News

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.

The past few months have been jam-packed with excitement here at The PumpHouse, so we thought we’d compile a list of six notable achievements, events, and upgrades that have happened recently. Take a read!

1. Our wonderful friend Alan Reekie has been awarded a Queen’s Service Medal for services to performing arts governance! Alan always has a cheery smile and an amusing anecdote at the ready and is a much-loved member of The PumpHouse team. He has been Secretary of our Trust Board from 2007, then Treasurer from 2011 to 2014, being made a Life Member in 2018. He’s also been involved in the North Shore Performing Arts Society since the 80’s in similar roles – all as a volunteer!
   You can read the full QSM citation here.
2. We held an open day in May to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the founding of The North Shore Theatre and Arts Trust which administers The Pumphouse Theatre. People came and enjoyed some delicious kai, interesting market stalls, exclusive back-stage tours, and entertainment from singers, dancers, musicians, and even a pirate!
3. Continuing the 50th-anniversary celebrations, we held an evening at the theatre for members of the PumpHouse community to acknowledge their contributions and the love they’ve put into our wonderful theatre. Among the attendees were original Friends of The PumpHouse – Ruth Ell, Genevieve Becroft, and Angela Antony (pictured below). We ended the evening with a staged play reading of Peg Escott’s play “Saved”. Peg was an integral part of the team that saved The PumpHouse from demolition and lay the foundations for what would become a vibrant hub for the performing arts.
4. We have a brand new jetty area! Auckland Council’s Contractors have been hard at work to make the jetty area a more accessible, appealing space – and my oh my is it APPEALING! Our bet is that it will be a favourite lunch spot for many over the warmer months. It also makes for a picture-perfect spot in front of the theatre. Thank you to the Devonport-Takapuna Local Board for the much-needed work on this area. Iron pipes that helped supply the North Shore with water more than 100 years ago were also rediscovered during the work and will be kept in place for the public to view. You can read more about the pipes here.
5. Love is in the air at The PumpHouse! On Saturday 19th June, Comedian and Magician Jarred Fell proposed to the woman of his dreams during his performance on our stage in front of a sold-out crowd! …She said yes! Congratulations Jarred & Ashlee!
6. A few shows that were on at The PumpHouse in 2020 won awards for their efforts in the ACTT Awards. The winners were announced earlier in the year, and have just recently been handed out. Foolish Wit Theatre and Shoreside Theatre were among the production companies that won some exciting awards. Pictured below is Jenn Onyeiwu with her Best Female Actor award for her outstanding performance in The Vagina Monologues, with director Meg Andrews (yes, the Meg Andrews writing this blog post! ?)

You’re invited to the Pumphouse Theatre’s open day!

Head on down to The Pumphouse Theatre this Sunday 23 May between 10am and 4pm for our first annual open day.

The family-friendly day includes free tours of the theatre, the chance to try on some costumes, and to learn about stage lighting. There’s also a line-up of entertainment including musicians, dancers, and performers.

The PumpHouse is pleased to present Aorere College showcasing their upcoming multimedia performance at The PumpHouse who will be at the event along with Market stalls selling arts and crafts, food trucks, and the French Rendez-vous Café.

Mags Delaney, the Community Engagement Coordinator, says “This is a chance for us to extend a welcome to our community beyond our regular supporters and share our ‘little gem’ even further.”

Once a year The Pumphouse Theatre opens its doors giving people the opportunity to see behind the scenes of this iconic building. This year’s open day coincides with the 50th anniversary of the founding of The North Shore Theatre and Arts Trust which administers The Pumphouse Theatre.

Our popular Creative Talk series is back and well underway for the year. This free monthly event hosted by The PumpHouse Theatre opened with a flourish in March with a talk from Forrest Hill resident Linda Cartwright. Linda is a vocal coach and actor who has worked with many notable actors on projects such as The Lord of The Rings Trilogy.

The remaining 2021 line-up of talks includes:

? Actor Denise Snoad – April 12

? Actor, Director, and Producer Jodie Dorday – June 8 

? Renowned local Historian and Author David Veart – July 19

? Producer and Director Alexandra McKellar – August 23 

? Director, Producer, and Actor Catherine Boniface – September 13

These incredible people all have a connection with The PumpHouse in their artistic careers.

