Downstage Theatre

Downstage Theatre was a professional theatre company in Wellington, New Zealand, that ran from 1964 to 2013. For many years it occupied the purpose-built Hannah Playhouse building. Former directors include Mervyn Thompson, and Colin McColl.[1]

Downstage Theatre
Formation1964 (1964)
Dissolved2013 (2013)
PurposeProducing theatre plays
Location

History

The Downstage Theatre Company was established in 1964 as a professional theatre company. The founders at the inaugural meeting in the Wellington Public Library on 15 May 1964 were actors Peter Bland, Tim Eliott and Martyn Sanderson, and restaurateur Harry Seresin. Sanderson believed in a small professional company in Wellington performing challenging works in an intimate venue. Seresin owned the Walkabout coffee bar on the corner of Courtenay Place and Cambridge Terrace in Wellington, and the upper floor of the Walkabout is where the first Downstage Theatre productions were performed.[2]

In 1968 the company took over the whole upper storey of the Walkabout coffee bar building with a remodelling that was designed by B. Woods as the major project in his final year at the Wellington School of Design. It was a theatre restaurant, where people dined and saw a show in the same space.[3]

The Downstage Theatre Company continued to operate from the Walkabout coffee bar building until plans for a purpose built theatre building were finalised. They moved to the Star Boating Club building in the early 1970s while the Hannah Playhouse was being built. Raymond Boyce MBE, a leading theatre set and costume designer, was on the board of Downstage when the playhouse was built, Boyce became design consultant to the architects Ron Parker and James Beard, influencing the design of the flexible stage area and auditorium.[4][5]

The Hannah Playhouse (seating) approximately 250 people was completed in 1973.[6]

Downstage published a quarterly magazine Act about theatre that included publishing play scripts. In 1973 Downstage supported the beginning of Playmarket, New Zealands agent for playwrights by allocating some staff time of Nonnita Rees plus office space. Act magazine continued with Playmarket picking it up in 1975 after Downstage decided they could no longer fund this activity.[1][7]

Downstage Theatre closed in 2013, citing a lack of adequate and stable funding.[8]

Notable productions
Ginette McDonald

The first locally-written production, in 1966, was Father's Day a dark social comedy by Peter Bland starring Pat Evison as the eccentric mother with two pregnant daughters. It was directed by Brian Bell who directed TV drama for New Zealand Broadcasting (NZBC) and it was the first commissioned play for its own cafe theatre.[9]

In 1968 a late night review called Knickers was the first place for Ginette McDonald's character Lyn of Tawa to have a public outing, Knickers also included Roger Hall, Steve Whitehouse, Cathy Downes and Paul Holmes.[9]

The first play in the Hannah Playhouse was Shakespeare's As You Like It in 1973 directed by Sunny Amey who was the director of Downstage at the time. The set was in traverse designed by Raymond Boyce featuring a central sloping disc and the cast included Grant Tilley, Anne Flannery and Susan Wilson. One review stated, "...more intelligently than we have ever seen it produced before."[1][9]

Kate Harcourt, Miranda Harcourt

Wednesday to Come by Renée in 1984 directed by George Webby told a story of New Zealand's depression era through the lens of three generations of women. It was unique in the centering of women at the time. The cast included Jane Waddell, Dame Kate Harcourt and Davina Whitehouse.[10][9] It was re-presented by Downstage in 2005 again featuring Jane Waddell and Dame Kate Harcourt this time also with Dame Kate's daughter, Miranda Harcourt, directed by Geraldine Brophy.[11][12]

Flight Of The Conchords - Soho, London 2018

A number of plays started at BATS Theatre and then did shows at the Hannah Playhouse to accommodate demand and to reach a bigger and different Downstage audience. Well known examples are Indian Ink's Krishnan’s Dairy, (BATS in 1997 and Downstage in 1998),[13][9] Flight of the Conchords, who went on to play in much bigger international venues and also a made TV series in the USA (BATS in 2001 and Downstage in 2002),[14][15] and interactive production Apollo 13: Mission Control directed by Kip Chapman (BATS in 2008 and Downstage in 2010).[16]

Leadership

Founding artistic directors Martyn Sanderson, Tim Elliott, Peter Bland. The director position of Downstage Theatre has had a variety of forms and titles.

  • 1964-66 Martyn Sanderson - executive director
  • 1966 Tim Elliott - executive director
  • 1967 Sandy Black - director
  • 1968-70 Dick Johnstone - resident producer
  • 1968-69 William Austin - artistic advisor
  • 1970 Antony Goser - artistic advisor
  • 1967-74 Sunny Amey - artistic director
  • 1974-76 Mervyn Thompson - artistic director
  • 1977-82 Anthony Taylor - artistic director
  • 1982-84 John Banas- artistic director
Colin McColl Director 1985 - 1992
  • 1985-92 Colin McColl - artistic director
  • 1992-94 William Walker - artistic director
  • 1994-98 Guy Boyce - programme manager
  • 1998-99 Ellie Smith - artistic director
  • 2000-06 Murray Lynch - director
  • 2006-2008 Cathy Downes - director
  • 2008-2013 Hilary Beaton - director

References
  1. Atkinson, Laurie; O'Donnell, David, eds. (2013). Playmarket 40 : 40 years of playwriting in New Zealand. [Wellington] New Zealand: Playmarket. ISBN 978-0-908607-45-7. OCLC 864712401.
  2. "Tim Eliott (Obituary)". The Dominion Post. Fairfax Media. 14 May 2011. p. A28.
  3. "The Hannah's History". Hannah Playhouse. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  4. Macdonald, Nikki (10 July 2019). "Obituary: Raymond Boyce: a life designed by serendipity". Stuff. Retrieved 11 March 2020.
  5. "In memory of Raymond Boyce". Creative New Zealand. 2 July 2019.
  6. Thomson, Rebecca (7 January 2010). "Downstage – a Wellington fixture". The Dominion Post. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  7. Watson White, Helen (31 May 2014). "Getting New Zealand Writing Into Theatres". Landfall Review Online. Retrieved 15 May 2020.
  8. Cardy, Tom (17 September 2013). "Downstage theatre company to close". The Dominion Post. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 18 October 2018.
  9. Smythe, John (2004). Downstage upfront: the first 40 years of New Zealand's longest running professional theatre. Wellington: Victoria Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-86473-489-1.
  10. Edmond, Murray. "Wednesday to come, 1984". Te Ara - the Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  11. Wellington, Unity. "Wednesday to Come opening, Downstage, 8th June 2005". unitybooks.nz. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  12. "Downstage Theatre :[Ephemera and programmes of octavo size for productions in 2005]". National Library of New Zealand. 1 January 2005. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  13. Christian, Dionne (22 July 2017). "Theatre company nurtures and preserves next generation". NZ Herald. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  14. Moir, Jo (8 April 2014). "Conchords pair go in to bat for theatre". Stuff. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  15. "FLIGHT OF THE CONCHORDS TOUR OF NZ! - They leave us wanting more". Theatreview. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
  16. "APOLLO 13: Mission Control - Wellington, we have another hit Apollo 13 launch". Theatreview. Retrieved 22 January 2021.

Further references can be found in

  • Smythe, John (2004) Downstage Upfront – A 40th Anniversary Biography, ISBN 9780864734891

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