‘We’re as important as the All Blacks’: Exclusive look at the Court Theatre build

Monday, 3 June 2024

The new Court Theatre is still work in progress, but fan favourite Mark Hadlow sneaks in an early performance.

It’s not been confirmed what show will open Christchurch’s new $56 million Court Theatre next year, but Kiwi acting favourite Mark Hadlow has already christened it with Shakespeare.

During an exclusive look inside the theatre’s Gloucester St building site, Hadlow - who has appeared in more than 40 Court Theatre productions - performed a soliloquy from Macbeth before telling The Press theatre in New Zealand is “as important as the All Blacks”.

The 67-year-old actor is currently appearing at The Court’s temporary Addington home in Mr and Mrs Macbeth of Heathcote Valley Road and will host a special fundraising evening on Sunday - Mark Hadlow Unleashed - to raise funds for his beloved theatrical home.

Court Theatre favourite Mark Hadlow performs inside the new building in Christchurch CBD. Hadlow will be raising money for the theatre with Mark Hadlow Unleashed on June 9.

Hadlow, who has appeared in Hollywood blockbusters such as King Kong and The Hobbit, accompanied The Press to the building site, under the watchful of eye of the Hawkins construction team, together with The Court’s artistic adviser and lead director Ross Gumbley.

Dressed in Shakespearean garb, with an additional hard hat and Macbeth crown, Hadlow climbed on an elevated work platform (EWP) inside what will become the theatre’s main auditorium.

Old friends and colleagues Ross Gumbley, artistic adviser and lead director at the Court Theatre, and Hadlow pose inside the new Court Theatre building site in the Christchurch CBD.

“The Court’s employed me for near-on 35 years and I want to give back,” said Hadlow of his imminent fundraising evening.

“It has given me the opportunity to develop my career, to become a better professional actor.”

Casey O'Connor reacts as Hadlow performs inside the new Court Theatre building site on an elevated work platform.

As Hadlow ascended on the EWP to perform some of the bard’s finest, Gumbley expressed his excitement at the imminent theatre opening.

“I've been coming to this site now for over 12 months and the first time I came through I got incredibly emotional because I could see the things that we talked about - an intimate connection between the audience and the stage - was going to be there and that was incredibly satisfying.

Gumbley says the new building will offer “the best theatre space in Aotearoa”.

“This is going to be the best theatre space in Aotearoa.”

The 377-seat main auditorium will be an adaptable space, with the option of taking rows of seats out to create a more Elizabethan-style courtyard theatre.

The Court Theatre building site on Gloucester St.

Two mezzanines of audience seating will complement that vision.

Gumbley, who started as a trainee actor at The Court in 1985, is a close friend of Hadlow’s, with the pair’s comedic rapport shining through during the site visit.

Court Theatre actors will be walking on a stage in the main auditorium space when the building opens in 2025.

“Lies and laughter. Total fabrication,” is how Hadlow described his Unleashed evening.

“Fact, facets and fallacies. All of that, it’s going to be amazing.”

“It’s not phalluses,” clarifies Gumbley, “unless that sells tickets.”

Taking Hadlow’s Shakespearean bellowing in his stride, Hawkins’ project manager Paul O’Connor admitted the project had given him the theatre bug.

“If I was honest with you, probably before I started, no,” he said of his theatrical interest.

The Court Theatre building site is a hive of construction activity.

“After being involved in it and seeing the type of passion that the Court Theatre has shown towards the project, yes.”

Gumbley will host Sunday’s fundraiser in Addington, with Court favourites Yvonne Martin, Eilish Moran, Greg Cooper and Lara McGregor all involved in the evening.

Hadlow christens the new Court Theatre site with some Shakespeare.

Hadlow is a natural joker, but when it comes to the future of The Court, he’s resolutely serious.

“Live entertainment actually affects people more, [by] asking social questions and asking questions about who we are as a community, who we are as a country and a nation and who we are as a people.

“Theatre does that. Theatre asks questions. That's why New Zealand writing is so important.”

No firm date has been announced for the opening, but The Court is committed to welcoming audiences to its Gloucester St site in “the first part of 2025”.

Is Hadlow keen to be involved in a production in the new space?

“I’m doing a season in The Shed [at Addington] in its last year. How lucky am I? And that’s thanks to Alison [Court Theatre artistic director Alison Walls] and The Court team.

“And, I don’t know, what does the future hold for me in the new Court?”

Gumbley interjects: “No no, I think this might be it, we’ll let you know.”

“The audition went well,” Hadlow laughs.

Tickets are available for Mark Hadlow Unleashed, a special, one-night-only fundraiser on Sunday, June 9 at The Shed in Addington, Christchurch.