“There’s a bit of a ‘women in theatre’ vibe about our programme this year,” says Mags Delaney, Community Engagement Coordinator.  “All of our guests are actively involved in producing, directing, and performing shows this year.”

The PumpHouse Theatre’s Creative Talks series aims to bring the community together with creatives to discover more about their process and what inspires them. Each event explores what goes on behind the scenes to create their unique art. There is something for everyone with an interest in the arts and what inspires and drives creativity.

The event is free with tea and coffee provided. Booking a seat on The PumpHouse website is recommended due to the limited number of spaces available.

More details can be found here.

Come and explore our breathtakingly beautiful heritage building with a virtual tour of The PumpHouse Theatre! Go behind the scenes and explore areas that are usually only seen by actors and backstage crew. This is the perfect opportunity for you to experience the atmosphere of our theatre without leaving home.

Click here to be taken on the virtual tour.

About the virtual tour

Created by Muse3D, one of New Zealand’s leading providers of full-immersion, virtual reality tours for the real estate, tourism, and commercial industries.

Muse 3D uses a high-tech Matterport 3D visionary system which consists of 9 lenses, and sensors, to capture 3D imagery.

The Matterport Scanner doesn’t take photographs or video, instead, it scans a property, which in turn, creates a fully immersive, virtual tour which allows you to tour the haunted locations we investigate. All from your computer, phone, or in virtual reality!

This week, our resident drama teacher and Shakespeare nut, Mags Delaney is running a 5-day workshop on all-things Shakespeare for 12 – 18 year olds. We managed to grab a moment of her time to ask her 5 Quick Q’s about the workshop and her love for the Bard.

You can come along to watch these talented young actors in action this Friday 15 Jan at 7 pm, with their performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in our outdoor Amphitheatre!

Can you briefly describe what the workshop is all about?
Mags: The workshop is a chance for young performers to have the opportunity to put together a Shakespearian play from scratch. Through exploring the story and the characters and becoming familiar with the language we are concentrating on A Midsummer Night’s Dream which we hope to perform on Friday evening in the Amphitheatre.

What is it like working with these young budding actors?
Mags: It is very inspiring to work with young people who have no fear about Shakespeare and who are willing to have a go, to follow direction, and take themselves out of their comfort zones. For me, there is nothing more satisfying than seeing young performers develop as the workshop progresses – and to have the confidence to perform on stage when they may have started off lacking in confidence in their own abilities.

What do you love about Shakespeare?
Mags: I love everything about Shakespeare! The stories, the fabulous rhythm of the words, and the wonderful characters he created. For a man, he wrote some fantastic female roles.

What is your favourite part of teaching these workshops?
Mags: I love seeing the actors grow in confidence and the development of a cast but most of all I love to see the words come alive in performance the way Shakespeare wrote them.

What advice would you give to someone wanting to learn and understand Shakespeare?
Mags: Don’t be afraid! The themes in Shakespeare’s plays are the same you see on TV and in movies – there’s comedy, romance, deception, betrayal, murder, scheming and sometimes a happy ending! If you’ve seen it on Shortie St or at the cinema Shakespeare probably wrote about it first.
And don’t worry about the words – there are lots of modern transcripts about for you to get the idea of the story and the characters and once you have that you can begin to play with Shakespeare’s words.

The PumpHouse Theatre is bringing a little extra sparkle and joy this festive season. After the wild year we’ve all had, we are looking to help support our local community this Christmas.

From December 1^st we will have an empty Christmas present box sitting in our foyer under the tree – which we hope you will help us fill! You can contribute non-perishable goods (and things like toothpaste, shampoo and feminine hygiene products), or maybe wrap up a gift for a child or adult.

We are supporting Shore Vineyard based in Forrest Hill who run a foodbank, and De Paul House in Birkenhead who provide shelter and support for families in need.

So come along and visit us before a show, or any time between 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday, and help us to spread the Christmas joy!