PumpHouse Theatre for August- November.

I come from the southernmost part of India where things are entirely different when compared to New Zealand. I always wanted to see real theatres but was only able to see them in movies.

I was really excited when I got the internship at the PumpHouse Theatre. I knew I was going to see a real theatre at last and how things get done there, closely.

Watching someone perform live on the stage is entirely different and exciting than watching a movie in the movie theatre.

The friendly bunch of people at the PumpHouse Theatre is my go to for everything.

They have been really helpful during my tough days. They make me feel the workplace as my second home. So far it has been great!

Though Tiger is still shy around me- hope we will get along soon

Over the last couple of months, The PumpHouse has been a hive of activity with suppliers, contractors and Auckland Council staff helping us with some major repairs and upgrades – made possible by the support of our Local Board.

Our new Cyclorama

Pictured above is our lovely new Cyclorama which made a striking debut during the recent Tim Bray Productions season of The Great Piratical Rumbustification.

A cyclorama is a large fabric screen at the back of the stage. It can be lit, or have images or video projected on to it to enhance scenic or lighting effects. Our old Cyclorama had been in service for about 10 years and was covered in holes and paint stains, so the new one really makes a difference.

We’re really grateful to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board who provided the majority of the funding to purchase the new Cyclorama via their quick response grant scheme.

(Thanks to Tim Bray Productions and David Rowland / One-Image.com for permission to use their photo, above)

The Coal Bunker leak is no more.

It’s taken over seven years, several in-depth reports, expert engineering advice and thousands of dollars but the Coal Bunker space (formally the art gallery) is finally leak-free!

Immediately after our 40th Anniversary celebrations work began to fix storm water drainage issues around the back of the building and inside the Coal Bunker.

Contractors put the finishing touches on the new carpet last week, bringing the project to completion.

Thanks again to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board for their support and funding, and the hard-working Auckland Council staff who have been to endless meetings with engineers, contractors and PumpHouse staff as we worked together to schedule work around performances.

Below you can see some photos of work in progress and how the Coal Bunker looks now – complete with new safety edging on the stairs that glows in the dark!

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the North Shore Theatre & Arts Trust will be held on Wednesday, 23 August 2017.

The Trust operates The PumpHouse Theatre with members of the Trust Board drawn from Friends of The PumpHouse.

At the AGM we present the theatre’s achievements over the last 12 months and our plans for the future.  This year we’ll be joined by guest speaker Roger Hall CNZM QSO, one of New Zealand’s most successful playwrights and a long-time supporter of The PumpHouse Theatre.

North Shore Theatre and Arts Trust – Agenda 2017

Join our Board

There are three vacancies for Board members this year, and nominations are invited from those interested in joining.  Any inquiries about Board roles can be made to to Peter Burn, Trust Chairperson on 021 265 9697.  Nomination forms are available below, or from James Bell, Business Manager at the PumpHouse Theatre by emailing james@pumphouse.co.nz

Trustee Nomination Form 2017

Attending the AGM

All members of our community are welcome to attend.  We ask that you please RSVP by emailing RSVP@pumphouse.co.nz for catering purposes.

The details are as follows:

Date:  Wednesday, 23 August 2017
Time: Refreshments from 6:30 pm
Venue: The French Rendez-vous Cafe, Killarney Park, Takapuna

We hope to see you there.

Our French intern Léa bids us adieu as she travels to pastures new.

We wish her well and we hope it’s au revoir and not goodbye.

Today it’s Bastille Day!

The French people celebrate the events that took place on July 14th 1789 in a deep economic and political crisis, when Louis XVI increasingly became unable to manage anti-monarchist forces. The Bastille, a medieval fortress and prison, was a symbol of tyrannical Bourbon authority in central Paris and had held many political dissidents. It’s a public holiday in France, and the day is celebrated with lots of fireworks, parades and communal eating.

So this is what we did today at the PumpHouse Theatre!

We had a French lunch: cheese, croissants, pâté and pastries with all the team, James, Gill, Julia and Stephen. We couldn’t find any snails or frogs around the lake…

It’s always a touching moment for me to share about my culture. A big shout-out to Gill who even wore a beret.

When I first started to work as an intern at the PumpHouse Theatre in January, I had no idea what the word “usher” meant. Hence my surprise when I asked Julia if I was going to meet the real Usher here in Takapuna, she said that, unfortunately, no I won’t. Little did I know that I was about to meet even more interesting people here at The PumpHouse Theatre. From ghosts’ hunters to cheerleaders, the list would be too long…! I even met a dragon, can you believe it?

More recently I had the craziest experience watching a play called SolOthello, mixing the world of Shakespeare with the Māori culture. Coming from far far away and English not being my mother tongue, what happened in my head was crazy! The actor was using old English and “Te reo”, the Māori language. Just think about the mental exercise for a foreigner! Yet it was the most interesting thing.

Working at the PumpHouse has given me the opportunity to be closer to a so-far unknown culture that I had no clue of, and be part of a joyful community. Now I’m proud to say that I can explain to my friends back home that being a “duty manager” has nothing to do with a military job, that a “front of house” is not the image that comes up when you google an address, that the “working lights” are not lights that used to not work, and that “props” are not some kind of new trendy drugs.

Merci le PumpHouse et Vive la France!!

Léa HERVIER

Volunteers Geoff, and Anaise with our intern, Lea

This week is National Volunteer Week so we wanted to take this opportunity to thank the many people who have volunteered their time and skills at The PumpHouse over the last twelve months.

Volunteers have helped with our 40th anniversary Open Day, guided theatre tours, helped with office admin, repaired and installed technical equipment, helped with children’s drama classes, ushered, worked in the box office, and helped sort our archives.

Not to mention our volunteer Trust Board and Patron who give up their time each month to guide The PumpHouse towards achieving our goals.

Overall we reckon people have donated 2,310 hours of their time to make The PumpHouse run smoothly in the last twelve months.

So, a big thank you to:

Alan, Amy, Anaise, Angela, Brenda, Brendan, Chris, Don, Eimer, Elena, Emma, Geoff, Jacqui, Jenny, Jenny, Jilly, Joan, Joy, Lea, Lesley, Lynette, Mags, Margie, Meg, Mendia, Michelle, Mirene, Ngaio, Paul, Peter, Peter, Robert, Rowan and Xzania.

We couldn’t do it without you!

Keen to get involved?

For over forty years volunteers have been a key part of the PumpHouse Theatre family.

Whether it be ushering, supporting the administration office, organising events or looking after the grounds we’re keen to hear from anyone who has time and enthusiasm to offer.

If you would like to get involved contact Julia on 486 2386 or email julia@pumphouse.co.nz

Thank you for coming

A huge thank you to everyone who took part in our birthday celebrations during May.

It was great to catch up with many of the people involved in saving the old pump house from demolition and establishing the The PumpHouse Theatre at a very special cocktail function held in their honour.

We were thrilled to have Max and Sue Golding perform during the evening. Max was the first person to speak from the newly built stage at the very first production held in the theatre in 1977.

Around 2,000 people came down to enjoy the open day and backstage tours, and the evening showcase, featuring some of the incredibly talented performers who now use The PumpHouse, was a sell-out.

We couldn’t have done it without the army of volunteers, local theatre groups and businesses who pitched in with their time and sponsorship – thank you so much.

Check out some of the photos from the day below

A new portrait for our birthday

The new photo at the top of this page (and also on our Facebook page) comes courtesy of North Shore photographer Tim Butler-Jones.

Tim was at The PumpHouse doing a photo shoot for a client and very kindly agreed to do a couple of extra shots for us to use.

We think they are great, and really capture the autumn atmosphere of the lake and the park. Keep and eye on our website for more of Tim’s work.

John Antony, QSM

We were delighted to see the installation of a new memorial seat in Killarney Park recognising the late John Antony (QSM), a long-time member of The PumpHouse family.

John was involved in community theatre for over five decades as a performer, designer, director and member of governing boards (including The PumpHouse Board).

He directed the very first musical staged at The PumpHouse, North Shore Operatic’s production of Music Hall, and was actively involved in 28 more productions here over the years.  He was also one of the founders of Tadpole Productions along with Louise Wallace.

Closeup of the memorial plaque

John’s family and Auckland Council worked together to choose just the right spot – and Auckland Council’s contractors worked hard to get it installed in time for the theatre’s 40th anniversary celebrations.

The seat is perfectly positioned with a view of either the lake or The PumpHouse – a view John enjoyed for many years as a friend, mentor and supporter of The PumpHouse.

We’re sure his cheeky spirit was the first to try out the new seat.

Things are a bit chaotic in the office at the moment as we count down to our 40th Anniversary Celebration, coming up on Saturday 6 May.

A fun family day

On the day between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm we’ll be will throwing open the doors offering backstage tours, costume displays and photos and posters from the last 40 years of theatre.

We’ve got food trucks and live entertainment including the Westlake Concert Orchestra, the PumpHouse Community Choir, Birkdale Primary School Kapa Haka and local Singer/Songwriter Sophie Mashlan.

There’s also a clown, balloon animals, crafts and free competitions for the kids.

Find out more on the PumpHouse Open Day event page on our website.

An evening celebration

At 7:00 pm on Saturday, 6 May the PumpHouse Evening Showcase will offer a taste of short performances by the many local theatre organisations – both grassroots and professional who perform at The PumpHouse.

Guest MC Russell Dixon will host the evening featuring performances by Tim Bray Productions, Shoreside Theatre, North Shore Music Theatre, the North Shore Performing Arts Society and many more.

It’ll be a great night celebrating the wide range of things you can see at The PumpHouse on a regular basis.  Tickets are just $10.00 each, and on sale now.

And a return after 40 years

In the lead-up to our 40th Anniversary celebrations, Love Letters by AR Gurney will be performed by Max and Sue Golding.

Sue and Max were part of The PumpHouse Theatre’s very first production in 1977, and were early members of the North Shore Theatre and Arts Trust when the theatre was established.

They still perform regularly around Auckland – you may have seen Sue in The Acting Collective’s production of Persuasion at The PumpHouse earlier this year.

They’ll appear together on stage from Tuesday 2nd – Thursday 4th May, presenting this Pulitzer Prize winning classic which illuminates a couple’s ambitions and dreams over a 50-year relationship through a series of letters.

Find out more on the Love Letters event page.

Thank you to our sponsors

We’re very grateful to our event sponsors Harcourts Cooper and Co – especially Gail and Ken Pianta, to Aidan and the team from Beneftiz and to the many performers and artists who have donated thier time and expertise to make these events possible.

We hope you’ll join us to celebrate this very special anniversary.

Hi Peoples,

It’s me Tiger!

Contrary to popular belief a theatre cat’s day doesn’t just consist of taking naps all over the place, getting tummy rubs and eating Fancy Feast beef with gravy.

In fact I only spend around 22 hours a day sleeping. The rest of the time I’m really busy, in a slowish kind of way.

Things have been pretty quiet on the mouse front lately, but I even so I must remain vigilant. Whenever it rains, those pesky little rodents usually sneak inside. I can’t allow them to get settled in. Next thing you know, they’ll be climbing the stage curtains during a performance! I hope it doesn’t get to a stage where so many are entering the house that the humans will look at Vermont terminix locations for pest control. I can handle these mice myself!

The best time for mouse patrol is when the curtains are down and there’s nowhere for them to hide. They probably think they’re safe under the stage….but they soon find out that they can run, but they can’t hide.

Here’s me on mouse patrol. “Meeeeow”!